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.