Channel Your Energy Through Mudras!

Imagine being able to channel your innermost energies just by the touch of your fingers. Turns out, it’s easier than you can imagine! You can direct energy to parts of your body by incorporating mudras into your yoga practice, enabling the formation of a closer connection to your inner self.

Mudras are gestures, usually hand positions, intended to heal and/or energize. Hand mudras consider that each fingertip corresponds to an element. The thumb represents fire; index, air; middle, aakash (space component); ring, earth; and pinky, water. A lack of an element in our bodies may result in disease or general sapping of energy, which mudras help to restore. This recuperative process typically involves joining one’s fingers and holding the position for several minutes.

There are dozens of different mudra poses practiced in yoga, and all can and should be done while sitting in a comfortable position. Any discomfort will only obstruct us from being able to experience the mudras’ full benefits, of which there are many. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular mudra practices and why it’s so great for us to incorporate these into our practice!

1. Gyan Mudra – Simply put, this mudra requires us to place our thumb to our forefinger, stretching out the remaining three fingers. This helps to sharpen our memory and increase feelings of calmness and contentment. It helps increase the flow of the element of air.

2. Ling Mudra – Interlocking our fingers, this mudra has us wrapping our right thumb and index finger around the left thumb. The mudra focuses on the fire element and is said to help with weight loss and combating colds through the generation of heat.

3. Prana Mudra – Prana mudra requires us to join the tip of the thumb with the tip of the pinky and ring fingers. The other fingers are straightened. This pose helps to energize and is also beneficial for the eyes. This is one of the most important mudras, as it directly helps promote the flow of Chi (spirit energy) in the body.

4. Surya Mudra – Often being credited as beneficial for weight loss and raising metabolism, this mudra is performed by pressing the ring finger to the mound of the thumb. Surya mudra increases the element of fire in the body.

This week, Pearl Yoga & Fitness will be incorporating the practice of mudras into many of our regular yoga classes. Pop in this week to learn how to heal yourself and get in touch with your elemental energies! You’ll leave with a greater understanding of your internal self self as well as an incredible feeling of restoration.