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40 Most Useful Mudra -Techniques and Benefits

What is Mudra?

Generally the word ‘mudra’ denotes the gesture or attitude. Moreover, this word also has been used as financial term. In financial arena, it refers to currency. However, this implication as a currency totally comes under Nepali and Hindu script.

In yogic understanding, the Sanskrit word ‘Mudra’ basically refers to “gesture”, “attitude”, “sign”, “mark” and “seal” which is performed implying the hands and fingers as well as whole body. Most of the cases, the use of hands and fingers are implied to practice mudra.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, it is taken as the sacred practice to travel the journey of eternity and within the self. Many enlightened beings and sages’ idol has been erected with the hands in some specific mudras.

Even when you go to some ashrams and attend any spiritual programs, you would yourself practice such mudras with some pranayamas and meditations. It’s quintessential part in many pranayamas.

Significance of Mudra 

Mudra is a gesture by the implication of this, the mood and state of mind can be changed and taken to the different level of consciousness. Different mudras give different impression and impact to the practitioner. Indeed, mudra alone are supposed to be practiced after one gets adeptness in asanas, pranayamas and bandhas. Nevertheless, it can be practiced with the conjunction of the asanas and pranayamas.

The use of mudra has direct influence on prana. The use of hand gestures, fingers and body for mudra impacts our physical body, mental body and energy body. By the practice of mudra we can redirect our outgoing energy inside the body which stimulates and empowers our overall conditions of the body on physical, mental and energy level.

In concise words, it can be stated that mudra doesn’t let the energy go out from the body that helps us to keep our body in intact condition.

Mudra balances the Energy

Scientifically, the mudra balances the pranic energy and activates and rejuvenates the life energy. Through the practice of Mudra, we also can balance ourselves in a psychological level. From the perspective of Ayurveda, the imbalance of our Doshas( Humours), the body gets distracted and disturbed which arises a lot of ailments.

Through the practice of mudra, such unbalances of the body can be maintained and appropriated. Specifically, the index fingers balances the Vata Dosha (Wind), thumb controls the Pitta Dosha (Bile) and the middle fingers influences the Kapha Dosha (Phlegm).

Both in Buddhism and Hinduism the use of mudra has pervasively been performed. For the purpose of meditation and experiencing the deeper sense of consciousness, these mudras have been implemented by many yogis and sages that can be read in the scriptures and seen the idol. Mudra, in the greater sense, is the practice to lead one to the journey of enlightenment.

Mudra and Acuoressure/ Reflexology

The similarity between Mudra Therapy and Acupressure Therapy is prevalent. It is believed that our fingers themselves are the therapist of ailments, deformity and problems of our body. However, we seem to be wandering in the whirlwind of ignorance. Without taking any medicine, we can heal our body.

On the surface level, it sounds weird and illogical. In fact, Mudra can miraculously be implied for the healing of the issues of our body. When a person gets angry, the mudra or attitude is of one kind whereas when he/she is happy has different attitude. This is indeed the signal for the human kind that for the benefits of the body certain gestures has to be applied.

Kinds of Mudra

Element Mudra

Mudra has been valued as the indispensable ingredient of Hatha Yoga. According to Hindu philosophy, our fingers have connection with the energy. Through the manipulation of our fingers we directs our energy in the required purpose.  The thumb of finger refers the Fire element, the index finger denotes Air element, the middle fingers signifies Ethereal element, the ring fingers represents Earth element and the little finger signifies Water element.

  1. Vayu Mudra
  2. Akash Mudra
  3. Prithvi Mudra
  4. Surya Mudra
  5. Varun Mudra and many more..we describe here some of theme.

Vayu mudra

vayu-mudra-technique-benefits

Vayu mudra is performed with the use of index finger placing the tip of the index finger on the bottom of thumb while applying mild pressure by the thumb to the bent index finger. Rest of the fingers should be kept together. The word Vayu means ‘air’. In this regard, Vayu mudra helps to control air element in the body.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture.
  2. Place your both palms on the knees.
  3. Bend your index finger to touch the bottom of the thumb and then pressurize on the bent index finger in mild way.
  4. Keep your remaining fingers straight.
  5. You can practice it for fifteen minutes in a day if you’re doing for therapeutic reason.

Benefits:

  1. It helps to balance the air element inside the body.
  2. It is beneficial mudra for the problem of waist pain, joint pain, flatulence, and arthritis.
  3. It also is useful mudra in the issues of numbness caused by the blood-circulation, paralysis, heart disease, high blood pressure etc.
  4. It has positive effect for the polio victims for pain management.
  5. It can also be practiced if you feel uneasy on your stomach after having meal sitting on the Vajrasana position.
  6. Those having Parkinson’s disease are also advised to practice for controlling the tremors.

