When you think of Yoga, most of us think of a woman sitting by the beach in lotus position, index finger and thumb touching each other - she is totally relaxed - but why? Did you know that the fingers are playing the main role in this scenario? Finger yoga exercises reduce stress, relieve pain and improve our concentration. But why? Have you ever heard of finger yoga?
Finger yoga - what is it?
There is nothing that we use as much in everyday life as our fingers. We cook and create amazing things every day. We type in lightning speed on the mobile phone or on the keyboard. We touch our loved ones with our fingers. And yet we pay far too little attention to them.
But it is really worth paying a little more attention to our fingers. Our hands can do so much more than we think! They can help us calm down and reduce stress. A great way to do this is by doing hand mudra exercises.
Finger yoga exercises are also called "mudras". A mudra is a symbolic hand position from ancient Indian. The term mudra comes from Sanskrit and means something like “what gives joy”. “Mud” stands for “joy”, “ra” means “to give”. Like pressure points, special finger positions can have a positive effect on our physical and emotional state. With finger yoga, among other things, relaxation points are activated in the body. By holding the hands and doing special exercises, energies are directed and brought back into balance.
With a little practice, you can bundle energetic and spiritual energy with your fingers. The goal is to connect to your innermost being. There are hundreds of finger yoga exercises for ailments of all kinds. Some help against stress, others against pain, with concentration problems or with calming. There are thousands of reflex points on our hands. They are assigned to organs and body parts. In total, our fingers are encased by 4000 nerve fibers. In mudra teaching, each finger is given a meaning and in Ayurveda our fingers are assigned an element. The thumb - fire - regulates worries The index finger - air - has a positive effect on fears The middle finger - space - helps against anger The ring finger - earth - for working with grief The little finger - water - has a decelerating effect
And sometimes we unconsciously place our fingers on special points and thus form mudra exercises.
Here are 4 important Finger Yoga exercises
Basically, hand mudras can be divided into three categories:
1. Soothing mudras help us to calm down and switch off our heads.
2. Tension-relieving mudras reduce stress and help us with headaches.
3. Motivating mudras give us new energy and improve concentration.
Mudra for concentration: Gyan or Chin
The most famous mudra is called gyan. It is also called the chin mudra. We all know it from yoga or meditation.
How to:
Bring your thumb and forefinger together. The other fingers are completely relaxed and stretched out.
This creates a connection that allows energy to flow into the body, not out of the body. This finger yoga exercise stimulates the pituitary gland. This part of the brain controls our metabolism and our sleep cycles.
The Gyan or Chin Mudra prevents insomnia, ensures a clear mind and thereby promotes concentration, and should be able to prevent dementia
Mudra for more Energy: Prithvi
The Prithvi Mudra is the solution for those who are just a little tired and have a lack of motivation.
How to:
The tip of your thumb touches the tip of your ring finger. The rest of the fingers remain upright and straight.
The Prithvi Mudra provides an energy boost prevents dry skin, hair loss and rashes and stands for the element Earth.
Mudra against restlessness: Shakti
Anyone who is often stressed, about their job, taking an exam or any other challenge, knows the feeling of inner restlessness all too well. The thoughts are going back and forth in our heads, we are getting anxious and we just cannot calm down.
How to:
Enclose your thumbs with your index and middle fingers. The ring finger and the little finger touch each other. But be careful, this mudra is one of the finger yoga exercises that you should not do more than a maximum of 3 times a day. Otherwise this finger position will be tiring and you don't want to fall asleep during the day : )
The Shakti Mudra helps against restlessness, calms us down and helps us relax. It can help you with falling asleep if you do it more than 3 times a day.
Headache Mudra: Mahasirs
Tension headaches are terrible. Especially if they occur regularly in the form of migraines. This mudra is supposed to help against headaches.
How to:
Press your ring finger on the ball of your thumb. The thumb touches the fingertips of the index and middle fingers. The little finger is stretched. The Mahasir's Mudra relieves tension, helps as a tension reliever against headaches
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