What is a Mudra?

Ever wondered what a Mudra is?

A mudra is a hand gesture, which are very natural and easy to include in your day to day activities. 

Ever wondered why at the end of your Savasana, the teacher often suggests that you touch your thumb to each finger tip? Each finger and thumb represents a different element in the bodies energetic system. Simply touching your finger tips to the thumb, stimulates different reactions in the nervous system. You are actually performing a very gentle, basic mudra at the end of your Yoga practice.

Mudra’s are an integral part of Yoga practice and philosophy. Actions of the hands and fingers have been known to balance and restore energy and even stimulate both the autonomic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These simple hand gestures can be performed at any time in anyway. While sitting, standing, walking or travelling. You need not be in a Yoga pose, although this can accentuate the changes in energy patterns.

Many gestures will be familiar and occur naturally in the day without you even realising it.

Here are just a few for example:

1. Does this look familiar? I notice people doing this with their hands when they are deep in thought, sitting in meetings, waiting at airports. Often resting their fingers on their chin. This is called Hakini Mudra. Bringing all the fingertips and thumbs together deepens concentration. Each finger and thumb represents a different element in the body. Give it a try next time you need to focus or problem solve. Start to bring awareness to what you do with your hands in different situations in your daily activities.

Hakini Mudra

2. Gyan Mudra – Mudra of knowledge is quite commonly used in Yoga practice. You will notice this hand position while yogi’s sit in meditation or even in various standing and seated postures. Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger. This activates the pituitary and endocrine glands. Benefits include increased memory, enhanced concentration and prevents insomnia. It can also relieve hysteria, anger and depression. When I practice balancing poses I find this mudra very useful to complement my focus, in turn making balance that little bit more accessible.

Gyan Mudra

 

3. Yoni Mudra- this mudra is designed to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Keep your index fingers pointing away from you and your thumbs back towards your body. It also balances the overall flow of energy in the body. When it comes to my body I tend to have more injuries on my right hand side. I try to sit at the end of my practice with this mudra, conscious of encouraging energy to flow equally to both sides of my body.

 

What are some of the hand gestures you are starting to notice? Do you fidget a lot in the day with your hands? When you talk do you use your hands? How about when you are angry? Do you tend to express this with hand signals?

Feel free to share with us and we can make some suggestions.