Akash Mudra

akash mudra

The Sanskrit word Akash means ‘view’, ‘recognize’. This mudra balances the space element within the body. The Akash is also one of the elements among the five elements of the universe. By the name of the element Akash, one mudra was incepted for maintaining the element of space in the body that has been given the name Akash Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable position.
  2. Place your both palms on each knee.
  3. Bend your middle finger to touch the fingertip of that finger to the tip of the thumb.
  4. Keep your rest of the fingers straight.
  5. You can practice about 30 minutes in a day.
  6. It’s the practice not to be prolonged for the people having predominant of Vata Dosha.

Benefits:

  1. It helps to develop intuition, noble thoughts, and extra-sensory power.
  2. It also is good practice which detoxify the body to secret the metabolic wastages.
  3. It also decreases the feeling of heaviness caused by over-eating.
  4. It is also very beneficial mudra for increasing the hearing power.
  5. The practice of Akash Mudra relieves the blockage in the head caused by the sinusitis and migraine and also the chest caused by asthma and infection.
  6. It can be practiced for the people having high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, angina etc.

Prithvi Mudra

prithvi mudra

Prithvi Mudra balances the earth element in the body. The word Prithvi means ‘earth’. The mudra practiced for maintaining the earth element in the body has been named Prithvi Mudra.  This mudra reduces the fire element in the body.

Technique:

  1. Sit in a comfortable meditative position.
  2. Close your eyes. Place your both palms on each knee.
  3. Touch the tip of ring finger with the tip of the thumb straightening the rest of the fingers.
  4. It can be practiced for 30 minutes in a day.

Benefits:

  1. It keeps healthy to the bone and muscle of the body.
  2. It enhances the life energy by relieving the weakness of the body.
  3. It improves our digestive system.
  4. It also helps to maintain our body’s weight.
  5. It can be practice to heal burning in anus, in hands, feet and head.
  6. It also prevents your hair from premature graying and also hair loss.
  7. For those having ulcers in the mouth and stomach, inflammatory disease, jaundice and acidity.

Surya Mudra

Surya Mudra is fourth mudra which comes under element Mudra. It has the file element which helps to decrease the earth element within in the body.

Technique:

  1. Sit in a comfortable meditative position.
  2. Close your eyes. Place your both palms on each knee.
  3. Place your tip of the middle finger at the base of the thumb and apply the mild pressure by the thumb on the middle finger.
  4. Keep your rest of the fingers straight.
  5. You can practice Surya Mudra for 30 minutes in a day.

Benefits:

  1. It’s very good mudra to control your obesity and overweight.
  2. This mudra increases the element of fire in the body.
  3. It’s good practice for maintaining the Pitta dosha of our body.
  4. It prevents from the coldness of the hands, feet and skin.
  5. It is good mudra to practice for treating indigestion and constipation.
  6. The practice of Surya Mudra increases the vision power of the eyes.
  7. Surya Mudra gives the power, energy and capacity like the sun to us.
  8. It helps to heal the common cold, cough, sinusitis, pneumonia.

Varun Mudra

Varun Mudra regulates the water element within the body.

Technique:

  1. Sit in a comfortable meditative posture.
  2. Close your eyes and place the both palms on each knee.
  3. Touch the tip of the little finger to the tip of the thumb and keep the rest of the fingers straight.
  4. You can practice for 30 minutes in a day.

Benefits:

  1. It helps to address the problem of dehydration.
  2. It also helps to maintain the senses related to touch, taste and dryness of the mouth.
  3. It increases the Vata and Pitta doshas in our body.
  4. You can practice Varun Mudra during winter to decrease the dryness of the face.
  5. It also reduces the deficiency of the hormones in the body as well as the cures the problem of cramps.
  6. Person having deficiency of Kapha Dosha can practice Varun Mudra for a great number of benefits.
  7. The people having dropsy and pleurisy can practice Varun Mudra to experience the positive result.

Hasta Mudra

Hasta Mudra is practiced with the use of fingers which have different significance. The index fingers which represent individual self and thumb represents Supreme Self whereas little finger indicates the guna of Tamas i.e. inertia, the ring finger refers to Rajas i.e. dynamism and the middle fingers signifies the Sattva, the harmony.

