0Isn’t it genuinely mesmerizing when an Indian classical dancer narrates whole Krishnalila with her gestural vocabulary, and we can understand it? Yes! That’s the power of beautiful hand gestures. Knowingly or unknowingly our hands, say it all that our face disguises. They become eyes for the blind, and words for the mute. They are symbols of expression and weapons of protection. They form means of helping and tool of tools. Hands are the most gracious, skilful and eminent evolution that has ever ensued to man.
Mudras are hand gestures which mean ‘energetic seal’, mentioned in traditional texts of Hinduism and Buddhism. Mudras are used in conjunction with asanas, pranayamas and meditation. Some Mudras are done separately after asana and pranayama to help awaken the chakras and arouse Kundalini Shakti. According to Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Mudra is also referred to as specific body position which channels the energy produced by asana and pranayama into the various centres and arouses particular states of mind. Natyashastra also describes various Mudras which are used as a symbol of expressions in Indian classical dance forms. They are exquisite with captivating hand movements and their perfect coordination.
Now let us understand why Mudras are so significant. When we go back to the creation of this cosmos and relate it with our body, we can find the unity of creation; because our body is a miniature form of the universe. So the creator is one, and the theory of design is also the same! And that puts the light on a miraculous approach of five elements of existence, also known as Panchamahabhootas. They are space, air, fire, water and earth. These great forces of cosmos influence every area of human life, and every event is the result of the interaction of these five elements. Thus balance in these five elements results in the state of health; however, imbalance results in disease. These five elemental energies are manifested in our hands, and hence the science of Mudras depends on the connection of our five fingers with five essential elements of existence. The fingers representing five elements are The Thumb for Fire; The Index finger for Air; The Middle for Ether or Space; The Ring for Earth; The smallest for water.
The energy in any form has a definite fashion to exhibit its flow. And in our body, the energy flows through the energy channels known as ‘Nadis’ in yogic literature and ‘Meridians’ in traditional Chinese literature—any interruption in the flow of energy results in the state of disharmony and disease. Our hands are emitters of this energy, and therefore they play a vital role in healing arts, either for the other person or self-healing. So, the position of our hands and fingers can channelize the energy to bring physical, emotional and spiritual upliftment.
Another fascinating fact of our hands is the power of energy exchange. Over some time, there were many types of research conducted to demonstrate the electro-magnetism of our vital organs. And they found that the heart generates the most extensive electromagnetic field in the body. Then, researchers set out to determine whether the heart’s electromagnetic field, as measured by an electrocardiogram (ECG), in one individual could be detected and measured in another person when they are holding hands of each other. The results of The Electricity of Touch experiment were positive: The data showed “when people touch or are in proximity, the transference of the electromagnetic energy produced by the heart occurs through the hands.” So, isn’t it interesting when we lock our fingers in beautiful Mudras, the energy is exchanged within! Yes! That means the blocked energy channels are set free, and the energy flows harmoniously through them.
Across various disciplines, it is said that there are many varieties of Mudras combined in different ways. In our next blog, let us have a look over key Mudras and understand how they can benefit us.
