To have clear skin not only separates you from the crowd but is also important for your body. In Yoga, mudras have been found to have wonderful effects on the skin.
By considering hand mudras as a day-to-day practice practitioners can see the result in a short period of time.
In this article, we have covered 6 yoga mudra exercises that will help you beat skin problems and get glowing skin.
How Do Mudras Help Achieve Glowing Skin?
Skin is the outermost layer of your body. Whether it is sunlight giving you vitamin D or, the infectious agent willing to harm your body, needs to cross this layer before it acts on the body.
Yoga Mudras are special form gestures, often performed with hands, practised for various therapeutic purposes. Mudras along with other yogic practices have been found to have an effective approach to various skin diseases like psoriasis. It directly impacts the digestive disturbance, stress level and various underlying psychosomatic causes which give result in skin problems like psoriasis.
In general, the mechanism of mudras to work on the skin can be understood with its relation to Prana – the vital life-force. Mudras vitalize the prana inside the body responsible for almost each and every cell and its functioning. It creates a circuit of energy linking every body part including the skin and then regulates the prana (vital life-force) to light up the skin.
Some mudras like Varun Mudra and Prithvi Mudra work on water and earth like vital elements. Earth element restores and gives birth to the new skin tissues while the water element keeps them moistened, which promotes glow and whitening of the skin. When we do these mudras the power of these vital elements gets stimulated which helps our skin restore its vitality.
Mudras which incorporate deep and slow breathing increases oxygen-rich blood circulation, which when reaches the outer layers of skin nourishes the cells and removes weakened or dead cells. It has been seen in a study mudras practice can reduce stress and tension which led to increase in skin resistance.
Which Mudras are Good for Skin?
- Varun Mudra – To moisturize the skin, remove dryness, and cure pimples & acne
- Apana Mudra – To detoxify outer skin and get glowing skin
- Brahma Mudra – For skin healing, face glow and reduce premature skin ageing
- Prithvi Mudra – Provides essential vitamins and minerals for glowing skin & healthy hair
- Kaki Mudra – Facial muscle exercise to prevent the wrinkles and signs of ageing
- Shanmukhi Mudra – Provides a soothing effect on the face and eyes muscles
Varun represents the ‘water god‘, the one who blesses us with the qualities of water. Therefore, this mudra is termed as the seal or the gesture of water. The Practitioner can perform this mudra to have good looking and even clearer skin than before.
Practicing Varun mudra involves pressing the little finger, which is the seat for the water element in the body. This enhances the body’s ability to hold water in it. Ultimately, makes the skin glow and clear.
Varun Mudra for Glowing Skin
- Begin by coming into any comfortable sitting posture Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
- Find the balance in your pose and have a peaceful mind before the practice.
- Bring your hand on your thighs and fold the little finger toward the thumb finger. Touch the tip of both fingers to each other, respectively.
- Maintain the posture for some time and then relax.
To enhance the effectiveness of the mudra, one can practice it with meditation, which can be known as mudra Meditation. Moreover, the ideal and the right practice of mudra meditation by the practitioners results in the stimulation of Sacral Chakra.
Benefits
- Apart from clearing the skin, this mudra helps in maintaining good blood flow throughout the body.
- It also prevents the body from dehydration as the mudra is concerned with the water element in the body.
- The good blood flow to the brain makes the functioning better and gives a calming effect in the long run.
- Varun mudra practice prevents the disorders of kidneys and urinary bladder as both are associated with waste removal from the body in the form of water.
Apana Mudra is also known as the ‘mudra of purification‘. It helps in cleaning the body through subtle pressure reflexes. Regular practice of this mudra detoxifies the body from the harmful wastes that cause various skin disease and makes the skin beautiful.
This mudra also balances the earth, water, and air element in the body. In doing so this mudra regulates the prana flow. It gives the required nourishment to the skin and put a new life in the weakened skin. Therefore, practicing hand mudra for healthy skin is of paramount importance.
Apana Mudra to Detoxify the Skin
- First of all, find yourself a comfortable place to support your further practice. Then, come into sitting posture Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
- Place your hands on your thighs and prepare your body for the mudra practice.
