The Best Guide For Yoga Mudras
The Best Guide for Yoga Mudras
Are you struggling with physical, mental, and emotional issues? Do you want to regulate proper energy flow in your body? Do you want to open new windows to spirituality?
This is the most comprehensive guide to yoga mudras ever. In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about the practice and implementation of yoga mudras in daily life.
By regular practice of these yoga mudras, many people have healed their physical, mental, and, emotional problems. These yoga mudras will help you to enhance the quality of your life.
As a beginner or an advanced yoga practitioner, you may have questions or difficulties in implementing yoga mudras. This ultimate guide to yoga mudras will provide you in-depth knowledge of the topic. This is the most complete guide available on the internet. Let’s get started…
Here you will learn:
- What is Yoga Mudra?
- What is the Science Behind Yoga Mudras?
- What are the Benefits of Yoga Mudra?
- What are the Different Types of Yoga Mudras?
- How does Hasta Yoga Mudra work?
- What are the Guidelines for Using Hasta Yoga Mudras?
- Scientific Research on Yoga Mudras
Table of Contents
What is Yoga Mudra?
The meaning of the word ‘Mudra ‘ is a ‘gesture’ or an ‘attitude’. Mudras are also described as psychic, emotional, devotional and aesthetic gestures or attitudes.
Ancient sages and yogis have used mudras to link individual pranic force with universal or cosmic force. Mudra is also defined as a ‘seal’, ‘short-cut’ or ‘circuit by-pass’.
Mudras are a combination of subtle physical movements that can alter mood, attitude, and perception. Further, it helps in deepening awareness and concentration.
A mudra may involve the whole body in a combination of asana, pranayama, bandha and visualization techniques, or it may be a simple hand position.
These mudras communicate with energies on the astral level. Mudras have various astral, physical, and psychic effects on our bodies. Yoga Mudras are techniques to stimulate different parts of our brain and body. Â
What is the Science Behind Yoga Mudras?
As per the scientific terminology, yoga mudras provide a means to access and influence the unconscious reflexes and primal, instinctive habit patterns that originate in the primitive areas of the brain around the brain stem.Â
Yoga mudras create a subtle, non-intellectual connection with these areas of the brain. Each yoga mudra establishes a unique link which has a corresponding effect on the body, mind, and prana.Â
The aim is to create fixed, repetitive postures and gestures which can snap the practitioner out of instinctive habit patterns and establish a more refined consciousness.
By regular practice of yoga mudras, many people have healed their physical, mental, and, emotional problems. Yoga mudras will help you to enhance the quality of your life.
What are the Benefits of Yoga Mudra?
1) Yoga Mudras helps to regulate energy flows in the body.
2) Yoga Mudras are Windows to spirituality.
3) They balance the five elements i.e. fire, air, space, earth, and water.
4) They develop immunity and purify nerves.
5)Â Yoga Mudras energize the body and mind by removing all impediments.
6) Yoga Mudras benefits us at physical, mental, and spiritual levels which no medicine can do.
7) They affect all the glands of the body and regulate their hormonal activity.
8) Yoga Mudras affect all seven Chakras of the human body. Further, these chakras affect the body, mind, and soul.
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What are the Different Types of Yoga Mudras?
There are five types of yoga mudras as per hatha yoga pradipika. We have described these yoga mudras below:
1) Mana Yoga Mudras (Head Mudras)
Mana Yoga Mudras are used in kundalini yoga. The practice of mana mudras involves sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and lips). Some of the Mana yoga mudras are:
- Shambhavi Mudra
- Nasikagra Drishti
- Khechari Mudra
- Kaki Mudra
- Bhujangini Mudra
- Bhoochari Mudra
- Akashi Mudra
- Shanmukhi Mudra
- Unmani Mudra.
2) Kaya Yoga Mudras (Postural Mudras)
To practice kaya mudras we combine physical postures (asana) with breathing and concentration. Some of the Kaya yoga mudras are:
- Vipareeta Karani Mudra
- Pashinee Mudra
- Prana Mudra
- Yoga Mudra
- Manduki Mudra
- Tadagi Mudra.
4) Adhara Yoga Mudras (Perineal Mudras)
These yoga mudras are applied at the throat, abdomen and pelvic area. These bandha mudras lock the pranas in particular region and redirect their flow into Sushumna Nadi leading to spiritual awakening. These practices combine application of mudra and bandha together. Some of the Bandha yoga mudras are:
- Jalandhara Bandha
- Mula Bandha
- Uddiyana Bandha
- Maha Mudra
- Maha vedha Mudra.
