Mudras are used as a powerful tool for self-empowerment and care in yoga for years. Yoga is being practiced worldwide for fitness, wellness, peace, and mindfulness. It helps you harmonize your body, breath, and mind by practicing different positions and asanas to achieve overall health. Focusing on yoga mudras can activate and stimulate the energy flow of your body. Even in classic dance in India, mudras help articulate the expressions and emotions of the story while dancing. But did you know the yoga mudras can assist in losing weight? Our experts accumulated the data to render the effective mudras that can help you get in shape.
Yoga Mudras & Its Benefits
Mudra refers to "gesture", "mark", or "seal". Mudras in yoga are referred to as figurative gestures that are often performed with your fingers and hands. Well, how does it assist in your overall wellbeing? The answer is by promoting the energy flow in your body and encouraging your journey within. You might have heard of yoga breathwork, pranayama, and asanas but you may not know that hand seals or mudras play a vital role in Vedic healing practice.
Since your hands carry all acupuncture medians, they are known as the control board of the body in Vedic yoga. The five fingers demonstrate the five elements or Pancha Mahabhutas of your body, i.e. water, fire, sky, air, and earth. As per Ayurveda, these energies need to be in harmony to maintain their peak equilibrium and health. Mudras help stimulate certain areas of your brain while catering to elemental balance between your mind and body.
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Mudras For Weight Loss
Yoga hasta mudras help in healing chronic diseases and alleviating stress and nervousness. The whole healing spectrum consists of ideas of strength, fitness, and overall wellbeing. Here are expert-suggested hand mudras you should practice if you're aiming for weight loss:
Surya Mudra
Known as Agni mudra, it demonstrates fire or Agni helping you to promote the fire energy in your body. The fire element in this mudra assists in improving your digestive system and metabolism, resulting in overall weight loss.
How To Practice
- Sit comfortably keeping your spine erect.
- Fold your ring finger and reach the palm. Use your thumb to hold your fingertip.
- Ensure your palms are facing upwards placed on your thighs or knees in a comfortable way.
- The best time to practice this mudra is in the morning.
The benefit of Surya mudra in regards to weight loss is enormous. Add this mudra to your daily yoga routine as it not only assists in losing weight but harmonizes your mental health.
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Linga mudra
Also called Lord Shiva' Mudra, it is a great technique to channelize your inner conflict while empowering yourself. The linga mudra represents the conquering quest of positivity over negativity. It helps stimulate fire or energy in your body, reviving your internal organs with vital force that affects your digestion positively. It aids to improve your metabolism, leading to weight reduction.
How To Practice
- Sit comfortably and ensure your back is straight.
- Close your eyes for a better experience as this allows you to focus and meditate.
- To practice this seal, interlock your fingers and keep your thumb straight. Assert some force into the palm, as it helps generate the heat. Perform it with both hands.
- Practice the same for 20-30 minutes a day.
The Linga Mudra assists in accelerating heat as it restrains the growth of 'Ama', a toxic element that causes fat accumulation and hinders digestion procedures.
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Apana Mudra
When your body experiences hindrance in the toxic elimination process, it causes weight gain and other diseases. Apana mudra also is an effective gesture known for its downward flowing Vayu, which helps flush your body's waste and toxins through urine, sweating, and feces. This is also effective for the person who has acidity, bloating, or other gas-related issues.
How To Practice
- Sit in a relaxed position while keeping your spine straight.
- Bend your ring and middle finger and join it with your thumb. Keep your other fingers erect.
- Perform the same on both hands while keeping them on your knees or thighs.
- Practice this 15 - 20 minutes regularly in the morning.
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Gyan Mudra
Anxiety (increase in cortisol hormone) sometimes can lead to fat storage in your body. This can cause fat gain around your belly that is hard to get rid of. Gyan Mudra, also known as a calming and relaxing hand gesture, is often practiced during pranayama and meditation to keep the stress hormones calm which directly minimizes the chances of belly fat piles in your body.
How To Practice
- Sit in a relaxed pose while keeping your spine straight.
- Join your index finger with your thumb while keeping other fingers straight and palms on your thighs or knees.
- Perform this daily for 35 - 45 minutes for better results.
Rudra Mudra
Laziness can be the result of a lack of physical strength. When you remain lazy for long, it can lead to weight gain. Staying physically active is vital and practising yoga mudra can help to achieve that state. Rudra mudra is an effective and easy gesture to accomplish your weight gain goals. This demonstrates Lord Shiva's vigorous energy assisting in the build-up of your body temperature and reducing weight.
How To Practice
- Sit comfortably while keeping your spine straight.
- Press your ring and index finger's tips with your thumb tip. Keep your other fingers erected.
- Perform this mudra with both hands keeping your hands on your knees.
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In A Nutshell
Practicing yoga mudras is proven effective in reducing body fat and treating obesity. However, you need to understand that maintaining the right and healthy diet is essential to stay healthy. Consult our expert dietitian for a personalized meal plan to get the result you're aiming for as mudras alone won't do the miracle for you. Access to our yoga corner archive to practice yoga asanas and pranayama to improve your quality of life.
