Pancha Hasta Mudra: Five hand gestures to empower primal elements
Dr Satish K Kapoor
Like pancha mahabhuta, five building blocks of the universe, the human body comprises of five basic elements namely, prithvi, jala, agni, vayu and akasha – earth, water, fire, air and space. Each element is associated with a sense organ – the earth to nose, water to tongue, fire to the eye, air to the skin and space to the ear.
According to Ayurveda, diseases are caused due to disharmony between the three dosha-s – vata, pitta and kapha, which are also made up of five elements. Dosha-s determine the fundamental constitution of an individual, and uphold the human body. Vata dosha is caused by an imbalance between air and space elements, pitta dosha by fire and water elements and kapha dosha by water and earth elements.
The fingers of hand manifest energy: angushta, the thumb, of fire; tarjani, the index finger of air; madhyama, the middle finger, of space; anamika, the ring finger, of earth; and kanishtha, the shortest finger, of water. Finger tips and the palm of hands, in particular, emit electromagnetic energy naturally. Although more than 108 mudra-s are employed in yoga, dance, and worship-rites, the following hasta-mudra-s are useful for harmonising the five elements in the body, and for directing the flow of choked energy in nerve channels to the brain.
Prithvi Mudra
To balance the earth element that gives mass, hardness, smell and tactile sensations to the body, the tip of thumb is touched to the tip of ring finger while other fingers are kept at ease and in an upright position. The thumb reveals character, and is used in almost all mudra-s: the upper phalange connotes will power, the lower phalange, logic. The ring finger is associated with the sun, and represents art and beauty. Contact between the thumb and ring finger for a few minutes, sets into motion the neural network, rendering strength to the glandular system.
Varuna Mudra
The little finger is the finger of Mercury; it stands for intelligence, dexterity and consistency. Regular practice of this mudra increases concentration, purifies blood, stops involuntary contraction of muscles, and cures skin ailments.
Prana mudra
To ignite the fire element in the body so as to improve digestive power, metabolism, complexion and vision, the little finger and ring finger are touched to the tip of thumb while the remaining two fingers are kept straight. Prana mudra makes up the deficiency of prana, thereby imparting energy to organs of sense and of action. It regulates enzymes and hormones, improves digestion, and reduces irritability.
Vayu mudra
The waning of vayu causes loss of consciousness while its excess emaciates the body. Vayu mudra provides motion and vitality to sensory organs, and like Agni Mudra, activates the digestive fire. It can manage vata vyadhi-s, disorders, like dehydration, insomnia, anxiety, joint-pains, numbness.
Akasha mudra
As the element of space is all-pervading, Akasha mudra checks the kshya, waning, vriddhi, aggravation, or prasara, expansion, of all types of dosha-s in the body. It is best practiced along with Jnana mudra, in which the tip of thumb is touched to the tip of index finger.
Although mudra-s can be performed at any time, it is best to practice them early morning in a comfortable posture. With practice one can feel the flow of energy from fingers to the body’s multiple energy systems.
(Dr Satish K Kapoor, former Principal, Lyallpur Khalsa College and former Registrar, DAV University, is a noted author, historian and spiritualist based in Jalandhar city.)