4) Adhara Yoga Mudras (Perineal Mudras)
These yoga mudras are used to redirect prana energy from the lower centres to the brain. These mudras are performed at the pelvic floor to harness the sexual energy. Some of the perineal yoga mudras are:
- Ashwini Mudra
- Vajroli/Sahajoli Mudra
- Maha Bheda Mudra
5) Hasta Yoga Mudras (Hand Mudras)
Hasta Yoga mudras are performed by joining the fingers of the hand with the thumb. They redirect the prana energy emitted by the hands back into the body. They generate a loop of energy that moves from the brain down to the hand and then back again.
Some of Hasta yoga mudras are:
- Tattva Yoga Mudras
- Prana Yoga MudrasÂ
- Yoga Mudras for Personality Development
- Yoga Mudras for Meditation
- Yoga Mudras for Specific Diseases.
We have covered the science and details of hasta yoga mudras in other blogs . Please click the above mentioned hyperlinked text of different types of hasta yoga mudra to learn more.
How does Hasta Yoga Mudra Works?
Our body is a huge chemical factory. It has many glands that secrete hormones, acid, enzymes, endorphins and various other chemicals for the harmonious functioning of body and mind.
They generate cosmic energy or bio-energy and electromagnetic energy. This energy flow maximum at our fingertips. Each finger and thumb represents five basic elements of nature.
Relationship of Five Elements with the Human Hand
- The thumbs are symbolic of the sun’s energy i.e. Fire (Heat), intellect and wisdom.
- The index finger symbolizes air (Movement and air circulation).
- The middle finger represents space and sound.
- The ring finger represents strength, vitality, and stability.
- And the little finger symbolizes water and youthfulness.
When you join these fingers with the thumb then the power of bioenergy increases. An increase in bioenergy helps to achieve optimum balance. For example,
- Joining a thumb with the index finger increases memory and intellect.
- Joining the thumb with the ring finger increases strength and vitality.
- Joining the thumb with the little finger increase the youthfulness and water content in our body.
- Joining the thumb with the middle finger increases space sounds.
When you fold any of the fingers and press it with the thumb, it restores the balance by decreasing the excessive energy of the element represented by the particular finger.
Each finger has three parts when we touch the lower part of the finger the corresponding element associated with that finger increases.
When we touch the middle part of the finger the corresponding element associated with that finger decreases.
When we touch the upper part of the finger the corresponding element associated with that finger balances. These are the basic principle of the science of hasta yoga mudras.
What are the Guidelines for Using Hasta Yoga Mudras?
1) You can practice yoga mudras in any pose while sitting, standing, walking, talking, watching TV, traveling. Some mudras give better results in specified postures.
2) The time duration for applying a particular mudra is at least 45 minutes in a day, or 15 minutes each time, thrice a day, unless specified.
3) Practice yoga mudras with both hands simultaneously. One-handed mudra will affect the other half side of the body and vice versa.
4) You can practice mudras with deep breathing, pranayama, and meditation for better and quicker results.
5) Hasta yoga mudras can be used along with other therapies.
6) You can apply two different mudras at the same time with each hand. But mutually antagonistic mudras will not provide any benefits. For example, Prithvi Mudra on one hand (For weight increase) and Surya mudra with the other hand (For weight reduction) will have opposite effects.
7) Some yoga mudras work instantly in colic earache, angina. But in chronic cases, it requires a long and continuous practice of 30 to 45 days to achieve the desired results.
8) If you practice hasta yoga mudras along with yoga postures, breathing practices i.e. pranayama, meditation, and proper- balanced diet then you will receive incredible results and benefits.
Scientific Research on Yoga Mudras
Research Journal of Recent Sciences published a study “Effect of yoga hand mudra on cardiac and neurological parameters in preventing heart attack”. This study states that yoga mudras are an emergency tool for primary supportive medical care on the spot for heart attack till hospitalization.
In this study, 41 male and female subjects were included. (n=41)(Normal 27 and heart patients 14), aged 30-65 years. All subjects practiced hasta yoga mudra as per study protocol. Cardiac and neurological parameters were recorded before and after performing mudras.Â
There was a substantial reduction in systolic, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and blood viscosity of heart patient subjects.
