Category: mudras

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7 Days 7 Mudras Day 4 Varun Mudra

VARUN MUDRA

The Varun Mudra helps you to clearly and intuitively communicate. It also helps to balance the water content in your body by activating fluid circulation through the body, keeping it moisturized. This leads to healing for many skin conditions, blood conditions, osteoarthritis, digestive issues and to a natural glow of the skin.

Varun mudra is associated with mental clarity. It is based on a simple principle that communication is vital. We need to communicate clearly and assertively in order to achieve a healthy and fruitful life.

Varun mudra is also known to balance the water element in the body, and is named for Varun the Hindu god of water.

HOW TO DO THE VARUN MUDRA

The little (pinky) finger and thumb tips are lightly touching, and the remaining three fingers are held out gently, but not rigid.

There is no time limit on this mudra, you can do it any time and anywhere, however, sitting cross-legged is recommended and I recommend you remain in the mudra for at least five minutes.

As with any hasta (hand) mudra, Varun mudra can be practiced while seated, prone, standing or even walking – as long as the body is relaxed and the posture is symmetrical. It is particularly beneficial when meditating.

Because therapeutic mudras are believed to balance the elements in the body within 45 minutes, it is recommended that Varun mudra be practiced three times daily for 15 minutes each time to obtain its health benefits.

WHAT THE FINGER PLACEMENTS REPRESENT

The Varun Mudra is known as the “seal of mental clarity”. When the two fingers are placed together it is meant to symbolize and encourage openness and fluid communication.

MUDRA PRACTICE

Although mudras show immediate effects, most need time 30-45 minutes (this can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.

I recommend using this mudra in a meditation practice, either 30 minutes, two lots of 20 minutes, three lots of 15 minutes or five rounds of 5 minutes across the day. You can practise mudras sitting, standing, lying down, walking. Almost anywhere really.

This mudra is best practiced sitting. I suggest trying at least 5 minutes in meditation and then you can bring the mudra in to other parts of your day, sitting at your desk.

BENEFITS

Practising Varun mudra is thought to cure or provide relief from a range of diseases and ailments that result from a lack of water in the body, including:

• Digestive issues like indigestion and constipation

• Skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis

• Osteoarthritis

• Anemia and other blood-related problems

• Disorders related to the bladder and kidneys

• Dehydration

Varun mudra is also beneficial for dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin and dry hair, as well as a loss of taste and other tongue disorders.

Anyone who has a problem with water retention or who is suffering from a severe cold or cough should avoid this mudra.

WHAT ARE MUDRAS AND WHY ARE THEY POWERFUL?

In Sanskrit, mudra means “seal”, “mark” or “gesture.” Mudras are gestures (often of the hands but in Sattva Yoga we also use mudras of the eyes and tongue, and other body techniques).

Mudras act as psychic energy seals that create energetic shifts in the mental, physical and energetic body through guiding the energetic flow and harnesssing the bodily reflex stimulus to the brain.

The tips of your fingers, crown of your head, and feet are where energy leaves your body. You can practice mudras to channel that energy back into your body.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE HAND

The hand has three gunas, or qualities, and every finger has its own energy and its own elements.

In yogic philosophy the three gunas, fundamental forces, are tamas, rajas, and sattva. They interact to create all of the known Universe (Prakriti), and can be increased or decreased by using mudras.

Sattva manifests as balance, inspiration, and knowledge of what is real. Tamas is a heavy, mindless energy that causes ignorance and inaction. Rajas is the energy of change, manifesting as passion, pain, desire, and effort, and it can lead you to sattva or tamas but is often characterized as attachment to outcomes and unsteadiness.

Your hand has each of these three guna characteristics, and each finger is associated with an element.

