Many
age old practices have been known to confer a long, healthy life to mankind and
it would not be wrong to state that the knowledge enshrined in these practices
are jewels of wisdom. The human body comprises of five elements- water, air,
land, space and fire and the balance of the same in the body gives good
health, but in case of any imbalances in these five elements i.e. excess or
lessening of any of the elements gives way to the ailments, thus leaving our
body with diseases. Amongst many wise words of our ancestors and the long
enriching history of India’s medicinal history, there has been lot of practices
or medical solutions to prevent and cure these imbalances. One of the known
yogic practice is called Mudras.
Mudras
origin is not specifically known but finds mention in many cultures and
religions. Mudra is known as a neural science based on the canons of the
Ayurveda, which further works on the 3 factors (Vata, Pitta &
Kapha) responsible for the body’s ailments or illnesses, while 10 kinds of Vayus
circulate through the nerves of the human body, Mudras holds the key to
control them. Mudras include hand gestures and finger postures and it has been
observed as well as well-researched that the fingertips of every human being
has many concentrated nerve root endings, known to be the energy discharge
points and when one places his/her fingertips against the other finger of the
palm, the energy gets redirected to the body, once again back to the brain.
Hence, various chakras gets stimulated in this process, bringing balance and
changes in the veins, tendons, sensory organs and glands in the body,
encouraging a healthy state of body and mind.
The
wholesome goodness of practicing Mudras is a healthier choice for a
better health prospect. Few commonly practiced Mudras, which are known
to be effective if practiced with dedication for longer duration of time
provides immense benefit to the body and mind, equally. The profound impact of
the following Mudras have been upheld and recognized. One of the
prominent Mudra known as Gyan Mudra, is variedly seen in the
postures maintained by the gurus and Gods in many cultures. This Mudra
is manifested by touching the fingertips of index finger with the tip of the
thumb, while keeping the other fingers straight with palm pointing upwards. Gyan
Mudra benefits the individual by increasing memory relieving the person
from stresses, emotional upheaval, anger, laziness, insomnia and the daily
practice of the same would relieve one from multitude of ailments of nervous
system and will bring calmness to the entire body. Another Mudra which
finds mention here is Vayu Mudra, in which the tip of the index finger
is placed on the base of thumb and the regular practice of this Mudra removes
excessive wind in the body which can cause various kinds of aches and diseases.
Practising Vayu Mudra brings hormonal balance of endocrine glands,
rehydrate skin, calms mind and is claimed to be effective in Parkinson’s
disease, as well. Moving on to Apan-Vayu Mudra, which is considered panacea to the heart problems
and is claimed to reduce the chances of the heart problems to those who
practice it regularly along with other problems related to body aches, urinary
problems, joint problems, etc. It is done by joining the tip of the thumb,
middle finger and ring finger, while placing the tip of the index finger on the
base of thumb. One of the famed Mudra among all is Prana Mudra, which
helps in overcoming many illnesses, altogether. It is practiced by placing the
tips of the little finger and ring finger against the tip of the thumb, while
keeping the palm upwards. It helps in relieving a person from weak immunity,
fatigue, digestive problems, hyper acidity, inflammatory disorders,
hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, painful menses, premature aging, etc. Adi
Mudra, is another notable kind of Mudra which relaxes one’s nervous
system and aids in improving the flow of oxygen to the head and is easy to
practice as one has to place the thumb at the base of the small finger and wrap
other fingers around it, making a fist in the palm.
These
are some of the basic Mudras which one can practice for 15-20 minutes
regularly to ace health and to keep diseases at bay. Practicing these Mudras
might lead the person to a better health and towards overall development, which
is what everyone desires for. Taking these small affirmative steps can bring a
larger change and lesser reliance on medicinal aids. We have everything in our
hand, it’s just we need to believe in our greatness and the healing power of
our body.