Another study published by IJCRT “A Deep Survey on Sole and Essence of Hand Mudra” explains the importance of yoga mudras.
The survey report states “Yoga mudra improve breathing problems, improve blood circulation, get more oxygen, reduce neck pain, helps to rectify spinal related problems, improve digestive system reduces body weight and obesity. It helps to reduce hypertension. As a note of concluding it a very good solution to many physical and mental health-related problems”.Â
Conclusion
Incorporating the Yoga Mudras into your daily life can offer you radiant health & vitality. It also restores a sense of serenity and tranquility by nurturing, abundance within internal energies.
So, try incorporating yoga mudras into your daily spiritual practice and see the results. I hope you liked this post. Now I will like to hear from you.
What did you think of today’s post? Or maybe if you have a question about any of the yoga mudras. Let me know by leaving a comment below.
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About the Author: Sukhvinder Singh Chaitanya
Sukhvinder Singh (Chaitanya) is an experienced yoga teacher. (ERYT-500 & YACEP with 20,000+ hours of teaching experience) He is a master yoga teacher in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Ayurveda & Laughter Yoga. He has been teaching yoga, laughter yoga & meditation all across the globe in teacher training programs, workshops & corporate sector for almost 10 years. He's the founder and director of the Yoga Chaitanya International Institute, a leading Yoga Teacher Training school in the world. He shares his expertise in his blogs and his YouTube Channels.
14 thoughts on “The Best Guide for Yoga Mudras”
Sukhvinder ji, I am completely blown by this article. Immense gratitude to you for sharing this article. It has certainly helped me to further strengthen my knowledge as I am a Yoga Instructor.
Thank you, so much for the appreciation 🙂
Very well explained article on different Yoga mudraas. I want to start these in my routine life. So dont know how to proceed. How can one decide that which mudraa should be done?
Thank you so much for your appreciation. Your question is very interesting. In case if you have any disease, issue/pain/digestion problem, etc. then you should practice relevant yoga mudra for that particular problem so that it can help you heal fast. If there is no such issue/disease within the body then you can simply practice mudra for personality development, mudras for meditation these mudras will improve your mental, emotional & spiritual being.
A very good article on Mudras.However how a common man can take advantage of this knowledge published here.Further how I can take advise from these able people.I shall like to hear from you
Excellent post on Yoga mudras Sukhvinder. I have been practising mudras for sometime now . Today i learnt about 2 new mudras Ankush and Kundalini. Thank you.
Thank u so much for your appreciation. I am updating this blog of yoga mudras in the upcoming days with some more mudras. you can check that out later. Also, we have a Youtube channel where I will upload detailed videos on yoga mudras so you can subscribe to our channel for free health updates. Link:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6xixzk98PVmntWGocRk0UA?sub_confirmation=1
Very well explained about the topic, as a biginer very easy to understand. Thank you
Thank u Keep practicing yoga mudras, Please visit our youtube channel for further details Link:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6xixzk98PVmntWGocRk0UA
Simple yet refined teaching to a common man.
Thanks a lot.
Thanks a lot for this information, i am practicing hasta mudra for some time and its like finding a treasure box, i don’t know what to choose for practice, they’re all seem to be so great. Any way, i am so great full for the information you giving here.
Hey! Sukhvinder, I’d love to learn from you. I went told all my friends about your article after I read it. Your writing changed the way I looked at this. You have such a unique perspective. Your writing is so beautiful because you always know the right word for the right moment.
Namaste Good Morning Chaitanya Ji. Here is French Mona who lives in Mount-Abu Rajasthan.
I follow your videos on the Science of Mudras and after reading the Best Guide you have written I understood the depth of it which is far from being physical only. I was always passionate by the equation Energy/Consciousness and followed a training who gave me a certain experience on how to bring transformation not only on the biology of beliefs but on the genetic biology too after watching a video from Bruce Lipton on that subject.
I did a research on youtube if I could find a video from you on Kaleshvara Mudra – which effects were almost instant – but couldn’t find any. Could you kindly please let me know if you recorded one on this particular Mudra, the explanations you share being very complete?
In advance thank you for your reply (I noticed that you are one among less than the few to leave a reply on our youtube comments 🙂
Wishing you a continuous inner and outer Joy of life. With regards and Blessings, Mona
Thanks for appreciating our work. Currently we don’t have a video on Kalesvara Mudra. I will research and create a detailed video on this in upcoming day.