12 Powerful Mudrās To Transform Your Wellbeing

What often is forgotten, is that yoga is, and always has been, a spiritual science. While modern science often is catching up with ancient Indian healing remedies and rituals (turmeric, chanting, breathing techniques), here’s a look at some specific mudras and their reported benefits:

1. Gyan mudrā (mudrā of knowledge): By touching the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger, this mudra is believed to enhance brain activity, improve mind concentration during meditation and pranayama, relieve stress, anxiety, depression, and tension, and promote better sleep and blood circulation in the nervous system and pituitary gland.
2. Vayu nudrā (mudrā of air): The thumb touching the middle portion of the index finger helps balance the air element in the body. It is efficient in relieving knee and joint pain, spastic paralysis, Parkinson's disease, and alleviating gas problems in the stomach.
3. Varuna mudrā (Mudra of water): Tipping the thumb to the little finger is said to improve blood circulation, cure skin problems, aid in maintaining cholesterol levels, and address issues like dry mouth, eyes, skin, and hair, as well as loss of taste and other tongue disorders.
4. Surya mudrā (Mudra of sun): The thumb pressed against the middle of the ring finger is associated with the heat element. It helps dissolve extra fat, controls obesity by improving metabolism, aids weight loss, treats the flu, strengthens eyes, improves vision, lowers high LDL cholesterol, and enhances thyroid gland function.
5. Prithvi mudrā (mudrā of earth): Touching the tip of the thumb to the tip of the ring finger, this mudra boosts stamina and is effective for chronic fatigue and osteoarthritis. It is linked to the Mooladhara chakra and is associated with positive impacts on skin, hair, and bones.
6. Shunya mudrā (mudrā of emptiness): The thumb touching the middle finger is designed to decrease the space element. It can help cure ear diseases, strengthen muscles, and is beneficial for the heart and thyroid gland.
7. Apana mudrā (mudra of digestion): The thumb touching the middle and ring fingers plays a vital role in regulating the excretory system and aiding digestion. It can help cure constipation, piles, and vomiting, regulate diabetes and menstrual problems, and is beneficial for heart ailments and smooth childbirth.
8. Apana vayu mudrā (mudrā of the heart): Often considered a first-aid for heart attacks, this mudra balances earth, fire, and air elements. It cleanses the body, supplies oxygen to the heart, and can cure various aches including headache, toothache, backache, neck pain, joint pain, and arthritis. It also improves lung functioning.
9. Prana mudrā (mudrā of aitality): Touching the tip of the thumb to the ring and little fingers, this mudra stimulates the root chakra. It helps with proper lung function, rejuvenates the heart, minimises vitamin deficiency, chronic fatigue, mental tension, and stress, and improves blood circulation and joint pain.
10. Adhi mudrā (primordial mudrā): With the thumb closed first and other fingers placed over it, this mudra increases the breathing capacity of the lungs, enhances oxygen flow in the body, stimulates the brain, and calms the nervous system.
    
11. Garuda mudrā (eagle gesture): Interlocking thumbs and stretching other fingers, this mudra stimulates the fire element, heating the body. It is practiced at different abdominal regions and improves the functioning of the kidneys, lungs, heart, and stomach, while also regulating blood circulation and curing respiratory problems.
12. Asthma mudrā: With middle fingers in contact and bent inward while others are stretched, this mudra relaxes bronchial tubes, clears toxins and blockages, and eases respiratory muscles, making it beneficial for asthma patients.

Moreover, general yoga practices, which include mudrās, have been found to be efficient in minimising stress. This demonstrates a clear link between these physical gestures and broader psychological wellbeing, which is crucial in today's high stress environment.

You can learn more about our Magic Mudrās Indian Playing Cards to deepen your spiritual practice here.