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Long time Readers of the blog know that I love recommending meditation in some form or the other as a cure for most stress related problems, as an energy booster and for balancing Chakras. So what’s with this Handy Tools for Meditation?
Sitting in your chosen meditation position, what do you do with your hands? Some of us join the tips of the thumb and index finger of each hand keeping the other 3 fingers straight and place them on our lap; others may simply place their hands on their lap and focus on the meditation.
What both hand positions have in common is that they are Mudras – hand tools for meditation and have a deeper significance than may appear on first thought.
Mudras are important in yoga and meditation. The position of the hands affects the circulation of energy in the Chakras and Meridians within the human energy system.
In this blog post, I’m sharing some Mudras which can enhance your meditation experience and assist with Chakra Balancing, which I have affectionately termed Handy Tools for Meditation.
The Index Finger and Thumb Mudra is the most familiar hand & finger position and one that is used most often. This Mudra helps to stimulate the upper Chakras more than the lower Chakras and activates the flow of Divine Light upwards.
However, if you are practicing Chakra Balancing and are not sure of the state of your Chakra balance, I suggest the Chinmaya Mudra, which is the same as the above except that the other 3 fingers are folded in touching the palm for a more grounding meditation.
If you wish to stimulate your lower Chakras more than the upper Chakras and also awaken the lower sources of prana & Kundalini compared to the Divine Light, then touching the Middle Finger with the Thumb is the right Mudra for you. Since we are dealing with Chakra energy, one must be careful in using this Mudra, especially if one is of a materialistic nature as it further energizes those tendencies.
The Triple Finger Mudra provides a solution to the side-effects or possible adverse results of the above Mudras balancing both the upper and lower Chakras with a more grounding effect. Here the top of the Thumb, Index and Middle Fingers are joined while the Ring and Little Fingers are folded touching the palm.
Enhance the meditation experience with the Anjali Mudra – Heart Meditation Position. Here, the palms and fingers are connected and held together at the centre of the chest – the heart level. This Mudra activates the heart center and is good for practitioners who are on the more intellectual side and wish to develop their heart center. It assists in balancing the mental nature with the loving nature described in Bhakti Yoga – devotion to the Divine. It is the Mudra used by Hindus during prayers. A variation of this Mudra, also used in prayer is clasping the hands and tips of the fingers folded into the knuckle area.
If you are focusing on Chakra Balancing, try the Dhyan Mudra which helps to avoid energy congestion in the different Chakras. The left hand is placed on top of the right hand with the tips of the thumbs touching each other. The hands are placed at the navel level. Here the joined thumbs acts like a switch to circulate energy through the front and back meridians and in the different energy chakras during meditation. By changing the thumb direction, we can direct energy upwards or downwards as required.
In a situation where there is too much energy in your body and you wish to de-congest your stress energy, the right hand should be placed on top of the left with the tips of the thumbs joined. The same procedure as the Dhyan Mudra is followed with the exception that here, you are releasing excessive energy during the meditation.
So far, the Mudras that I have described also affect your Aura. If you desire a simple relaxing meditation without awakening the forces of the aura, you can place your right hand on top of the left hand on your lap or the left hand on top of the right hand and commence your relaxation meditation. This incidentally is my favorite Mudra when practicing Transcendental Meditation.
Do these Mudras actually work? Well, the only way you will find out is if you try them! So, the next time you meditate; do try the Mudra that you are attracted to intuitively. Maybe your body is telling you where you need balance and focus.
Please do come back and share your experiences in the comments box. I would love to know how it went!
Want to learn simple Chakra Balancing exercises that help with Stress Management? Click here to view Karmic Ally Coaching’s Stress Management with Chakra Balancing Exercises.
Written by: Vatsala Shukla
Thank You for the above great tips
You are most welcome, Anil. Thanks for dropping by at the blog.
Thanks for the tips! Looking forward to the sketches 🙂
Vanita
You are most welcome, Vanita. The sketches are ‘sketching’ along. I wonder, maybe I should hold a contest for the best sketches? 🙂
Great info on Mudras. Do you have photos of each one? I think that might be helpful in the future.
Thanks.
Debra
Thanks, Debra. I did hunt around for photos but found every other Mudra photo than the ones I was looking for. I am planning to sketch and upload in the future. Hope I haven’t lost my sketching skills from my school days!