To give a brief introduction, Mudras are symbolic gestures or poses. While some mudras involve the entire body (body (kaya) and consciousness (citta) mudras), most are performed with the hands and fingers, hasta mudras. Mudras I am elucidating and encouraging the readers to practice are all performed with the hands and fingers. Mudras are said to intensify the effects of our yoga and meditation practice, enhancing the flow of energy, channel the flow of prana, our life force.
According to Ayurveda, India’s traditional and oldest healing path, disease is the result of an imbalance in our body caused by a deficiency or an excess of one (or more) of the five elements in our body: space, air, fire, water and earth. Through each finger, runs the prana for each element. By manipulating the pranas we can increase or decrease the prana to a specific part of the body. That is why a mudra is also referred to as a seal. We are sealing or locking the pranas for a specific purpose. Each of these elements plays a specific role within the body and are represented by the five fingers:
The thumb represents fire
The forefinger or the index finger represents wind
The middle finger represents ether (or space)
The ring finger represents earth
The little finger or pinky finger represents water
The fingers are said to act as electrical circuits and the use of mudras adjusts the flow of energy which balance these various elements and accommodate or enable healing.
The five types of Pranas are:
Apana – the force required for excretion, like sweating, urinating, etc.
Samana – the force required for digestion and metabolism.
Prana – the force required for the heart to pump.
Vyana – the force required circulation and movement.
Udana – the force required for upper body actions like talking, thinking, eye movement, etc.
Coming up, about the chakras and their connection to the elements, and the significance of direction and position of the palm in Mudras.
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