  1. Gyan Mudra
  2. China Mudra
  3. Yoni Mudra
  4. Bhairava Mudra
  5. Hridaya Mudra

Gyan Mudra

gyan mudra

Gyan Mudra or Jnana Mudra is one of the basic mudras in meditation. It is performed with the application of two fingers basically i.e. index and thumb fingers while rest of the fingers are straightened together. The Sanskrit word ‘jnana’ means wisdom and mudra is gestures. Thus Gyan Mudra is psychic gesture of wisdom or knowledge.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative position with your spine straight and shoulder relaxed.
  2. Keep your eyes closed and place your palms on the knees.
  3. Place tip of the index fingers on the base of the thumbs. Keep the rest of the fingers straight facing forward. Place the palms facing downward.

Benefits:

  1. Gyan Mudra helps to make meditation asana effective.
  2. Gyan Mudra stimulates the Gupta Nadi which runs through the knee going to the perineum where Muladhara Chakra is located.
  3. It doesn’t let the prana flow out from the fingers. With the practice of Gyan Mudra, the prana flows inside the body.
  4. It calms down the unsteady and restless mind.

Chin Mudra

Chin Mudra is the psychic gesture of consciousness. The origin of the word Chin is the root ‘chit’ which means consciousness thus was given the name. Similar to Gyan Mudra, Chin Mudra also been practiced with the use of index finger and thumb. However, the direction of the palm facing is upward in Chin Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with your spine straight and should relaxed.
  2. Place your palms on the knees.
  3. Gently place your tip of the index finger at the bottom of the thumb keeping rest of the fingers straight.
  4. You keep your palm facing upward and rest of the fingers forward.

Benefits:

  1. Chin Mudra helps to make meditation asana effective.
  2. Chin Mudra stimulates the Gupta Nadi which runs through the knee going to the perineum where Muladhara Chakra is located.
  3. It redirects the flow of energy inside the body.
  4. It calms down the unsteady and restless mind.
  5. Since we face the palms upward in Chin Mudra, it helps to open up the chest.

Yoni Mudra

The word ‘yoni’ refers to ‘womb’ or ‘source’.  Yoni Mudra brings out the energy which is intrinsic in the womb or source of foundation. In other word, it keeps a person away from the chaotic external world and leads to the place of originality.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable position with keeping your eyes closed, spine straight and shoulder relaxed.
  2. Place the both palms together while keeping the pads of the index fingers together.
  3. Interlock the rest of the fingers or just place them turning inward.
  4. Also join the pads of the thumbs together to create a shape of a yoni.

Benefits:

  1. It allows the interchange of the energy between the fingers of the two hands.
  2. It balances the activities of right and left hemisphere of the body.
  3. It develops the level of concentration and awareness in deeper level.
  4. Yoni Mudra also gives sense of physical relaxation.
  5. This mudra also redirects the flow of energy inside the body.
  6. For opening your chest up yoni mudra is very beneficial.
  7. The practice of this mudra keeps a person away from the attachment to the outer world opening the way to eternity.

Bhairava Mudra

In Bhairava Mudra, two hands repreent ida and pingala nadis on the on hand. On the other, they signify the assimilation of the individual self with the Supreme self.

Technique:

  1. Sit in a comfortable meditative posture with keeping your eyes closed, spine straight, opening your chest and shoulder back.
  2. Put your both palms together on your lap.
  3. Place the palm of the right hand over the left. In this position both palms are facing upward.
  4. Interesting part is when you place your left hand over the right then the name of the gesture changes into Bhairavi i.e. the female equivalent of the Bhairavi.

Benefits:

  1. Bhairava Mudra balances the ida and pingala nadis.
  2. It brings the state of equilibrium between the right and the left hemisphere of the brain.
  3. It stabilizes the mind and body.
  4. It dismisses the stress and anxiety of the mind.

Hridaya Mudra

The word ‘Hridaya’ means the heart. The gesture of heart is Hridya Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture.
  2. Straighten your spine and head, open your chest.
  3. Close your eyes.
  4. Place both palms on the knees.
  5. Place the tip of the index fingers as the base of the thumb while joining the tip of the thumb with the tips of the middle and ring fingers.
  6. Keep your little finger straight.
  7. You can practice for 30 minutes in a day.

Benefits:

  1. Hridya Mudra takes the direction of prana from the hands to the heart region which helps to progress the strength the heart.
  2. It is beneficial mudra for heart.
  3. It helps to relieve the emotional anxiety and tension suppressed in our mind.
  4. The practice of this mudra during the period of emotional disorders and upheaval helps you to release your affliction.