Thumb Divine activator, Agni (Fire), Manipura chakra

Index Finger Individual Soul (Jiva), Vaayu (Air), Anahata chakra

Middle Finger Sattva Guna (Purity/Light), Akasha (Ether/Space), Vissuddha chakra

Ring Finger Rajas Guna (Passion/Fire) Prithvi (Earth), Muladhara chakra

Little Finger Tamas Guna (Inertia/Darkness) Jal (Water), Swadisthana chakra

A MUDRA FOR EVERYTHING

You can use mudras to increase, decrease or stabilise the gunas and specific elements. Whatever you need in your life, there is a mudra for it!
Some mudras show immediate effects, yet most need time 30-45 minutes (can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.
You may notice some of the names I use are different from what you may be used to. My teacher comes from the Himalayan yoga tradition and so I use the names as he teaches them. Teachers from other traditions may used varied terminology.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Why a new you? There’s nothing wrong with the ‘old you’ but the only real constant in life is change. So you can make this change conscious, harnessing intention and practice to steer change in an evolutionary direction, or you can just be at the mercy of old, unconscious behavioural patterns and programming.

New Year is a wonderful time to set the intention of renewal. But really our cells are renewing constantly so we can renew our body anytime.

Mudras are a powerful component of Sattva Yoga as well as a technology you can use on their own.

Over the next 7 days I am going to share my favourite mudras with you. And talk about how mudras work and what they can do for you.

I recommend trying each mudra for a day and at the end of the 7 days, if you feel inspired, choosing a mudra to practice with daily for a 21 day meditation practice or sadhana.

Drop me a comment and let me know how you go. I love hearing stories of the effects of these subtle but powerful practices.

Hari om tat sat. Namaste. Blessings.

Christina at Raw Mojo

ॐ

Check out upcoming Sattva Yoga and Chakradance classes here

Imagecredit: yogapedia.com
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7 Days 7 Mudras Day 3 Yoni Mudra

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YONI MUDRA

Yoni represents the womb, the creative potential of existence. It is a classical meditation mudra and enhances creativity, receptivity, detachment and equanimity.

It helps you in redirecting your attention inward and brings spiritual calmness, balance and peace to the heart and mind.

The Yoni Mudra helps in quieting the mind. Practicing this helps your nervous system to be calmed and stabilized, allowing you to redirect your attention inward.

To perform yoni mudra, assume a comfortable posture, like seated cross-legged, remembering to always keep your head and back straight and upright.

Bring the tips of the thumbs together pointing upward and the tips of the index fingers together and let them point downward.

You can either interlace the other fingers or turn the pinky, ring and middle fingers inwards so that the back of the fingers are touching. Find what is most comfortable for you, I like to interlace.

Hold the mudra in front of swadisthana, the sacral chakra, at your lower belly. Tuck in the chin, close the eyes and focus on the swadisthana and the mudra. Take slow, deep breaths.

You should remain in the mudra for at least five minutes.

WHAT THE FINGER PLACEMENTS REPRESENT

Yoni Mudra helps to cultivate creative energy and detachment from the chaos of the outer world.

The downward-pointing triangle shape that this mudra makes between the hands is the symbol of Shakti as the manifesting current of energy. It enhances apana vayu, the downward grounding wind.

The practice of Yoni Mudra where the fingers are touching each other is said to bring balance within the body in relation to prana. The two most important nadis – ida and pingala are said to work in harmony encouraging balance.

Use this mudra anytime you need to detach from daily life, anchor yourself, and plug in to your infinite feminine creative power.

MUDRA PRACTICE

Although mudras show immediate effects, most need time 30-45 minutes (this can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.

I recommend using this mudra in a meditation practice, either 30 minutes, two lots of 20 minutes or five rounds of 5 minutes across the day. You can practise mudras sitting, standing, lying down, walking. Almost anywhere really.

This mudra is best practiced sitting. I suggest trying at least 5 minutes in meditation and then you can bring the mudra in to other parts of your day, sitting at your desk.

BENEFITS

• Promotes flow of energy

• Calms the mind

• Alleviates stress

• Promotes mental clarity

• Strengthens the nervous system

Yoni mudra is an excellent practice to be combined with meditation as it blocks distractions of all sorts.

