SHANMUKI MUDRA

SHANMUKI MUDRA  Shawn means six and mukha means the mouth. Sanmukha is the name of the six headed god of war, also known as Kartikeya. Mudra means a seal or closing up.

The posture is also called Parangmukhi Mudra (facing inwards), Sambhavi Mudra (Sambhu is a name of Siva, father of Kartikeya/kumara swamy/aayappa swamy. Hence, Sambhava is the progeny of Siva), also as YoniMudra. Yoni means the womb, the source. The mudra is so called because the aspirant looks within himself to find the very source of his being.

Technique:-

Sit in Padmasana. Keep the spine erect and the head level.

How to do: Adopt sidhasana pose with both ears closed with the thumbs,both eyes with the index fingers,both nostrils with the middle fingers,and the mouth with ring and small fingers.Inhale and retain the breath.Repeat om and concentrate on Ajna chakra(between the eye-brows).Perform mula bandha and feel that kundalini shakti is ascending the sushuma ans feel that kundalini shakti is ascending the sushumna,piercing the six chakras.Exhale and release the fingers.
This enables the yoga to enter deep into the heart,for the practice of profound meditation and japa.It awakens the sleeping kundalini and confers great powers to the body and mind.It bestows mental peace and serenity.

Effects:- 

The senses are turned inward and the rhythmic breathing calms the mind's wandering. This brings a feeling of inner peace and one hears the divine voice of his self within, 'look here! Look within! Not outside, for the source of all peace is within yourself.' The posture thus prepares the practitioner for the fifth stage of yoga, Pratyahara, where he attempts to free himself from the thralldom of the sense and to prevent them from running after their desires.

Some of the other asanas which also helps in Obsessive complsive disorder are Sirsasana; Sarvangasana; Paschimottanasana; Uttanasana; Bhastrika; Nadi Sodhana & Suryabhedana Pranayama without retention, Sanmukhi Mudra & Savasana.

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ASHVINI MUDRA

There are various spellings for this mudra:  ashvini, ashwini is a horse. It seems that the most common is the latter one. The meaning of ashwini mudra is a horse gesture or sign. It is not asana in the full sense, though the mudra is usually performed in padmasana or the lotus pose. Also it can be done in viparita karani, when practiced within the framework of kriya yoga.

How to perform:- First of all you need to take an asana or yoga pose. While the best pose for such practices is considered to be the lotus pose or padmasana, you can also do well with some simpler poses. For example, it can be siddhasana or vajrasana; you can even use sukhasana as an ashwini mudra asana.

Once you got into the posture, relax for a minute, breathing freely and deeply. Then inhale fully (especially filling the lower part of the lungs), hold your breath, and contract the anal sphincter muscles with a 1-2 seconds interval. For men there should be 4 contractions, and for women – 5. This is due to the differences between men and women physiology. These numbers designate the average quantity of anal muscles contractions required to push the prana from the pelvis to the head. Try to completely relax the anal muscles between the contractions.

Why you need doing this and what benefits you can get from this horse pose, I’ll describe later. Now we’ll be talking more on ashwini mudra breath and other details.

OK, you are holding your breath, and have made the required number of contractions; now, press your chin against the bottom of the neck, touch the palate with the tip of your tongue and start releasing your breathe (exhaling), then release the mudra, and after that slowly raise your head. The success in this practice comes when your feel like shivering wave goes through your body. This wave is actually the prana which has been stimulated by your practice. You can repeat it 3-5 times or as much as you want – just don’t overstress yourself, as the balance is the key to success in everything.

Ashwini Mudra Benefits:- The mudra works both externally and internally, or, in other words, on the level of the physical body and on the energy level.

In a physical plane the asana stimulates the abdomen and pelvis area including reproductive and digestive organs. This simple practice can help you get rid of constipation, deals with diseases of the rectum and hemorrhoids, and can improve your sexual health. Since it stimulates the prana flow toward the upper part of the body, it slows down the aging process and improves the health in general. It also makes your body more resistant to diseases if you practice this yoga mudra regularly.

On a more subtle level, it increases the awareness, makes your mind more peaceful, gives more energy, and can even improve your mood.

If you are thinking about doing ashwini mudra during pregnancy, then it is possible to some extent, but I cannot give you a clear advice here, since it may require the personal attendance and a conclusion of your doctor on your current condition.

Anyway, the practice of ashvini yoga mudra is simple, safe and very effective so there is no reason why you cannot do it or start learning this wonderful yoga technique.

 

YOGA MUDRA

The meaning of ‘mudra’, which is a Sanskrit word, is ‘closure’ or ‘seal’. Mudra hand positions are physical gestures that have an effect on the energy flow of the body. The ancient practice of yoga links the hand mudras to the changing spiritual and mental aspects of a person. The mudra are usually finger positions like in the Anjali Mudra, where the hands are kept at the center of the heart.The word “Yogamudra” is derived from the two words – yoga (awareness) and mudra (seal). Yogamudra thus is the “seal of awareness”. It ensures that you attain the highest stage of awareness.

How to Perform:-

From a position sitting on your heels, press your sitting bones downward.

Press the crown of your head away from your shoulders and feel the elongation of your spine.

Bring your hands behind your back, interlacing your fingers and, if possible, drawing the heels of your palms together. 

Press your hands away from your shoulders, allowing your arms to elongate, your shoulder blades to come together, and your chest to expand.

Lift your tailbone and allow the lifting to extend your torso forward over your knees, bringing your forehead to rest on the ground.

Allow your arms to come over your head, pressing your little fingers toward the floor in front of you.

Benefits of this Mudra:-

It strengthens the internal organs of the abdominal region.

It relieves constipation and indigestion.

It stimulates the ovaries and the uterus in women.

It rectifies the problem of premature ejaculation.

It increases the memory power.

It removes excess of fat in the abdominal region.

It awakens the ‘Kundalini Shakti’ (Serpent power). The person becomes one with the cosmic consciousness.

Beware:-

Diabetic patients should not perform this asana.

People with serious eye, heart or back conditions should avoid doing this asana.