Hi everyone,
Have you ever asked yourself what the hand gestures mean when you sit in a meditation posture? Well in this blog I am going to talk more about these hand gestures.
The hand gestures are called Mudra’s. The translation of the word mudra is “gesture” or “attitude”. You can take a mudra with the hands but also with the whole body during meditation, asana’s, breathing exercises.
The scientific look at mudra’s
Now a more scientific look of how mudra’s work. In the yoga and Ayurveda philosophy, the human body is composed out of 5 elements:
·Fire
·Air
·Water
·Earth
·Space
When these elements are in balance, you are a healthy person. If they are out of balance, your body could get ill. In yoga we transform internal energy by using mudra’s. Every mudra has a different kind of meaning or purpose.
In our hands there is a lot of energy. When you place one of the fingers to your thumb the life energy flow through the fingers and hand. You can compare it with an electrical circuit for a device. Your fingers are the electrical wires for a device. When you place your finger on the thumb, it is like your device is plugged in the socket and it receive energy or electricity. I hope this clarifies it a little for you.
Each finger represents one of the 5 elements of Ayurveda.
Thumb = fire (Agni)
Index finger = air (Vayu)
Middle finger = ether (Akash)
Ring finger = earth (Prithvi)
Pinky finger = water (Jal)
If one of the elements is out of balance, you can practice different kinds of mudra’s. Or If you wish to achieve more in one area, you can also use the specific mudra for that area.
Type of hand mudras or Hasta
There are a lot of hand mudra’s. I have picked out 5 hand mudra’s that I use during my meditation practices.
Anjali mudra
Meaning: Physic gesture of prayer
Benefits:
* Improves the focus during meditation.
* Improves internal awareness.
* Calms the mind and relieves stress.
* Balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
How to get the mudra:
* Bring the palms of your hands together.
* Place them in front of your heart.
* Press the hands together. Divide the tension evenly.
Jnana mudra
Meaning: Physic gesture of Knowledge
Benefits:
* It makes the meditation practice more powerful.
* Improves the element of air and therefore it purifies our brain.
* Improves the concentration after the practice.
How to get the mudra:
* Fold the index finger and place it at the beginning of the hand and the thumb.
* Straighten the other fingers.
* Place your hands on the knees, palms facing to the ground.
* Relax your hands and arms.
Gyan or Chin mudra
Meaning: Physic gesture of Consciousness
Benefits:
* Improves concentration.
* Stimulates the brain and reduces memory problems.
* Improves the blood flow.
* Improves diseases such as Hypoparathyroidism, Hypoadrenalism, Hypopituitarism,…
* Improves respiratory issues.
* Stimulates endocrine system.
How to get the mudra:
* Fold the index finger and place it at the beginning of the hand and the thumb.
* Straighten the other fingers.
* Place your hands on the knees, palms facing to the sky.
* Relax your hands and arms.