The Yoni Mudra is dedicated to the feminine power Shakti. ‘Yoni’ means ‘womb’. Hence the practice of Yoni Mudra brings strength and power like the feminine Shakti (power).

This mudra is equally relevant for all genders as it works on the metaphysical level with the archetype of the womb and the creative force of Shakti.

In Indian Vedic and yogic philosophy the creative energy that manifests all life is the feminine power of Shakti. The origin of all life, of Shakti, is the great unmanifested cosmic womb, known in Sanskrit as Hiranyagarbha.

Yoni Mudra is sometimes referred to as Feminine Adi Shakti Primal Power Mudra. Given below are some of the important benefits that are derived when one practices Yoni Mudra.

1. Connection to the Earth: The practice of Yoni Mudra teaches one to go back to where one started – the earth – the birth. Bringing a sense of connection to where we belong. It is done on a very spiritual level.

2. Female Energy: The practice of Yoni Mudra helps women to connect to the innate female energy. The main source of life creation embedded deep in the womb.

3. Balance in the energy: The practice of Yoni Mudra where the fingers are touching each other is said to bring balance within the body in relation to prana. The two most important nadis – ida and pingala are said to work in harmony encouraging balance.

4. Fertility in women improves: With the practice of Yoni Mudra when done regularly for good duration, is said to help women finding difficulties with infertility. Helps women gain the energy back into their bodies to help improve fertility.

5. Women during menopause: The practice of Yoni Mudra is also good for women fighting symptoms related to menopause due to hormonal imbalance. This practice helps to bring this balance the right way, making menopause smooth.

WHAT ARE MUDRAS AND WHY ARE THEY POWERFUL?

In Sanskrit, mudra means “seal”, “mark” or “gesture.” Mudras are gestures (often of the hands but in Sattva Yoga we also use mudras of the eyes and tongue, and other body techniques).

Mudras act as psychic energy seals that create energetic shifts in the mental, physical and energetic body through guiding the energetic flow and harnesssing the bodily reflex stimulus to the brain.

The tips of your fingers, crown of your head, and feet are where energy leaves your body. You can practice mudras to channel that energy back into your body.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE HAND

The hand has three gunas, or qualities, and every finger has its own energy and its own elements.

In yogic philosophy the three gunas, fundamental forces, are tamas, rajas, and sattva. They interact to create all of the known Universe (Prakriti), and can be increased or decreased by using mudras.

Sattva manifests as balance, inspiration, and knowledge of what is real. Tamas is a heavy, mindless energy that causes ignorance and inaction. Rajas is the energy of change, manifesting as passion, pain, desire, and effort, and it can lead you to sattva or tamas but is often characterized as attachment to outcomes and unsteadiness.

Your hand has each of these three guna characteristics, and each finger is associated with an element.

Thumb Divine activator, Agni (Fire), Manipura chakra

Index Finger Individual Soul (Jiva), Vaayu (Air), Anahata chakra

Middle Finger Sattva Guna (Purity/Light), Akasha (Ether/Space), Vissuddha chakra

Ring Finger Rajas Guna (Passion/Fire) Prithvi (Earth), Muladhara chakra

Little Finger Tamas Guna (Inertia/Darkness) Jal (Water), Swadisthana chakra

A MUDRA FOR EVERYTHING

You can use mudras to increase, decrease or stabilise the gunas and specific elements. Whatever you need in your life, there is a mudra for it!
Some mudras show immediate effects, yet most need time 30-45 minutes (can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.
You may notice some of the names I use are different from what you may be used to. My teacher comes from the Himalayan yoga tradition and so I use the names as he teaches them. Teachers from other traditions may used varied terminology.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Why a new you? There’s nothing wrong with the ‘old you’ but the only real constant in life is change. So you can make this change conscious, harnessing intention and practice to steer change in an evolutionary direction, or you can just be at the mercy of old, unconscious behavioural patterns and programming.

