Yoga Mudra – Its Origin & Benefits

Mudras are described as marks or gestures made by hands as a symbol or a routine, often seen during yoga asanas. They are primarily associated with religions like Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism and include spiritual symbols or meaningful rituals.  

While practice mudras mostly include the use of fingers and hands, they can also include the extensive use of wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders including the upper body. Sometimes the entire body moves in sync to perform the mudras.

Table of Contents

The origin

Mudras

Mudras have found their place in the Indian culture in various forms, from body aligning and spiritual yoga practices to various Indian classical and folk dances. Practicing mudras are very significant in Buddhist ceremonies and paintings as they are used to signify the various stages of the life of Buddha. 

They are found in various art forms including sculptures, carvings, and paintings and are found in art forms of various eras. 

Mudras are used primarily during practicing yoga and meditation procedures. They are said to have calming and relaxing properties and increase the healing rate of the body. People who practice mudras often practice while performing sun-facing yoga postures and breathing exercises, including Pranayama, Suryanamaskar, and Padmasana. Mudras are beneficial because they increase the effects of yoga and meditation and increase the flow of powerful, healing energy in the body.

Mudras have an attraction towards energies

Mudra Practice

Mudras are known to possess certain energies and powers, and focusing on different mudras helps in generating specific energies and manifestations. Mudras seem to possess the quality to represent what one truly aspires for, which is found in a person’s outer postures. Mudras, along with mindful meditation, helps a person discover their true desires and potential and unclutter their minds. Focusing on mudras and yoga can help us achieve our central goals and channel our energies towards those goals. 

Practicing mudras is also said to help in making one feel good about themselves and levitate their moods. The hand movements while performing mudras and concentration can help relax the brain and the body, along with reducing tension from various muscles in the body. The mudras, along with yogic postures create a chakra or a flow of energy that heals the body and brings a state of peace to the mind. Using the mudras can help align the body posture and heighten your senses in all parts of the body. It stimulates various parts of the body and slowly releases tension from the body and mind.

Its is used for both spiritual as well as art practices

Psychic gesture

Mudras are used in both spiritual and art practices. Classical dance forms in India have their own set of mudras that are used during specific dance steps and positions. Various dance forms, ranging from Bharatnatyam to Kathak include the usage of mudras in their dance steps. 

Various dance mudras include Patakas, Tripatakas, Kartharimukha and Kapitha. It is very important to start every session with the Atmanjali mudra, or the commonly known Namaste posture where the palms of the hands touch together and press against the chest in salutation. 

This symbolizes taking the blessings of Mother Earth before performing any dance ritual. Several Martial arts too involve using the mudras efficiently to become a skilled fighter. The Chinese and Taoan culture identifies Mudras as a way of improving the strength of the body and using your body to fight and defend oneself methodically.

Final words

Many Psychics and Tantric procedures involve learning about mudras due to their known ability to create a flow of energy. Several mudras are used by Tantric practitioners to bring out the desired goals of people to the forefront and generate a flow of energy that manifests in attaining those goals. 

Ayurveda has assigned specific roles to specific mudras that are known to increase healing and accommodate a sick body.

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