- Fold your middle and ring finger towards the thumb and touch their tips on tip of the thumb.
- Stay here and keep the posture as far as it feels comfortable. Normally, some minutes are enough to see the effects on regular practice.
Regular practice with a specific time period along with some awareness results in the stimulation of Manipura Chakra. This further regulates the digestive process, which further contributes to efficient nutrition supply to the skin throughout the body.
However, Apana mudra can also be practiced with other yogic practices such as Meditation (which gives mental clarity and cures Headache) and Pranayama (Which fills the body with oxygen and regulates blood circulation). So, overall performing these practices with mudra enhances the effect of mudra.
Benefits
- This mudra not only keeps the skin clear but also helps in the excretion of wastes in the form of sweat from the body.
- It is a helpful practice in the day’s menstruation period where cramps cause unbearable pain. It provides relief from the pain.
- Apana mudra has a stimulatory effect over the Manipura chakra due to which promotes digestion.
- Regular practice of this mudra proved to be effective in reducing joint pain and also strengthens them.
In Sanskrit, Brahma represents, ‘the Supreme or the creator of the world’. This mudra gesture is concerned with its healing quality that on being practiced, received by the practitioner.
Most humbly we bow to You, O Supreme Lord. At your command moves the mighty wheel of time. You are eternal, and beyond eternity.
– Atharva Veda
As the name Brahma signifies creator, this mudra creates bondage of energy as we attach our fists to each other. Further, on the provocation of subtle energies, it glorifies life force to brighten up our internal body parts, which can be easily seen as happy and glowing skin.
Brahma Mudra for Skin Healing
- Firstly, sit in a comfortable posture Sukhasana (Easy Pose), Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
- Now, firm yourself to the ground this will give stability to the posture while practicing.
- Place your thumb finger at the base of your little finger, and apply slight pressure here. Now, wrap up the rest of the fingers around the thumb.
- From here, make a fist facing upward and both the knuckles are attached to each other. Place them as they touch the naval while breathing.
- Practice it for some minutes to see the effect.
Brahma mudra on practice along with the meditation lifts the practitioner to the spiritual heights. This transforms the perception of the practitioner regarding life and its various aspects.
This mudra enhances breathing practice on being added with the Pranayama (Bhastrika, Anulom Vilom, Kapalbhati). This further harness the blood flow to the skin and ensures their nourishment.
Benefits
- The prana flow throughout the body calms the agitated mind and energizes the body.
- This mudra lifts in terms of spiritual aspects leaving behind all of the worldly situations, which also manage stress and anxiety, respectively.
- Apart from clearing skin, practicing this mudra manages the disorders of the thyroid gland, which affects the body chemistry drastically.
- This mudra due to its wide variety of involvement of body parts stimulates more than one chakra: Manipura chakra (by fist touching Naval) and Throat Chakra (by regulating the functioning of the Thyroid gland).
Prithvi Mudra is a simple hand gesture that balances the earth element in the body. It also heals the mental being which is causing a certain type of gripping from inside. Further, which sets our inner being free into the openness of the world. This carves a lightning arc into our skin.
The heavens and the earth may be captured by the Mind’s eye
– Gautama Buddha
According to Ayurveda, The earth element is one of the five elements found in our body. This element is the basic entity of all of our body tissues including skin. Therefore, Prithvi mudra practices promote the growth and maintenance of skin cells in the body.
Prithvi Mudra for Healthy Skin
- Begin by sitting in a comfortable posture Padmasana (Lotus Pose), Sukhasana (Easy Pose).
- Erect your back and gather some awareness on the Ajna Chakra before going into the mudra.
- Place both hands on your thighs or kneecap. Now, curl your ring finger and touch the tip of the thumb finger.
- Remain into the posture for some period of time and then relax.
Prithvi mudra can be practiced along with meditation as well as pranayama practices (Kapalbhati and bhastrika). Former brings peace of mind and the latter enhances the prana, improves blood flow, etc.
