Apana Mudra is a major hand gesture in yoga that performs a vital position in detoxifying the physique and thoughts. This mudra, which is a part of conventional yogic practices, is designed to channel the physique’s delicate life drive power, often known as Prana.
By performing Apana Mudra, one can improve the physique’s pure skill to eradicate waste and toxins, selling total well being and well-being.
What’s Apana Mudra?
Apana mudra is a fundamental hasta mudra or yoga hand gesture that promotes the downward motion of power within the physique. It’s linked with Apana Vayu, one of many 5 prana vayus in accordance with yogic custom.
As a result of apana vayu is the power governing the elimination of waste within the bodily physique, apana mudra is nice for cleansing of the physique by eliminating toxins and waste. For girls, it helps regulate the menstrual cycle. Because of this additionally it is known as the “Mudra for Purification“.
The right way to Do Apana Mudra?
The hand place of Apana mudra could be very easy. You retain each fingers straight, micro bend your center and ring finger and be a part of (these) fingertips with the thumb tip. Relaxation two fingers, index and pinky fingers are saved straight or calmly stretched. Make this gesture with each fingers.
Usually, the best time to carry out apana mudra is early morning to stimulate your bowel motion. When doing some other time of the day, you are able to do this mudra 2 hours after a meal for higher digestion. Additionally, it may be accomplished each time you’re feeling nauseous. Acting on an empty abdomen may show to be helpful.
Additionally learn: When and what to eat earlier than and after yoga
Along with this, apana mudra must be accomplished for 45 minutes to get optimum outcomes. In the event you can’t sit 45 minutes at a stretch, in a single session attempt to maintain this mudra for Quarter-hour. This fashion, do it 3 instances a day.
Under are the steps to apply it;
- Sit comfortably in your yoga mat in a meditative place such because the lotus pose (padmasana) or simple pose (sukhasana). Your backbone must be straight and your head correctly aligned.
- Shut your eyes and place your fingers in your thighs or knees with palms up.
- Be part of the tip of the thumb to the guidelines of the ring and center finger on each fingers. The index finger and little finger must be saved straight, but relaxed. Preserve average strain on the guidelines.
- Initially maintain the mudra for at least 10 minutes. Lengthen this period as much as 20 minutes.
- Slowly separate your finger and preserve your eyes closed for an additional couple of minutes.
- Sit in silence earlier than you rise up out of your place.
Advantages of Apana Mudra
- Detoxifies the physique. Apana mudra helps the organ of excretion to take away bodily wastes and extra water in urine. Additionally, it’s an excellent mudra for kidney stones, bladder stones, and urinary tract associated situations.
- Strengthens the immune system. Apana mudra strengthens the immune system of the physique. It eliminates free radicals that may injury cells and decrease the physique’s immune system.
- Improves digestion. Apana mudra strengthens the digestive organs‘ capabilities because it promotes the downward motion of power. It additionally regulates higher bowel motion and pushes the undigested meals particles for elimination.
- Alleviates abdomen issues. Common apply of apana mudra removes and reduces the issue of constipation, acidity, gasoline, ache, indigestion, and many others. by stimulating the stomach organs.
- Forestall coronary heart illnesses and ailments, chest pains, and respiratory issues.
- Regulates the menstrual cycle. Girls can particularly profit from apana mudra because it helps relieve cramps and issues of irregular cycles.
- Helps management diabetes. Apana mudra promotes rest and eliminates stress in diabetes sufferers. Analysis accomplished up to now has confirmed the therapeutic advantages of Apana mudra in curing Diabetes, particularly for sort 2 diabetes sufferers.
- Makes you are feeling safe. Doing apana mudra with pranayama and meditation helps us calm inwardly. It aids in releasing undesirable feelings, ideas, and experiences, thus making you are feeling extra grounded and in management.
- Non secular advantages. Apana mudra helps in awakening the kundalini power. This mudra balances root chakra power and thus helps in activating the kundalini shakti that resides on this chakra.
