GENERAL TIPS ON PRACTICING YOGA MUDRAS

General Tips on Practicing yoga mudras 

The underlying power of mudras exists in feeling the subtle energetic effects in your own body. Whether you are practicing yoga mudras for healing or spiritual cultivation, or dance mudras for emotional and aesthetic expression, the secret to taking your experience deeper is to slow down, concentrate on the subtleties of each gesture, and really feel the effects of what you are doing. Practicing single- hand mudras with each hand will increase the benefits. However, if a mudra cannot be made with each hand, there is still great benefit in practicing with one hand. This is especially true in the case of injury or disease in one hand, or even the loss of a hand or arm.

The hands in their basic resting form open and relaxed represent the realm of pure potential. This potential is neutral. You can select what you want to manifest by performing any number of mudras after taking a moment of stillness with the hands in their natural position. Practicing this way, you activate what is always present in the formless state. If you are new to mudras, you can practice three to four mudras at a time to create a balanced set based on your specific focus. If you are familiar with the practice of hand gestures, you can string together as many mudras as you like. There is no hard rule as to the order of mudras practiced. We encourage you to experiment, using your own intuition and sensitivity as your guide. Further information on sequences and traditional sets of mudras can be found in the Appendices.

Aside from the holistic benefits of mudras, working with hand gestures is also wonderful for the health of the hands themselves. For the physical benefit of the joints, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage of the hands, it is good to extend the fingers vigorously and activate your muscular strength while holding the mudras. To stimulate the more subtle energetic effects, and to affect the whole.body and mind through the Five Element finger relationships, it is better to keep the hands soft and relaxed while performing mudras. We generally recommend incorporating both methods of practice in a given session, or alternating methods each day you practice. In this way, you maximize both the physical and psycho spiritual benefits of your practice.

Here are a few more general recommendations:

 Be gentle with your fingers. Some of the mudras may challenge the flexibility of your finger joints, and it is not uncommon to feel a little sore after practicing some of the more complex mudras. If you have arthritis in your hands, practicing mudras is especially helpful, yet even more caution and gentleness needs to be employed.

Do not practice on a full stomach.

Use your mind to send energy into your hands, and become aware of each and every finger and part of your hands, wrists, and your entire body. Activating the energy in your hands will in turn activate the corresponding energy in your body and will make your entire being feel more alive and awake.

While practicing the various hand gestures, articulate the precise form as described in this text to the best of your ability, while bearing in mind that we all have slightly different body proportions, and our anatomical differences will reflect in the subtle variations of our hand gestures.

Be aware and be happiness