How To Awaken Your Inner Divinity With Yoga Mudra

1. How To Awaken Your Inner Divinity With YogaMudra According to one of the most revered Buddhistsayings: The Universe is (within) you. It could be spelled You-niverse, because you (yes, you) have Universal, divine, spiritual energy all throughout your body — even the space between your fingers is sacred andalive. Learning to awaken your inner divine energy can take many paths. However, in Buddhism, the oldest, most prominent, and most traveled pathway is via the mindful practice of yogamudra. Yoga mudras are specific hand gestures and body positions used in yoga and meditation. These gestures are believed to manipulate the flow of life energy (prana) within the body to balance and awaken divine spiritual power. Mudrāshave been used in yoga for thousands of years. Although some mudrās even predate yoga — theAbhaya Mudrā, for example, was first used as a gesture of good intention and friendship when approachingstrangers.

2. The Buddha’s are said to have developed a deep practice of yoga mudra in meditation. Statues of Buddhas often depict the mudrā they held during their moment ofenlightenment. How Mudra Yoga Works From the viewpoint of the yogi, the body is made up of connective pathways (also called meridians) for prana to flow through. Mudra yoga works by directing the flow of prana through these meridians and manipulating physical energetic connective points found in the hands, feet, and throughout the body. Since this change in energy is very subtle, the practice of mudrās is paired with stillness, intention, visualization, and pranayama (awareness ofbreath). Learn how to best combine pranayama with mudras from the infographicby spiritual teacher, Deborah King (author of Mindvalley’s Be A Modern MasterProgram). Mudrās can be thought of as multi-purposetools.

3. Some mudrās are used specifically to heal ailments of the body, others are used to bring awareness to the heart and mind, while others yet are used to meditate deeper and ultimately reach enlightenment. All mudras, however, bring you closer to your inner, Universal, divineself. When you are able to access the unified field intentionally, you have the ability to discover anything in the universe – past, present, andfuture. – DeborahKing The Different Types of YogaMudra There are 5 main types of mudra yoga (Hasta, Mana, Kaya, Bandha, and Adhara), thoroughly described in the ancient text, Hatha YogaPradipika. Hastamudrās In Sanskrit, the word hasta simply means―hand.‖ Hasta mudrās are hand gestures that alter the flow of energy from the hands back into the body. This is achieved by connecting the fingers and fingertips to one another, creating what yogis refer to as the ―seal.‖

4. Our hands are believed to contain energetic connections to the 5 elements: fire, air, space/ether, earth, andwater. Our hands also contain the endpoints for the energetic meridians through which prana flows. These meridians are similar to blood vessels and nerves (which also end in the hands) infunction — they connect the entire body to a type of ―networking‖system. Physical Point Thumbs IndexFingers Elemental Connection Fire Air Space/Ether Connection MeridianConnection Lung Meridian: Breath Large IntestineMeridian MiddleFingers Ring Fingers PinkyFingers Pericardium Meridian: Circulation and Sex Triple Burner Meridian: Throat, Chest, and Earth Pelvis Heart and SmallIntestineMeridian Water Generally, the thumb (breath) is used as the base in all mudrās, just as the breath is used as the base of all yogicpractices. For example, by connecting the tip of the thumb and pinky (called theVaruna Mudrā), one can activate the water element within the body, as well as the heart meridian. This connection can be used to balance bodily fluids, like water andblood. Two common hasta mudras are the Gyan mudraand the Dhyanamudra. Hasta mudrās are often done in meditation but can also be incorporated into daily life. They can even be done while walking Fido or sitting in the back of a snooze-worthyclass. Here’s a fun practice — the next time you are walking by an ashram, hold up a peace sign to your local yogi; the peace sign is also a hasta mudra symbolizingprana. Manamudrās Mana (head) mudrās are gestures made using the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, lips, and mouth. They also involve contracting the muscles in the abdomen and pelvis. Like hasta mudrās, mana mudrās manipulate the flow of energy in the body. However, rather than directing energy through the pathways in the fingers, mana mudrās centralize energy into the body — a subtle, but importantdifference. Mana mudrās are an important aspect of Kundalini yoga, which aims to awaken the dormant divine energy that rests in our base (or rootchakra). Mana mudrās typically require much more internal concentration. They are used to reach deeper levels of meditation and elevated states ofconsciousness.

5. KayaMudrās Kaya. No, not the groovy Bob Marley tune with herbalsuggestions… Kaya is the Sanskrit word for ―body‖ or―posture.‖ Kaya mudrās are full bodily positions that take the manipulation of prana to the next level. Kaya mudrās engage the entire body. They are practiced with other mudrās, yoga positions, and meditation, to send prana to very specific energy centers, calledchakras. This type of yoga mudra is complex and requires the most concentration and focus toperform. BandhaMudrās Bandha is the sanskrit word for ―lock.‖ Bandha’s are a type of contraction, meant to close the flow of energy to a part of the body. The 3 main bandhas are the Jalandhara (chin lock), Uddiyana (diaphragm lock) and the Mula (anal lock). Although locking seems a bit counterintuitive in the context of energy flow, the effects of using bandha’s are felt when the lock is released. The release sends blood rushing into the area, bringing a wave of relaxation and renewed circulation to the muscles that werecontracted. Similarly, this release creates a flood of energy, purifying and cleansing the area of negative energy. AdharaMudrās Pucker up, young padawans… Adhara is the most elusive and secretive of the mudras, and are usually learned from an experienced yogi who has studied yoga for manyyears. Adharas are used to bring prana from the root chakra up to the brain. It is performed by engaging very specific muscles on the pelvic floor, such as the perinealmuscle. Why might one desire to manipulate this pelvicprana? To direct sexual creative energy, that’swhy. The mastery of these mudras increases sexual capacity and awareness. The more you know, the more youknow.