Mani Mudra

Mani Mudra are basically related to Kundalina Yoga in addition to being the essential part of meditation.  While performing Mana Mudra, eyes, ears, nose, lips and tongue are brought into application. The types of Mana Mudra are as follows:

  1. Shambhavi Mudra
  2. Nasikagra Drishti
  3. Khechari Mudra
  4. Kaki Mudra
  5. Bhujangini Mudra
  6. Bhoochari Mudra

Shambhavi mudra

Shambhavi mudra has another name called as bhrumandhya drishti. Bhru means ‘eyebrow centre’ and drishti means ‘gazing’. Thus the practice performed gazing at the eyebrow centre has been told Shambhavi Mudra. It is also one of the powerful mudras in tantric learning. In Gherandha Samhita, Shambhavi Mudra has been mentioned.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. keep your eyes closed.
  3. Place your palms on the knees.
  4. Open your eyes and look upward and inward focusing gaze at the eyebrow centre where a V-shaped image will be seen.
  5. Don’t practice more than few seconds in the beginning.
  6. Close your eyes and observe the tranquility and blackness in front of your closed eyes. This is one round.
  7. You can practice it for 5 or 10 times gradually increasing the duration of gazing at the third eye.

Benefits:

  1. Shambhavi Mudra strengthens the eyes muscles.
  2. It relieves the tension stored in your eyes’ area.
  3. It is good practice for calming down the mind.
  4. It also helps to release the emotional tensions, anxiety and anger.
  5. It make you relaxed and restlessness leading you to the state of mental steadiness.

Nasikagra Dristi

It is also called agochari mudra. Agochari comes from the Sanskrit word ‘agocharama’ which refers to ‘outside the sensual perception’.  On the other hand, the word Nasika means ‘nose’ and agra means ‘tips’. The practice of looking (drishti) at the tip of the nose has been named as Nasikagra Drishti.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Keep your eyes closed.
  3. Place your both palms on the knees in chin or gyan mudra.
  4. Open your eyes and look at the tip of the nose with soft gaze.
  5. You can see the V-shape on your tip of the nose. Concentrate your gaze without straining your eyes at the V-shape.
  6. Close your eyes. You can again practice for 5 times.

Benefits:

  1. It calms the anxious and disturbed mind.
  2. The practice of Nasikagra drshti leads to the state of self-observation.
  3. Nasikagra drishti also increase the concentration power.
  4. It can be taken as the preparatory process to go to the meditation.
  5. For travelling into the transcendental space of consciousness, Nasikagra Drishti is a very beneficial practice.

Khechari Mudra

The Sanskrit word ‘Khechari’ is made of two roots khe which means ‘sky’ and charya means ‘one who moves’. The practice of khechari is believed to make a yogi capable of collecting the drops of amrita (nectar or elixir) at visuddhi not letting go down.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes. Place your palms on the knees in Chin or Gyan Mudra.
  3. Fold the tongue upward and backward making contact of the lower surface with the upper palate.
  4. Expand the tip of the tongue to the back until you feel comfortable without any strain.
  5. With deep and slow pace perform Ujjayi Pranayama until tongue gets tired.
  6. You can practice for 5 to 10 minutes.

Benefits:

  1. It decreases the hunger and thirst.
  2. It energizes whole body leaving effect on the body.
  3. Khechari Mudra purifies pressures points in the back of the mouth and the nasal cavity.
  4. Since it conserves the vigorosity the body, its highly effective practice for inner healing.
  5. This is amazing practice to activate Kundalini Shakti.

Kaki Mudra

As the shape of mouth is formed like a crow’s beak, thus the name also has been given Kaki Mudra. Furthermore, the word Kaki refers to the ‘crow’. The gestures which resembles the shape of crow’s mouth is called Kaki Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Place your both palms on each knee in Chin or Gyan Mudra.
  3. Close your eyes.
  4. Open your eyes after few minutes with complete relaxation of the body. Look at your tip of the nose i.e. Nasikagra Dristhi.
  5. Inhale from the squeezed lips making a beak.
  6. Exhale through the nostril closing the lips.
  7. Continue the process for 3 to 5 times.

 Benefits:

  1. This pacifies strain and tension in the mind.
  2. This triggers digestive excretion.
  3. It makes your body cool and relaxed.
  4. It is good practice in cold weather.
  5. The application of Nasikagra drshti leads to the state of self-observation.
  6. By the use of Nasikagra drishti in Kaki Mudra it also increases the concentration power.
  7. For travelling into the transcendental space of consciousness, Nasikagra Drishti in Kaki Mudra can be worthy and valuable practice.

