13 Benefits Of Prana Mudra (Life Force Seal)

Introduction 

According to Ayurveda, our body consists of three doshas, and it is necessary to maintain a balance between the three doshas for the proper functioning of the body.  Also, our body is made up of five elements- fire, water, earth, air and space. Our fingers denote these elements. Our fingers also play a significant role in yoga. The fingers help in stimulating the energy in the body. In yoga, apart from asanas, we also have Mudras or movement of the fingers which activate different parts of the body and have many health benefits. One such Mudra is the prana Mudra or the life force seal.

The prana Mudra relates to the energy or spirit of life. The prana Mudra makes use of the hand gestures, which help in channelising the flow of energy and balances the three elements in the body, namely earth, fire and water. The prana is considered to be very vital as any deficiency or imbalance in the prana leads to illness and diseases. Prana is a means of cleansing and exchanging the energy flow in the body.

How to do it?

The prana Mudra involves the use of three fingers viz thumb, little finger and ring finger. Among all the yoga mudras or hath Mudras, prana Mudra is considered quite beneficial and necessary because of the health benefits attached to it. The three fingers represent the three elements of nature- ring finger indicates earth, little finger indicates water and thumb denotes fire. The practice of Mudra in the right way will help in balancing these three elements in the body. The procedure involved in doing prana Mudra include-

1. Start by sitting in a comfortable position on a mat with a calm mind.
2. Now bring your thumb, little and ring finger together and join them while keeping the rest of your fingers intact.
3. While you join the three fingers, there should be some sort of pressure that should be felt by the fingers.
4. Be aware of your breath and understand your breathing pattern.
5. The Mudra will be done with both the hands and fingers.
6. Keep the hands over the knees.
7. Relax your mind and body.
8. Practice prana Mudra early in the morning to reap maximum benefits. 
9. It should be done on an empty stomach, or there should be a gap of 30 minutes between the meals.
10. The Mudra should be practised daily for 2 to 3 times for 15-20 minutes. 
11. The mind should be completely relaxed and free from any sort of thoughts as it will increase the efficacy of the Mudra.

Benefits of Prana Mudra 

Prana Mudra is one of the essential yoga Mudras among all as it is vital for the energy flow in the body. It has immense health benefits and can be practised by anyone irrespective of the age, gender or any severe health conditions. Let’s discuss some of the benefits of practising prana Mudra in our daily lives.

1. The Mudra helps in strengthening the body.
2. It calms and soothes the mind.
3. It is useful in reducing muscle pain.
4. It boosts energy and reduces fatigue and stress.
5. It improves concentration and generates self-confidence.
6. Mudra improves the immune system.
7. It is also beneficial for providing relief from many eye problems like vision, watering of eyes, redness of eyes, etc.
8. It also improves diabetes.
9. It also provides relief from joint pain.
10. The Mudra helps in dealing with anxiety and depression.
11.  The Mudra activates the Prana Vayu, one of the subdivisions of prana. It opens up the chest and head and is beneficial for sensory organs.
12. In Ayurveda, prana Mudra is believed to have a healing effect on the body. It decreases the pitta dosha and increases the Kapha dosha. This should be avoided by people facing excessive Kapha dosha.
13. The Mudra stimulates the root chakra, which balances the energy from the three main channels, namely- Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadis.

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