If you practise yoga or meditate regularly, you probably know what mudras are. However, do you understand the subtle ways in which practising them can positively influence your life?
Keep reading to learn how exactly mudras can benefit you both on and off the mat, and four particularly powerful mudras to incorporate into your daily routine.
What are mudras and how can they help you?
A mudra is a symbolic gesture or pose meant to energise and direct your prana, energy, also known as the life force in your body. This blog focuses on hasta, or hand mudras, gestures made with your fingers and hands.
By using different mudras in combination with your breath, or pranayama, you can stimulate different parts of the body, improve your mood and energy level, and deepen your awareness. You can add mudras to your yoga practice, or even use them throughout your day.
The simple act of choosing and carrying out a mudra is very grounding. It allows you to focus your mind immediately on your own body and helps you to be present in the moment. The intention that goes into practising a mudra makes it a powerful tool to be calmer and more mindful.
4 Simple Mudras to Better Your Life
There are many mudras you can learn and experiment with, but these are four of my favourite ones. You can easily do them anywhere, whether you are meditating or going about your day.
Gyan Mudra: Knowledge
This is a mudra that you are probably familiar with, as it is the most common gesture portrayed during meditation. This mudra is grounding and is good to use when seeking knowledge or insights. This is a great mudra to use when you are trying to think through something, find meaning, or be open to new information.
Chin Mudra: Consciousness
This mudra directs breath down into the abdomen, making it an excellent tool for anxiety. When you are anxious, your breathing is usually more shallow and higher in the chest. By practising this mudra, you can help lengthen and deepen your breathing, which can help to calm you down. Try this mudra anytime you are feeling nervous or anxious and observe the soothing effect it has.
Hridaya Mudra: Heart
True to its name, this mudra directs nourishing energy into the heart space. This is a good mudra to practise when you need to connect with the positive qualities of the heart, like compassion and unconditional love. I have seen this mudra provide a great deal of comfort in times of grief. When you are going through a hard time and need to reconnect with a sense of self-compassion, try this mudra.
Yoni Mudra: Mind
This mudra helps with concentration and is one of my favourite! So it is a great one to use anytime you need to focus your mind. In a meeting or lecture in which you really want to absorb what is being discussed? Try using this mudra while you listen to focus.
How to Use Mudras
Mudras are directly tied to energy centres in the body, which affect bodily functions. By practising different hand positions, you can have different effects on the flow of prana throughout your body.
There is no rule book for how to use mudras, but here are some suggestions for when you are first introducing mudras into your day:
Certainly, use mudras while you meditate or practise yoga, however, mudras need not be limited to meditation! The beautiful thing about mudras is you don’t need anything but your hands and awareness. Whether you’re waiting for the bus, or in a meeting at work, you can perform a mudra.
Perform the mudra with both left and right hands at the same time.
Keep your hands relaxed as you hold the mudras – it should not be a strain.
Be mindful of how you feel as you perform different mudras. Take note of your breath, your state of mind, and the sensation in the fingers in different positions.
Hold it for the length of time that feels right for you. You’ll be able to hold a mudra for a longer period whilst meditating. If you are using a mudra during daily activities, like walking, you may want to hold it for a shorter period of time.
The effects of mudras can be very subtle, so it will take time to notice those effects. Be aware of your breath and your body, and with time you will notice the change when you adopt a particular mudra.
Mudras offer a gentle yet powerful way to stimulate your energy, your life force and improve your mood. Try adding these simple hand gestures to your daily routine and notice the way they affect your energy flow and make you feel.
I’ll be including some beautiful hand mudras on my Walking Into Your Stillness retreat this November, click here to read more.
PS: If you enjoyed this blog click the like button below then share it with those you care for who can also enjoy and benefit from it. 😊