Bhujangini Mudra

Bhujangini means a cobra. The gesture has been named after cobra. The gesture resembles the snake. It is one the Mudras described in Gheranda Samhita.  It is performed by prolonging the neck a little forward and drinking the air through the mouth by opening it.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Place your both palms on the knees and close your eyes.
  3. Pushing you chin forward and upward take inhalation through the mouth and take it into the stomach but not in the lungs.
  4. You can hold the breath as long as you feel comfortable. With belching expel the breath out of the stomach.
  5. Continue the practice for 3 to 5 rounds.

Benefits:

  1. It strengthens the whole stomach.
  2. It expels the bad toxins and air stored in the body.
  3. The interesting thing is you can float in water until you hold the breath inside the stomach.
  4. digestive problems can be cured by this mudra.

Bhoochari Mudra

In Bhoochari Mudra, a practitioner is supposed to look at the external central point in cooperation with Nasikagra Dristhi and Shambhavi Mudra. The gestures refers to the practice of looking at nothingness.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Place your palms on the knees and fingers in Chin or Gyan Mudra .
  3. Keep your eyes closed.
  4. With the opening of the eye also raise the right hand in front of the face pointing your elbow side of the body.
  5. Place your thumb at the side of the upper lip facing your palms downward and fingers together.
  6. Gaze your eyes at the tip of the little finger. You will not blink the eyes during this gaze.
  7. After continuing the gazing for a minute or so without blinking the eyes, lower your arms down on the knees and keep watching the area where your little finger was.
  8. You can continue it for 5 to 10 minutes.

Benefits:

  1. It develops the memory and concentration power.
  2. it sedates the mind and calms down your angers and anxiety.
  3. It also wonderful practice to stabilized the mind into thoughtlessness.
  4. It also helps to activate Ajna Chakra.
  5. it allows a practitioner to travel into the psychic world of consciousness.

Kaya Mudra

The gestures performed through the application of the physical postures come under Kaya Mudra. With the combination of the breathing and concentration, certain postures are performed which are called kaya Mudra.

Pashinee Mudra

The meaning of the word pash is ‘noose’.  Pashinee is the one bound in a noose.

Technique:

  1. Go to halasana taking the legs over the head to the floor.
  2. Bend your knees placing them by the side of the ears down on the floor while taking the thighs towards the chest.
  3. Wrap your arms around the thighs. The legs should be about half a meter wider and feet touching on the floor.
  4. After the Pashinee Mudra, lie down into Savasana.

Benefits:

  1. It brings balances to the nervous system and encourages Pratyahara.
  2. It also stimulates the spinal nerves.
  3. It also can be powerful practice for massage of the abdomen.

Tadagi Mudra

The shape of the extended abdomen resembles the ‘water pot’ which means ‘Tadagi’. Thus practice in which abdomen is expanded with deep inhalation has been named Tadgai Mudra.

Technique:

  • Straighten your legs on sitting position.
  • keep your spine and head straight while keeping your palms on the knees.
  • Close the eyes and relax the abdominal area along with the whole body.
  • Grasp your both big toes by your first two fingers and lean forward still keeping your legs straight.
  • With deep and slow inhalation expand the abdomen as much as you can and hold the breath without hurting lungs.
  • Exhale with complete excretion of the air making your abdomen relaxed but you are still holding your toes by fingers.
  • You can continue the breathing for 10 times.
  • Release the toes. You can practice for 3 to 5 rounds.

Benefits:

  1. It releases the tension and anxiety accumulated in the diaphragm and pelvic floor.
  2. It vitalizes and stimulates the blood circulation to the areas of abdominal organs.
  3. This practices helps to activate Manipura Chakra.

Bandha

The practice of mudras (gestures) in combination with mudra come under the category of Bandha. These gestures are called lock Mudra.

Maha Mudra

Maha Mudra means great psychic attitude. Literally maha mudra means ‘great seal’. It is the first mudra mentioned in Hath Yoga Pradipaka and Gheranda Samhita. It leads practitioner to the higher state of consciousness and is recommended to practice before any meditation.