New Year is a wonderful time to set the intention of renewal. But really our cells are renewing constantly so we can renew our body anytime.

Mudras are a powerful component of Sattva Yoga as well as a technology you can use on their own.

Over the next 7 days I am going to share my favourite mudras with you. And talk about how mudras work and what they can do for you.

I recommend trying each mudra for a day and at the end of the 7 days, if you feel inspired, choosing a mudra to practice with daily for a 21 day meditation practice or sadhana.

Drop me a comment and let me know how you go. I love hearing stories of the effects of these subtle but powerful practices.

Hari om tat sat. Namaste. Blessings.

Christina at Raw Mojo

ॐ

Check out upcoming Sattva Yoga and Chakradance classes here

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7 Days 7 Mudras Day 1 Gyana Mudra

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GYANA MUDRA

Gyana Mudra is a classical meditation mudra.

It’s one of my very favourites as it is great for soothing the nervous system and bringing mental balance.

Gyana mudra is known as the “yogic tranquilliser” as it brings calm, alleviates insomnia, depression and tremors associated with neurological diseases like Parkinson’s.

WHAT THE FINGER PLACEMENTS REPRESENT

In this mudra you bring the tip of your index finger and the tip of the your thumb together to form a circle. Keep your remaining fingers straight.

Your index finger represents individual consciousness and your thumb symbolises universal consciousness. So this mudra represents the unity of these two powers.

Your extended fingers represent the three gunas (the fundamental forces, tamas, rajas, and sattva, that interact to create all of the known Universe, including you.) These are like stages of awareness that have to be transcended as you evolve through your practice from ignorance to enlightenment.

MUDRA PRACTICE

Although mudras show immediate effects, most need time 30-45 minutes (this can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.

I recommend using this mudra in a meditation practice, either 30 minutes, two lots of 20 minutes or five rounds of 5 minutes across the day.

You can practise mudras sitting, standing, lying down, walking. Almost anywhere really. I suggest trying at least 5 minutes in meditation and then you can bring the mudra in to other parts of your day, sitting at your desk.

Gyana mudra is a wonderful way to calm your mind at the end of the day and relieves insomnia, so you could practice this one before sleep.

WHAT ARE MUDRAS AND WHY ARE THEY POWERFUL?

In Sanskrit, mudra means “seal”, “mark” or “gesture.” Mudras are gestures (often of the hands but in Sattva Yoga we also use mudras of the eyes and tongue, and other body techniques).
Mudras act as psychic energy seals that create energetic shifts in the mental, physical and energetic body through guiding the energetic flow and harnesssing the bodily reflex stimulus to the brain.
The tips of your fingers, crown of your head, and feet are where energy leaves your body. You can practice mudras to channel that energy back into your body.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE HAND

The hand has three gunas, or qualities, and every finger has its own energy and its own elements.
In yogic philosophy the three gunas, fundamental forces, are tamas, rajas, and sattva. They interact to create all of the known Universe (Prakriti), and can be increased or decreased by using mudras.
Sattva manifests as balance, inspiration, and knowledge of what is real. Tamas is a heavy, mindless energy that causes ignorance and inaction. Rajas is the energy of change, manifesting as passion, pain, desire, and effort, and it can lead you to sattva or tamas but is often characterized as attachment to outcomes and unsteadiness.
Your hand has each of these three guna characteristics, and each finger is associated with an element.

Thumb Divine activator, Agni (Fire)

Index Finger Individual Soul (Jiva), Vaayu (Air)

Middle Finger Sattva Guna (Purity/Light), Akasha (Ether/Space)

Ring Finger Rajas Guna (Passion/Fire) Prithvi (Earth)

Little Finger Tamas Guna (Inertia/Darkness) Jal (Water)

A MUDRA FOR EVERYTHING

You can use mudras to increase, decrease or stabilise the gunas and specific elements. Whatever you need in your life, there is a mudra for it!
Some mudras show immediate effects, yet most need time 30-45 minutes (can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.
You may notice some of the names I use are different from what you may be used to. My teacher comes from the Himalayan yoga tradition and so I use the names as he teaches them. Teachers from other traditions may used varied terminology.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Why a new you? There’s nothing wrong with the ‘old you’ but the only real constant in life is change. So you can make this change conscious, harnessing intention and practice to steer change in an evolutionary direction, or you can just be at the mercy of old, unconscious behavioural patterns and programming.

