Hi dear friend:

You are probably like most of us, under a lot of stress. And you might be wondering what a mudra is, how to use it for meditation, and are not sure about the benefits it can bring you.  I have found that this practice has helped me a lot to cope better with anxiety and also in order to prevent stress.

Nowadays, most of us are speeding from one activity to the next. Wake up, get dressed, make breakfast, go to work, get to a meeting, and so on. Just hurrying from one activity to the next one. 

We have to deal with stressful situations in our lives. We have busy schedules and life, in general, seems to be getting busier every day.

A certain level of stress is considered good, as it helps us to keep going, to reach goals, do what is planned. But the challenge or issue is when we don´t find time to stop, breathe and relax. 

It is so important for our wellbeing to give a break to our body and mind, as it needs some time to recharge. 

What is a mudra?

Mudra is a hand position (symbolic or ritual) that has an influence in our body´s energy. Each area of the hand has a reflex reaction in a specific part of the brain

Why should you meditate?

First of all, to help cope better with stress. A growing body of research shows that this is an effective form of stress reduction. If I had to use an analogy, meditation would be similar to how the sea looks calm after a storm.

Furthermore, there is research showing the need for medical care was significantly less for people who practiced meditation, as opposed to those who did not practice meditation on a regular basis.1  

Research also shows the wide range of neurological effects that we can attain through meditation. Changes in grey matter volume to enhanced connectivity between regions in the brain are some of them. Moreover, when we meditate we focus on the now, instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

How to use this mudra

  Any time you are feeling exhausted, take a minute to sit down and practice this mudra for 2-5 minutes. Sit down with your back straight, relax arms, and bend your elbows so that they are parallel to the ground. Join the palm of your hands, the right hand on top if you are a woman, the left if you are a man. Place them in front of the solar plexus, just above the navel. Keep your fingers straight while you focus on your breathing. Inhale and exhale using long deep breaths.  

My personal experience with meditation and using this mudra:

I have been practicing the kind of meditation called Merkaba for over 10 years now. I have been in a healing process and getting over many issues from my past. One of the mudras that Merkaba uses is this one I will suggest that you try now.

Meditation has helped me a lot in releasing emotions, get balance, and little by little to recover my emotional and mental health.

I have also noticed that the more I cleanse and release emotions, the more I crave healthier food and better things in general in my life. I get stronger and also more full of energy, as time goes by. I continue to meditate, learning to manage stress and continue healing.

NOW…. Give yourself 2 minutes now and try this mudra to recharge and prevent stress.

Sit with your legs crossed, straight spine, and let your body relax. Use the mudra as described above. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Each time you inhale focus on the breath coming in and out of your nostrils, use belly breathing, and count each time you inhale.

Do this every day at least once a day, and you will start noticing the benefits.

It is best if you do this each day for a minimum of 21 days as it takes this amount of days to create a new habit. 

Additional resources

To help you live life more fully, I recommend that you read Live This Book by Tom Chatfield. Live This Book, is full of inspiring content, enriching ideas, and exercises. The author asks the right questions to help you learn more about yourself and what you enjoy doing.

I hope these words of my personal experience with this mudra for meditation and resources will inspire you to start or to continue helping your body recharge and release tension. Thus, prevent other diseases linked to stress.

“This post is part of the wellpreneur blog challenge.”

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Want to share some of your experiences with this mudra to prevent stress, or ask Cristina some questions below?

Sources: 

1 McSherry. Medical economics. In: Wedding D, ed.Medicine and Behaviour. St. Louis: Mosby and Co, 1990: 463-484