Technique:

  1. Sit with right leg stretched out and left leg folded. Place the heel of the left leg into the perineum or cervix area.
  2. Keep your back straight while letting your whole body relaxed and peform khechari mudra.
  3. Take a deep inhalation and with exhalation fold forward and grab your right big toes with your both hands.
  4. Try to keep your head and back straight.
  5. Inhale while tilting your head slightly back and upward and perform shambhavi mudra and then moola bandha.
  6. Retain the breath and concentrate gradually from third eye, the throat and the perineum. You can say inwardly ‘ajna, vishuddhi, mooladhara’ simultaneously concentrating on these three part of your body. Give one or two second for each chakra.
  7. Before coming to the upright position release shambhavi and moold bandha.
  8. Switch the side and perform the same way.
  9. You can practice for 3 rounds with the left leg, right leg and then both leg stretched.

Benefits:

  1. It activates the energy channel.
  2. It relieves the tension stored in your eyes’ area.
  3. It is good practice for calming down the mind.
  4. It also helps to release the emotional tensions, anxiety and anger.
  5. It make you relaxed and restlessness leading you to the state of mental steadiness.
  6. It decreases the hunger and thirst.
  7. It energizes whole body leaving effect on the body.
  8. Khechari Mudra purifies pressures points in the back of the mouth and the nasal cavity.
  9. Since it conserves the vigor the body, its highly effective practice for inner healing.
  10. This is amazing practice to activate Kundalini Shakti.

Maha Bheda Mudra

Maha bheda Mudra literally means the great separating gesture.  Maha means ‘great’, bheda means ‘seperating’ and mudra means ‘gesture’. Thus the name.

Technique:

  1. Fold your left leg and stretch your right leg with the spine and head straight.
  2. Take a deep inhalation and bend forward with exhalation while grab your right big toe with both hands.
  3. Perform the Bahira Kumbhaka, Jalandhara, Uddiyana and Moola Bandhas.
  4. Simultaneously concentrating on the throat, abdomen and perineum inwardly utter ‘vishuddhi, manipura, mooladhara’. You will give one or two second of awareness in each chakra.
  5. Release the three bandhas.
  6. Inhale with head and back vertical and exhale.
  7. You can practice 3 round for each left, right and both legs stretched.

Benefits:

  1. It leaves greater impact at a pranic level.
  2. It stimulates Vishuddhi, Manipura and Mooladhara chakra.
  3. Because of the application of the maha mudra with maha bheda the body gets energized.
  4. It also strengthens the back and the shoulders.
  5. It stretches the thight and leg muscles.
  6. Since this mudra channels prana it is believed to have anti-aging effect.

 

Pranic Mudra

Our body is encompassed with five bodies according to Yogic philosophy. Among these five bodies, pranamaya kosha is contained with five major pranas. They are prana, apana, samana, udana, and vyana. On the basis of these five pranas, the name of the mudra has been given.  The five pranic mudras are as follows:

  • Prana Mudra
  • Apana Mudra
  • Vyan Mudra
  • Udana Mudra
  • Samana Mudra

Prana Mudra

Prana Mudra is also called Kapha-karaak Mudra that helps to enhance the pranic energy in the body.

Technique:

  1. Relax yourself in a comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place your palms on the knees.
  3. Join the front part of the little, ring and thumb fingers together and straighten the rest of the fingers.
  4. You can practice it for 15 to 30 minutes.

Benefits:

  1. It boosts the immune system.
  2. It makes us relieve from the anxiety and fatigue.
  3. The practice of Prana Mudra helps to increase the Water and Earth element in the body while reducing the Fire element.
  4. It also adds the quantity of kapha humour whereas it reduces the pitta humour.
  5. it is good practice for the eyes.
  6. It activates the dormant energy of the body.
  7. It can also be beneficial for the people having cancer.

Apana Mudra

Apana Mudra is combined form of Prithvi and Akash Mudra. The Apana Vayu is especially encompassed at the sacral area and genitals.

Technique:

  1. Relax your body in a comfortable sitting posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place both palms on the knees while breathing gently in and out from your nostril.
  3. Touch the tips of the middle and ring fingers with the thumb while making index and little fingers straight.
  4. You can practice it for 15 to 30 minutes.

Benefits:

  1. It is a good practice for curing the constipation.
  2. It also can be beneficial the treatment of the piles.
  3. It can heal the burning of the body or part of the body.
  4. It has good effect in healing the disease caused by the deficiency of Vata and Pitta.
  5. it helps excrete the sweat out of the body.
  6. It also is advantageous the menstrual problem of the women.

Vyana Mudra

It is also called Vaat Karaak Mudra. Vyana Vayu has been spread all over the body. The Vyana Mudra also has very much effect on pressure of the blood which run in each and every cells.