New Year is a wonderful time to set the intention of renewal. But really our cells are renewing constantly so we can renew our body anytime.

Mudras are a powerful component of Sattva Yoga as well as a technology you can use on their own.

Over the next 7 days I am going to share my favourite mudras with you. And talk about how mudras work and what they can do for you.

I recommend trying each mudra for a day and at the end of the 7 days, if you feel inspired, choosing a mudra to practice with daily for a 21 day meditation practice or sadhana.

Drop me a comment and let me know how you go. I love hearing stories of the effects of these subtle but powerful practices.

Hari om tat sat. Namaste. Blessings.

Christina at Raw Mojo

ॐ

Check out upcoming Sattva Yoga and Chakradance classes here

Posted on

7 Days 7 Mudras

7days7mudras.jpg

WHAT ARE MUDRAS AND WHY ARE THEY POWERFUL?

In Sanskrit, mudra means “seal”, “mark” or “gesture.” Mudras are gestures (often of the hands but in Sattva Yoga we also use mudras of the eyes and tongue, and other body techniques).
Mudras act as psychic energy seals that create energetic shifts in the mental, physical and energetic body through guiding the energetic flow and harnesssing the body’s reflex stimuli to the brain.
The tips of your fingers, crown of your head, and feet are where energy leaves your body. You can practice mudras to channel that energy back into your body.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE HAND

The hand has three gunas, or qualities, and every finger has its own energy and its own elements.
In yogic philosophy the three gunas, fundamental forces, are tamas, rajas, and sattva. They interact to create all of the known Universe (Prakriti), and can be increased or decreased by using mudras.
Sattva manifests as balance, inspiration, and knowledge of what is real. Tamas is a heavy, mindless energy that causes ignorance and inaction. Rajas is the energy of change, manifesting as passion, pain, desire, and effort, and it can lead you to sattva or tamas but is often characterized as attachment to outcomes and unsteadiness.
Your hand has each of these three guna characteristics, and each finger is associated with an element.

Thumb Divine activator, Agni (Fire)

Index Finger Individual Soul (Jiva), Vaayu (Air)

Middle Finger Sattva Guna (Purity/Light), Akasha (Ether/Space)

Ring Finger Rajas Guna (Passion/Fire) Prithvi (Earth)

Little Finger Tamas Guna (Inertia/Darkness) Jal (Water)

A MUDRA FOR EVERYTHING

You can use mudras to increase, decrease or stabilise the gunas and specific elements. Whatever you need in your life, there is a mudra for it!
Some mudras show immediate effects, yet most need time 30-45 minutes (can be spread throughout the day) over an extended period of time.
You may notice some of the names I use are different from what you may be used to. My teacher comes from the Himalayan yoga tradition and so I use the names as he teaches them. Teachers from other traditions may used varied terminology.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Why a new you? There’s nothing wrong with the ‘old you’ but the only real constant in life is change. So you can make this change conscious, harnessing intention and practice to steer change in an evolutionary direction, or you can just be at the mercy of old, unconscious behavioural patterns and programming.

New Year is a wonderful time to set the intention of renewal. But really our cells are renewing constantly so we can renew our body anytime.

Mudras are a powerful component of Sattva Yoga as well as a technology you can use on it’s own.

Over the next 7 days I am going to share my favourite mudras with you. And talk about how mudras work and what they can do for you.

Hari om tat sat. Namaste. Blessings.

Christina at Raw Mojo

ॐ

Check out upcoming Sattva Yoga and Chakradance classes here

Imagecredit: zennedout.com