Mudra Monday: Brahma Mudra

Brahma is one of the three gods of the Hindu trinity that is responsible for the creation, preservation and destruction of the world.  Brahma has four heads and is able to see everywhere at the once. The word itself translates from Sanskrit as 'divine,' 'sacred' or 'Supreme Spirit.'

Brahma Mudra is a hand gesture used across yoga asana, meditation and pranayama practice. Sometimes also referred to as 'the gesture of all-pervading consciousness,' Brahma mudra helps to promote a complete breath during pranayama breathing practices and affects the flow of pranic energy (life force) around the body, calming the mind and energising the body.

Brahma mudra is best practiced in a comfortable seated position, such as vajrasana or padmasana. Both hands form fists with the fingers wrapped around the thumbs and the palms facing up. The knuckles of both hands are then pressed together with the hands gently resting against the pubic bone. Yogis who are kapha dosha dominant should only practice this mudra for a limited length of time.

Actively applying pressure to both the knuckles and the pubic bone helps to lift the chest, lengthens the upper body and strengthens the neck muscles, which allows the lungs to expand more fully as we engage in conscious breathing during pranayama practice. Additionally, this mudra is thought to enable practitioners to reach a higher meditative state wherein negative energy is lifted and a deeper level of focus can be reached.

Elements: All.

If you'd like to know more about Hasta Mudras you can read my introduction to the topic here and find all previous Mudra Monday blogs here.

Illustration © estudio mosa 2018