Technique:

  1. Relax yourself in a sitting posture where you keep your spine and head upright.
  2. Close your eyes and place your palms on the knees.
  3. Join the tip of the thumb, middle and index finger together and make little and ring fingers straight.
  4. You can practice it for 30 minutes.

Benefits:

  1. It normalizes the high-blood and lower blood pressure.
  2. It helps to relax the nerves and calms your mind.
  3. It strengthens the whole nervous system.
  4. Drowsiness and excessive sleeps can be controlled.
  5. Intolerance to sun and heat can be prevented.
  6. Excessive sweating, loose motion and thirst can be balanced.

Udana Mudra

The area of Udana Vayu is neck and collarbone along with throat and head area. By the practice of Udana Mudra aforementioned parts of body receive huge amount of benefits.

Technique:

  1. Relax yourself on comfortable sitting posture making your spine and head upright.
  2. Close your eyes and place both palms on each knee.
  3. Join the tip of the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers together.
  4. Keep your little finger straight.
  5. You can practice it for 20-30 minutes for therapeutic benefits.

Benefits:

  1. It develops the flow of energy inside the body.
  2. It cures the issues of naval and chest.
  3. It brings natural glow in your skin by the regular practice as well as helps to eliminate skin related problems.
  4. The power of speech can be maintained.
  5. It has good effect on healing the issues related to thyroid and throat.
  6. The ability of understanding and consciousness can be developed by the practice Udana Mudra.

Samana Mudra

It is also called Mukul  Mudra along with its effect on three doshas it is called Tri-Dosha Nashak Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Relax yourself on any comfortable sitting posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place both palms on the knees.
  3. Place your tip of the five fingers together.
  4. You can practice it for 30 minutes.

Benefits:

  1. It balances all three Doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
  2. It also balances all five elements in the body.
  3. It equipoise the energy of the central part of the body.
  4. It helps in digesting the food in proper manner.
  5. It reduces the gas and acid formation in the body.
  6. It can be highly beneficial for curing the liver dysfunction.
  7. By the practice of Samana Mudra, the level of confidence can be heightened.
  8. It can be practiced for healing the area pointed the gesture in that area or may be pointing to the area.
  9. Balancing the body and mind it also increases the concentration and determination power.

Mudras as a Treatment of the Diseases

Hridaya Mudra

Hridya Mudra is believed to be very effective method of treatment and cure for those who are having issues related to heart. For heart problems, Hridaya Mudra has a huge influence in positive manner.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture.
  2. Straighten your spine and head, open your chest.
  3. Close your eyes.
  4. Place both palms on the knees.
  5. Place the tip of the index fingers as the base of the thumb while joining the tip of the thumb with the tips of the middle and ring fingers.
  6. Keep your little finger straight.
  7. You can practice for 30 minutes in a day.

Benefits:

  1. Hridya Mudra takes the direction of prana from the hands to the heart region which helps to progress the strength the heart.
  2. It is beneficial mudra for heart.
  3. It helps to relieve the emotional anxiety and tension suppressed in our mind.
  4. The practice of this mudra during the period of emotional disorders and upheaval helps you to release your affliction.
  5. It is beneficial for those having both high and lower blood pressure.

Kuber Mudra

It is the gesture helpful for recovering the issue of sinusitis. Kuber was the person who was the symbol of physical prosperity.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place your both palms on the knees.
  3. Join together the tip of three fingers; thumb, index and middle while rest of the fingers are bent touching the palm.

Benefits:

  1. As its name it provides physical, mental and spiritual affluence.
  2. For the sinusitis, this mudra is recommended.

Dam Mudra

For the recovering and therapy of the asthma this mudra can be performed. The word dam means ‘asthma’ and gesture means ‘mudra’. Thus the name given as its propose.

 Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and relax your both palms on the knees.
  3. Open your eyes.
  4. Then bring the outer part i.e. the nail and outer pads of your middle fingers of the both hands whereas rest of the fingers are kept straight and open.

Benefits:

  1. Like its name, it is recommended to practice for asthma problem.

Kidney Mudra

The gesture highly beneficial for the problem of kidney has been named Kidney Mudra. By the practice of Kidney Mudra, the ailments of kidney can be prevented and made the function of the kidney better and powerful. Thus, the gesture which is advantageous for preventing the problems of the Kidney is called Kidney Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and abide your palms on the knees.
  3. Open your eyes and bend the little and ring finger to touch the base of the thumb while putting mild pressure by the thumb from above. Keep rest of the fingers straight.

