- Mudras produce energy in the body and heal the body and mind.
- While you practice yoga, you use the body in many different ways.
- Generally, a mudra is a hand gesture that helps flow energy to enter a particular area of the brain and body.
- This mudra is very effective when you feel low energy or excessive yawning reduces productivity during working hours.
Prana Mudra is the only source of vitality within us and is called the life force. Prana mudra is a simple hand gesture that combines the little ring finger energy with the fire energy of the thumb. Prana is the only source of vitality within us and is called the life force. Prana Mudra joined the little and ring fingertip with the thumb while keeping the other two fingers straight at rest. It is associated with the element of air as the Prana Vayu seat is considered the heart.
This position of fingers in prana mudra directly impacts;
- The flow of breath and the heart-rate
- Circulatory system Body temperature
- The nervous system evokes a feeling of groundedness
Besides, eyes, skin, and other sensory inputs contain Prana Vayu. Hence Prana imparts ‘Pran (life force)’ to these organs. Prana gives a sense of calmness in the body and mind. It’s also known as peace mudra or Shanti mudra. It starts flowing without obstruction, and the yogi becomes aware of subtle body flows. It develops the awareness of nadis and chakras.
Prana Mudra & Five Elements
A balanced proportion of 5 elements of the body is necessary for a healthy body. According to Prana, water, earth, and fire collectively activate pranic shakti.
- The little finger represents the water element showing the fluidity
- The ring finger represents the earth element showing stability
And thumb represents the fire element that shows vigor and has the power of transformation.
Mudras are part of yoga with the help of hands, are called hand mudras. Mudras help to stimulate our body to create energy in the body.
In prana mudra, earth and water are together, and when combined with fire, it gives rise to prana shakti.
Prana mudra also is known as the Kapha Karak mudra because it increases the Kapha humor of the body. According to Ayurveda, the earth and water element makes Kapha dosha. When the fire element gets in touch with the water, it balances the excessive fire, Pitta dosha or Jathragnee. That is why Prana Mudra also is known as Pitta Nashak Mudra.
How to Do Prana Mudra?
Sit in a comfortable meditative posture, Padmasana, Siddhasana, Vajrasana, or Sukhasana. Gently close your eyes and breathe deeply for a few rounds. Do focus on the air entering and exiting through the nostrils. Bring little and ring fingers of both hands together and bend them towards the thumb. Press these fingertips against the thumb tip. Keep the rest two fingers, index and middle straight and lightly stretched. Hold both hands and fingers in this position without any motion for at least 15-20 minutes. Release the mudra by extending your fingers and resting in a sitting posture. Follow the following instructions for prana mudra with pranayama breathing.
Prana Mudra in Pranayama
Practicing prana mudra in a simple sitting position, in guided breath awareness to lift the prana level into higher chakras, is called prana mudra pranayama practice. Begin with both your hands in the Prana mudra position. Without straining the chest muscles, inhale and exhale deeply for a few rounds.
In the end, perform the Mula Bandha by concentrating on the root chakra.
Keep the air outside as long as you are comfortable to release the Mula bandha slowly. Now, gently start inhaling as deep as possible while expanding the chest to let the lungs fill with fresh air. Coordinate your abdominal inhalation movement by lifting your hands in [prana mudra] from the kneecap to the navel region. Visualize the flow of prana from the Muladhara chakra to the Manipura
Chakra
Expand your chest upwards to reach in front of the center of your chest. Try to feel the flow of prana and Vayu from the Manipura Chakra to the Heart Chakra. By raising the shoulder and collarbones in the next inhalation. While raising my shoulders, prana moves from Heart to Throat chakra, followed by Ajna Chakra, and finally reaching to Sahasrara chakra.
Concentrate on the Sahasrara Chakra, and close your eyes to visualize the pure light eliminated from the crown of the head. Be in this stage for as long as you are comfortable with the breath held inside to start exhaling. (keeping your lips closed).
This practice of prana mudra with breath awareness and concentration utilizes the complete physical posture called kaya mudra (postural gesture) rather than just a simple hasta mudra.
Ideal Time & Duration
Perform prana mudra on an empty stomach at sunrise facing the sun. The sequence of asana-pranayama-meditation should be practiced post completing asana and pranayama. Sit quietly in meditation, and perform prana mudra to ensure a balanced level of pranic energy throughout the complete sitting for a minimum period of 15 minutes to a maximum of 45 minutes. Although there is no limitation on how long you should practice a mudra.
It can be practiced daily and gives the best results when performed during other yogic practices.
Activates the pranic energy – Prana mudra is practiced to release the pranic energy and awakens dormant prana shakti (breathing power).
Remedy in low blood pressure – Prana is the force of life, and practicing prana mudra helps reduce low blood pressure as it increases blood flow.
Prevents hair fall and strengthens hair roots – Hair roots weaken by the lake of the earth element in our body. Prana mudra balances this insufficiency of the earth element and strengthens hair roots.
Increase lung efficiency – Prana mudra is an aid to increase the efficiency of the lungs through breathing exercises.
Tuberculosis management – This mudra helps to treat tuberculosis and prevents its occurrence.
Controls excessive yawn – Due to lack of energy and deficiency of oxygen in the body, prana mudra can do wonders for it.
Removes lethargy – A feeling of low energy can be entirely removed by practicing as it is directly related to the activation of mooladhara.
Controls metabolism – This mudra maintains the optimal metabolism of the body and can cure thyroid problems.
Boosts Immunity – Prana mudra boosts the immune system, which is responsible for fighting against diseases, infections, and pathogens.
Overcome negative thoughts – Prana mudra is the ultimate solution to remove negativity and negative thoughts.
Prana mudra for weakness – It is beneficial in overcoming the weakness in the body. The persons practice the prana mudra twice a day at sunrise and sunset. Moreover, it also increases the strength of the body.
Calms mind and body – Prana mudra helps to calm the mind and gives a feeling of peace as it controls the blood pressure, alleviates the mood, and makes a person more stable in terms of spirituality.
Side Effects
However, Prana mudra is beneficial in all ways, but practicing it excessively and wrong time may bring the following effects; Increases obesity – Ayurveda tells about three Prakriti – Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha. Prana mudra increases the Kapha element and slows down the fire element, which may increase body weight if practiced for long durations at one sitting.
Avoid practicing after sunset – Practicing prana mudra at night may cause a lack of sleep as it triggers the body’s metabolism at night is the time when it comes to shutting down the processes. So it is not recommended to practice it at night.
Precautions
If you’re practicing it the first time, don’t hold hands in this mudra for a long time in one sitting. While practicing it with pranayama (breath regulation), be careful not to strain the lungs. Wearing loose-fitting clothes will be effective in Prana mudra.
