By Jennifer Kiley

i started out the day writing and investigating a project when i came upon a blog that peaked my curiosity. (that’s what comes with living with cats and new kittens). I have since been developing and changing the dimensions of this post. where i originally was focused specifically on yoga mudras, my mind took me into more of the overall benefits of Yoga as healing on all levels: physical, mental and spiritual. but i will still begin with mudras where i started off. something that i defnitely will incorporate into the parts of yoga that i discuss in this post. So,after investigating more on the subject of mudras, i found two videos that help to easily explain what the positions are and how each works to improve a variety of health issues. over the course of discovering alternative treatments to improve the health of my body, i have delved into reflexology, accupressure, accupuncture, full body massage, rolfing, various forms of yoga with meditation and chiropractics. for the past year i have been getting weekly chiropractic adjustments. i started chiropractic adjustments many years back but stopped b/c of the effects from a broken neck that made it necessary to be extremely careful about any kind of manual manipulation. but now i have a very talented poet and gentle doctor of chiropractics that is extremely careful with the way in which he manipulates my delicate body. i am hoping that doing mudras would be a great help toward improving my health and i am hoping the practice will enable them to work for me. i am optimistic. i definitely plan to give this practice a try. i am placing this on my blog so that many more people may become aware of this method toward better physical health which should also benefit mental health as well.

Hast (hand) Mudras _ Healing Hand Gestures

Top 10 important MUDRAS without music or sound in backgroud

Mudras help you to fight diseases like stress, anxiety, breathing problems, obesity. They help you improve your metabolism, and are good for weight loss.

A mudrā (English: /muːˈdrɑː/ ( listen); is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. A mudrā is a spiritual gesture and an energetic seal of authenticity employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian religions and traditions of Dharma and Taoism.

One hundred and eight mudras are used in regular Tantric rituals.

In yoga, mudrās are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), generally while seated in Padmasana, Sukhasana or Vajrasana pose, to stimulate different parts of the body involved with breathing and to affect the flow of prana in the body.

A brain research paper published in the National Academy of Sciences in November 2009, demonstrated that hand gestures stimulate the same regions of the brain as language.

Yogic Mudrās: are a fundamental form of yoga practice, other forms are called Asana, Pranayama, Bandha.

Asana: (‘sitting down’) is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union. In the context of Yoga practice, asana refers to two things: the place where a practitioner sits and the manner (posture) in which he/she sits. In Yoga the asana is “to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed” for extended, or timeless periods.

Pranayama: is a Sanskrit word meaning “extension of the prana or breath” or more accurately, “extension of the life force”. The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and “ayāma”, to extend or draw out, not ‘restrain, or control’).

Bandha: (bond, arrest) is a term for the “body locks” in Hatha Yoga, treated under the heading of mudra. Specific bandhas are: Mula Bandha, contraction of the perineum. Uddiyana bandha, contraction of the abdomen into the rib cage. Jalandhara Bandha, tucking the chin close to the chest.

Yoga (Sanskrit, Pāli: yoga) is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline originating in ancient India and found in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Hatha Yoga: Physical

Yoga in its westernization and modernization has heightened the physical aspect yoga where the physically-exerting practice is usually hatha yoga, which combines asanas that exert the participant’s physical self. The therapeutic healing benefits of the physical movement of yoga is a fundamental priority of the nervous system. For this reason, focusing on and developing an awareness of physical movement allows for the mind and body to connect and be in sync. This is beneficial for humans, especially those suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and PTSD because the connectedness of mind and body allow for feelings of control and understanding of their “inner sensations” and state of being. The physical benefits of yoga are linked to the release of-endorphins and the shift caused in neurotransmitter levels linked to emotions such as dopamine and serotonin. These benefits are most likely in high-intensity practices of yoga. Lower-intensity yoga practices, which includes a majority of yoga, typically spark the “relaxation response”. This response is typified by a “physiological de-activation” of tenseness and control over one’s body.

Evidence indicates that yoga has some effect on lowering levels of anxiety and stress. A study on the effects of hatha yoga showed that the emphasis on breath awareness, internal centering, relaxation, and meditation enabled participants to learn to avoid mental and emotional blockages

Mindfulness: Mental

Mindfulness has been a fundamental aspect of yoga since its early documentation in the Yoga Sutra. Mindfulness is defined as “attending to relevant aspects of experience in a nonjudgmental manner”. Mindfulness is attained through the practice of yoga in that one is able to maintain awareness of the present, releasing control and attachment of beliefs, thoughts and emotions. By letting go of one’s thoughts and mind, allowing the mind to be calm and at peace, one is able to attain a greater sense of emotional well-being and balance. Researchers have recently begun to take interest in the healing benefits of mindfulness through yoga. Research has indicated that there are health benefits of applying mindfulness-based approaches to pain management, physical functioning, and ability to cope with stresses in everyday life.

Tantra: Spiritual

Tantrism is a practice that is supposed to alter the relation of its practitioners to the ordinary social, religious, and logical reality in which they live. Through Tantric practice, an individual perceives reality as maya, illusion, and the individual achieves liberation from it. Both Tantra & Yoga offer paths that relieve a person from depending on the world. Where Yoga relies on progressive restriction of inputs from outside; Tantra relies on transmutation of all external inputs so that one is no longer dependent on them, but can take them or leave them at will. They both make a person independent.

related link: 10 Hand Mudras For Better Health and Fitness