Benefits:

  1. By its name it gives good result to recover the problem of Kidney and urinary bladder.

Bhramar Mudra

The gesture which is recommended and practiced for the prevention and treatment of allergy of the body has been named Bhramar Mudra. This gesture has significant effect on cure of the allergy.

 Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and relax your palms on the knees.
  3. Open your eyes ad place your tip of the index finger at the base of the thumb and touch the tip of the thumb with the top of right side of the middle finger. Keep your remaining two fingers straight.

Benefits:

  1. It cures the allergy related to skin, nose, eye, throat including almost each allergy of the body.
  2. It boosts our auto immune system.

Mahashirsha Mudra

The word Maha means ‘great’, shirsha means ‘head’ and mudra means ‘gesture’.  Literally Mahashirsha Mudra means ‘gesture of great head’. This mudra is basically intended to practice for the healing of the headache.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place your palms on the knees.
  3. Place the tip of the ring finger at the base of the thumb and join the tip of the thumb, index and middle fingers together. Keep your little finger straight.
  4. Concentrate on your breathing. Especially focus on exhalation.

Benefits:

  1. It helps to release tension from eye, jaw and face which leads to relieve the headache.
  2. It also discharges anxiety of the mind.
  3. It also cures the tension originated from sinusitis, spinal pain, abdominal pain and the issues of women.
  4. It is also believed to be healed of migraine.

Mirgi Mudra

The word ‘Mirgi’ means ‘epilepsy’. It is a neurological disorder marked by the loss of consciousness and the situation of convulsion. To heal such problems, this mudra has been found effective. In this sense, the name was given to this mudra as Mirgi Mudra.

Technique:

  1. Sit in a comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place both palms on the knees.
  3. Touch the tip of the thumb to the middle position i.e. second portion of the middle and ring fingers and keep rest of the ringers straight.
  4. Continue this practice for 20 to 30 minutes for the therapeutic benefit.

Benefits:

  1. For the problem of epilepsy, this is good therapeutic mudra.

Shakti Mudra

The word Shakti means ‘power’ and Mudra means ‘gesture’. Thus the gesture or attitude of power is called Shakti Mudra. It has huge effect on body to provide energy and power as its name.

Technique:

  1. Relax your body in sitting comfortable meditative posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place your both palm on the knees.
  3. Tuck the thumb inside of the rest the fingers.
  4. Practice it for 20 to 30 minutes for therapeutic benefits.

Benefits:

  1. It helps to decrease the weakness of the body.
  2. It is beneficial in trembling of your finger and body.
  3. It also can be effective to lower down the problem of anger.
  4. It also relieves the issue of insomnia and improves sleep.
  5. Shakti Mudra brings pleasing sensation at pelvic area.
  6. It calms down the mind and nervous system.

Hakini Mudra

The gesture named after Shakti Goddess Hakini represents the Ajna Chakra. Thus Hakini Mudra has vital effect on concentration and heightening your thinking ability.

Technique:

  1. Relax your body in comfortable meditative sitting posture with spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place your palms on the knees.
  3. Take your hands together in front of you with finger spread. Join your tip of the each finger of the right hand to the left while taking each palm away from another.
  4. With deep inhalation open your eyes and concentrate on your third eye to perform Shambhavi Mudra. Perform Khechari Mudra.
  5. Retain the breathing internally and exhale releasing the Khechari and Shambhavi Mudra.
  6. Practice it for 10 round to get its directed benefits.

Benefits:

  1. Hakini Mudra enhances the memory power.
  2. It coordinates between the right and left hemisphere of the brain.
  3. It leads the mind into sense of calmness and clarity of the thinking.
  4. Hakini Mudra promotes the focus and positivity.

Indra Mudra

According to Hindu Philosophy Indra is the king of the Gods. He is taken as the symbol of thunder storm. He is the son of the father God Sky and the mother Earth. He is believed to have four hands with red complexion. His consort was the elephant Airavata. The Indra Mudra is performed by touching the tip of the little finger and thumb making round shape while rest of the fingers are straightened.

Technique:

  1. Sit in any comfortable meditative posture with eye closed, spine and head straight.
  2. Close your eyes and place your both palms on the knees.
  3. Touch your tip of the little finger to the tip of the thumb.
  4. Keep your rest of the fingers straight.

Benefits:

  1. It is beneficial mudra for skin problems such as black spot, allergy, and rough skin.
  2. It balances the water element in the body.
  3. It controls the kidneys’ problem
  4. It also controls the problem of frequent urination.
  5. It also cures the dryness of the eyes.

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