Mudras. What are Mudras?
mudra
/məˈdrɑː,ˈmuːdrə/
noun
a symbolic hand gesture used in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies and statuary, and in Indian dance.
a movement or pose in yoga.
Namaskar Mudra
This is a greeting gesture..Sit in the position vajrasana, on knees hands on thighs palms on thighs lifting palms to the heart placed together like a prayer position. Thumbs close to the heart, pinkies outward. Elbows are sticking out. Make sure not to relax them and to drop them down. This is a commonly used gesture in the east and is a greeting gesture and a gesture of peace. Namaskar mudra means I salute the divine self that is manifesting through you.
This is known to be used to reduce stress and anxiety, opens the heart and creates flexibility in the hands wrists and fingers. This is used in many Asanas and Kriyas in Hatha yoga. It is a gesture of conserving energy by having the palms place together controlling the circuits of energy.
Chin Mudra
This mudra is one for concentration, help with lower back pain and also helps increase energy in the body. Again sitting in straight back position on knees such as Vajrasana take hands from thighs and hold up in front of you palms facing outwards place your thumb and index finger together making a circle. Hold the other 3 fingers straight holding them together all parallel with one another. Lower them down to place again on your thighs holding thumb and index together in circle formation and also keeping other fingers straight. Place them up at the top of your thighs. This is stimulating the femoral area of the inner thigh. Chin Mudra helps to force the inhaled air to the lower part of your lungs in Adham pranayama. Close your eyes and do a few rounds of breathing inwards and outwards focusing on deep breathing into the lower area of the lungs. The union of the thumb and index finger are the union of the jivatma (individual entity) with the paramatma (universal entity) The other three fingers held straight and together represent Pratyahara the yogic control of the senses.
Chinamaya Mudra
Stimulates energy flow to the body.
Helps with digestion'
From a straight back positions such as mentioned before vajrasana bring both hands up, level with your chest, palms facing forward. Press your thumb and index fingers together in a circle just like you did in the chin mudra. This time curl other fingers inward to your palm. Lower to your thighs and again we are stimualting the femoral area of the inner thighs. Closing your eyes and breathing deeply. This mudra helps to gesture pranic energies, into the middle region of our lungs. In Madhyam pranayama. Helping to energise the entire chest region, with healing prana that can help with heart and lung conditions.
ADHI Mudra
This mudra has been know to help increasing lung capacity. Reduction in snoring and relaxing the nervous system. Sitting in vajrasana bringing hands to chest level palms facing outwards bending your thumbs into your palms then close your other fingers over the thumb into a fist. Placing on inner thighs with knuckles facing inward toward each other. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Repeat. This is helping us to breathe into the upper section of our lungs.
This Adhi mudra helps to send pranic energy into our head neck and upper body region, when performing Adhyam pranayama it is very helpful for those suffering conditions in this area.
Brahma Mudra
Helping those to open the lungs and to revitilise the whole system
From straight back Vajrasana positions lift hands to chest level this time making a fist, as in Adhi Mudra. Move your fists to your navel with fists facing upwards and knuckles touching. This Mudra will help facilitate the neuromuscular system and stimulates the respiritory system to function properly. Taking in deep breaths and doing this for a few rounds utilising the whole of your lungs. This mudra helps with breathing difficulty
