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| Home > Mudras
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| | Mudras
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 Nature has made the human body self-sufficient, self-contained and almost perfect. But a human being is prone to innumerable pressures. The human body is made up of five elements - fire, air, water, earth and sky that are present in fixed proportions and even the slightest imbalance of any of these can be disastrous. The food, air, and water intake of every individual is different and since the body and mind do not have the equilibrium with so many external and internal pressures, people tend to fall ill. However, striking the balance among these elements is not easy, since even the slightest disturbance can upset it. From loneliness, break-ups in relationships, shifting house, even examination failure and not reaching peer group expectations, to name just a few, to the insidious attacks from viruses and germs that room this planet have increased today. Thus, the mudras help to normalize the five elements in the human body in order to strike a balance between each other, since they influence the human being.
 Mudra is a Sanskrit word meaning sign or seal. It is a gesture or position, usually of the hands, that locks and guides energy flow and reflexes to the brain. By curling, crossing, stretching and touching the fingers and hands, we can "talk" to the body and mind as each area of the hand corresponds to a certain part of the mind or body. Mudras can have several meanings. It can be a mere gesture; a position of the hands, a symbol, eye positions, and body postures, even breathing techniques. In Hatha Yoga, with the focus on physical exercises, cleansing and breathing, there are 25 Mudras. In Kundalini Yoga, which aims to optimise spiritual strength, the hand Mudras are used for greater effect. The primary goal of yoga is the oneness of humanity with cosmic consciousness. The thumb is symbolic of cosmic consciousness and the index finger of individual consciousness. The index finger represents inspiration and the thumb stands for intuition. When the tips of both fingers meet, the connection is complete - intuition and inspiration form a closed unity.
The thumb represents fire, the forefinger air, the middle finger sky, the third or ring finger earth and the fourth finger water. Mudras help create inner peace and inner strength, to eliminate fatigue and anxiety, protect physical and emotional health, help transcend stress, depression, guilt and anger, calm the mind and sharpen intuition, and promote happiness, love, prosperity and longevity. The science of Mudras is ancient. Lord Shiva is the one to have started this healthy science and it is all documented in his conversations with his consort Parvati. It is an ancient science and is easy and free. No medicines are needed and the cure is hundred percent.
The Mudras are universal and suitable for everyone. No previous experience with yoga is needed to do Mudras. One doesn`t have to be an athlete or be youthful either to practice them. In fact, Mudras can be done even while a person is sick on his bed. All a person needs to do is move his arms and hands freely and pay attention to the breathing. It is best to do the Mudras on an empty stomach. All the energy is in the fingers. Through different combinations of the fingers, one can not only control these elements but also cure many diseases.
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