The regular practice of Prithvi mudra under ideal guidance can activate the Mooladhara (Root) Chakra. This attributes vitality and vigor, which promotes glowing and whitening of the skin.
Benefits
- By affecting the earth element in the body this improves the quality associated with its, Hair growth and Weight gain.
- Almost every mudra has its effect on the vital energy called prana in our body. This mudra also vitalizes the same.
- It cures the acidity and furthermore relief the burning sensation of the urinary tract and anus up to some extent.
- Apart from skin glowing and whitening it also cures acne and pimples that arise in the young and middle-aged.
Kaki Mudra is a gesture of crow’s beak where the mouth of the practitioner resembles the crow when it is practiced. This mudra is different in approach due to no involvement of fingers. Breathe in while performing this mudra makes it more of a Pranayama (Sitali, Sitkari, etc).
Kaki Mudra improves the oxygen-rich blood flow to the skin, which nourishes the different layers of the skin. Untimely, contribute to the clear and toned skin. Moreover, it provides a cooling effect to facial muscles as the practitioner deeply inhales while doing this mudra.
Kaki Mudra for Glowing Face
- Sit in any comfortable posture Sukhasana (Easy Pose), Padmasana (Lotus Pose).
- Now, place your hand on your knees and attain Nasikagra Drishti (Focus on Nose tip).
- From here, purse the lips to form a tube shape and inhale slowly and deeply through it. Further, breathe out through the nostril.
- Perform this practice for some time and then relax.
This mudra is in itself a pranayama practice. One can get a benefit of two while doing this mudra. Eyes closed and focus on Anja chakra leaps you on to the mountain of snow, where the chilling breath touches your upper respiratory pathway.
Benefits
- Inhalation in this mudra gives a chill effect in the body, which calms the mind. However, it also stimulates salivary as well as digestive glands.
- The Purse shape of lips massages the facial muscles, which promotes anti-aging and reduces wrinkles.
- The efficient practice of this mudra can result in the stimulation of Throat Chakra, which further improves communication skills.
- The chilling inhalation soothes the nervous system and enhances the control and coordination of the body.
Shanmukhi mudra is the gesture of ‘awareness’. ‘Shan’ means ‘six’, ‘Mukhi’ means ‘face’ and mudra’ means ‘seal or gesture’. This mudra blocks the leakage of awareness by closing the openings of six senses. This is how it directs the awareness inwards.
However, slow and deep inhalation along with breath retention are the key points here. This fills the prana with enough prana Vayu, which alleviates the skin problem absorbing the impurities from the blood and expels out with the exhalation.
Shanmukhi Mudra for Soothing Facial Muscles
- Firstly, sit in a comfortable posture Padmasana (Lotus Pose), Sukhasana (Easy Pose).
- Now, raise your elbow to shoulder level. From here, try to close the ear by the thumb, eyes by the forefinger, nose (Partially) by the middle finger, and place the ring and little finger on the upper and the lower lip, respectively.
- Now, inhale slowly and deeply from the partially blocked nostrils and try to retain the breath as long as you can. Then exhale.
- Afterward, unblock slowly all the sense organs and then relax.
This mudra on practicing along with meditation can awaken the dormant kundalini at the base of the spine. This also comes with spiritual However, it can also stimulate the Mooladhara (Root) Chakra.
Benefits
- Holding breath in this mudra gives ample time for the blood to react with the fresh air which reduces the pigmentation and itching in the sensitive part of the body.
- It calms the mind and soothes the nervous system respectively. As the deep and slow inhalation is loaded with plenty of oxygen.
- This mudra creates a vibrational sound while breathing this sometimes proved to be helpful in hearing problems.
- Apart from skin clearing, it also helps in various respiratory disorders bronchitis, COPD, etc.
Conclusion
Inadequate consumption of healthy food and water sometimes makes the skin dry and diseased. This begins to develop illnesses of the skin.
However, hand mudras being a natural energizer to the skin kicks out the factors causing skin damage by interacting at a subtle level. This transforms the chemistry of the working process going on inside the body.
Therefore, one can have clear, white toned, glowy skin, which is free from diseases.