- It creates a direct hyperlink between Koshas (annamaya kosha, pranamaya kosha, and manomaya kosha). Direct hyperlink promotes a steadiness between the bodily physique, pranic physique, and the psychological physique.
Precautions & Contraindications
- Pregnant ladies shouldn’t apply apana mudra for the primary 8 months because the robust downward pull can result in mishappenings. Nonetheless, through the ninth month, you may apply this mudra to ease the method of childbirth.
- In the event you endure from diarrhea, cholera, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel syndrome or any digestion downside ought to apply this mudra with excessive warning. Seek the advice of a yoga trainer or your physician.
- Individuals having osteoarthritis or who’ve beforehand suffered from Chikungunya can have an issue with the motion of the fingers or fingers. Such an individual ought to seek the advice of a physician earlier than doing it frequently.
- These with extra vata and kapha dosha ought to carry out apana mudra carefully.
How Does Apana Mudra Work?
As per yogic physiology, power in our physique strikes within the type of 5 prana vayus. These are:
- Prana Vayu – Upward transferring power lies within the coronary heart
- Apana Vayu – Downward transferring power lies within the core of the pelvic ground space
- Samana Vayu – Balancing power lies on the navel
- Udana Vayu – The power of motion lies within the joints of the physique
- Vyana Vayu – Pervades complete physique and thoughts
Out of those 5 pranas, apana vayu offers with excretion or elimination of bodily wastes reminiscent of feces, gasoline, urination, sweating & bleeding through the menstrual cycle. The downward move can also be useful on the time of childbirth.
The principle objective of doing apana mudra is to control apana vayu and therefore clear all decrease physique imbalances and disturbances. On this mudra, the center finger represents the outward transferring power, and the ring finger represents the downward transferring power.
When these fingers mix with the thumb (hearth factor), the resultant power is channelled within the downward course. This will alleviate issues like constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, impotence, and many others. All the issues that happen within the organs of the decrease stomach and pelvis will be taken care of by apana mudra.
Period of Follow
Practising Apana Mudra for 10-Quarter-hour at any time of the day is beneficial. Moreover, incorporating it into your meditation apply thrice every day or for longer durations of 30-45 minutes can amplify its advantages, selling total coronary heart well being and well-being.
Apana Mudra relationship with 5 Parts and Doshas
In doing Apana mudra you really kind two hand mudras collectively; Akash mudra (becoming a member of center fingertip to thumb tip) and Prithvi mudra (becoming a member of ring fingertip to thumb tip). Subsequently this mudra steadiness the power of two of the 5 components of the physique.
Additionally learn: Panch tatva – 5 components of the physique
Apana mudra helps steadiness the earth and area components in touch with the hearth factor.
- By balancing area factor, apana mudra helps in ailments referring to the guts, lungs, ear and throat
- By balancing earth factor, this mudra strengthens the bodily physique and fulfills vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
Apana mudra successfully will increase the vata and kapha dosha whereas lowering the pitta dosha. It regulates apana vata when it comes to elimination, menstruation, and ejaculation. The heaviness created within the physique as a consequence of an imbalance within the earth and area components, proscribing the outflow of waste, will be countered by the fireplace factor.
The organs such because the colon, small intestines, and urinary bladder together with the organs of the reproductive system are successfully stimulated. This helps with the right passage of farts, feces, and urine in addition to profitable supply of the fetus and controlled move throughout menstruation.
Furthermore, apana mudra doesn’t solely assist with bodily elimination, this can be very efficient in eradicating damaging ideas from the thoughts.
Conclusion
In the event you’re dealing with troubles along with your abdomen or really feel a heaviness in your physique, apana mudra can help in releasing this heaviness. It’s a nice mudra to enhance your meditation and pranayama apply. It can additionally enable your thoughts to turn into calm and peaceable via the elimination of psychological litter.
So the following time you are feeling offended or annoyed or have an upset abdomen, you realize which mudra to apply.
