Mudra, the energy from positioning of the fingers

Mudra, मुद्रा from Sanskrit, literally means "seal".
Mudra are methods that have been used originally, a few thousand years ago, by sages practicing methods for reaching the Yoga state; sometimes is combined with static body postures, called asanas, or during meditative practices.

Please, don't confuse, as many writers do, the original ancient Mudra with what was done latter on, that was to use positions of hands as symbols or with the purpose to express some particular meanings.

Mudra is not talking by hands, it is not a ritual or a cerimony! These are only deprivations of its original use and goal....

In the ancient text Gheranda Samhita, one of the three texts where is written about the methods of Hatha Yoga, are cited 25 basic Mudra.

"O Chanda , I revealed the whole truth. What I would tell you more! There is nothing better in the world of Mudra to have a quick success and achieve perfection "
(Gheranda Samhita, III, 95)

"O Devi, I told you about Mudra. Their knowledge alone gives all Siddhis (superhuman powers) "
( Gheranda Samhita, III, 4)

In the second, the Hathayoga Pradipika, are listed instead only 10 basic Mudra: Mudra are defined as the ten destroyers of old age and death.

"Revealed by heavenly God Shiva, conferring the eight powers,
dear to the hearts of all men of power,
are difficult to perform even the wise."
(Hathayoga Pradipika)

" ... With every effort we persevere in the practice of Mudra to awake the sleeping Lady at the door of Brahma " ( ..... means Kundalini ... )
(Hathayoga Pradipika, III, 5)

1 . Mahamudra
2 . Mahabandhamudra
3 . Mahavedhamudra
4 . Kecharimudra
5 . Uddiyanabandhamudra
6 . Mulabandha
7 . Jalandharabandha
8 . Viparitakaranimudra
9 . Vajrolimudra
10. Shaktichalanamudra

These statements taken from ancient texts, emphasize the extreme importance of these practices, which are considered the means to prevent the unnecessary loss of Prana, the vital energy, which is therefore more easily channeled in Nadi, energy channels, creating balance in the Chakras and also the gradual awakening of Kundalini (see my post on Kundalini).

The benefits are many:

• organs are recharged with vitality
• many behavioral changes are formed
• the mental conditions are improved

Be careful, though ... do not expect immediate results! The system works very gradually and progressively .... does not change anything from today to tomorrow, but you'll see tangibly the results with the time.

A Mudra, thus, can be practised in combination with a posture of the body and of a particular form of breathing. But this system requires some effort and to be in a suitable place to do it.
Anther possibility is also given by this system, by simply setting your fingers. Therefore workable methods on several occasions including during the day without specific preparations; their purpose is anyway to redirect the prana, flowing out of hands, to specific parts of the body.
In fact, even in Acupuncture, as in Shiatsu or Tui Na, fingers are considered terminal of the major energy flow of the most important meridians .
Pranotherapist do flow the energy through his fingers and hands.

 

Even if, also, you experience Kirlian photography (the real one not some other fake systems...) , you will see that not all your fingers have an equal flow of energy; maybe you will be able to observe directly that perhaps through some fingers you don't have energy flow. (see my Post on vital energy and Kirlian Camera).

 

I emphasize also, for those who have not already had the opportunity to read something about, that according to Ayurveda each finger corresponds to one of the 5 elements:

• thumb - fire

• index - wind

• middle finger - ether

• ring finger - earth

• pinkie – water

The ease of implementation is another strong point of the method: everyone can make Mudra with your hands and fingers, there is no obstacle, there is no difficulty ...!

• gives freedom from bondage
• for preparation of observational meditation
• better after asanas
• is the mirror of feelings

It will it be possible to create such a closed loop, each time different, depending on which fingers are used and how they touch each other.
The most important Mudra of hands and fingers are 17 .
I will give two examples below, describing in broad terms, two very well known settings of the hands and fingers.

Veetrag (dispassionate) Mudra:

the left palm will stay near nevel ; the right palm over it must be kept ; thumbs touch each others tips on
( in Padmasana or Vajrasana or in Sukhasana )
Duration : from 8 to 48 minutes till

• develops dispassionate feelings
  makes the energy move upwards
• develops stability and impartiality
• energy balances and elements

very good for meditation

 Gyan (knowledge of) Mudra:
upper tip of the index with uper tip of thumb with light pressure
( but with Padmasana and Vajrasana and also Sukhasana )
minimum 16 min , 48 min optimal

• develops knowledge and memory
• changes attitudes as obstinacy , irritation , instability , anger , impatience and restlessness
• for a calm mind and cheerfull

for concentration

• success in work
• brain becomes stronger
• cures insomnia and headache
• pressure related point : tip of thumb corresponds to the pineal and pituitary gland (upper tip of thumb )

 

 This Gyan Mudra is an example in which you can see the posture of the fingers that is not completely correct, because the tips are not really in contact and so they don't close exactly the energy flow.

Anyway this could be ok when you do very long meditations, so fingers don't become tired for the position and energy flow, even if less, is channelled anyway as for the long time of execution.

Anyone interested in further informations can take part to the seminar organized by WW Int. School " Yoga in Your Life " (see www.allthebestinyourlife.com) and then teach to others these methods.

Meanwhile, try these two ...!
We'll meet at the next Post, which will be on the theme: "Why to practice inverted postures?"

Masters and Gurus, disciples and devotees

 

As I wrote at the end of the previous post, I suggested to get care when you have an approach with those who define or posing themselves as a Guru or a Master.

 

I want to bring you some examples related to the experiences I had during my journey of research to inner evolution.
I began to do this search mostly in India, which is assumed, by a lot of people, to be a country where everything is spiritual. I travelled in almost all parts, from north to south, for more than 5 years, in about thirty trips. I had thus the opportunity to learn about the Indian way of life and the ways of thinking of these people.
The Guru, the Master, is often seen as a part of their integrant and social life. Each Guru usually has different characteristics from the others, which makes it more or less famous and popular; Indian people says that every Guru has thus "one speciality."

 

One of the most famous guru of our times was Osho , who became famous in India initially talking about sexuality as a path of spiritual evolution. This, in a puritanical country like India, has received considerable interest, especially for the fact that he lived in a town very close to a so big city as Mumbai. So many Indians began to attend to his "speciality" and it was began to talk and write about him.

 

 

At that time, his nick name was Acharya (Teacher), he was dressed by white indian cloth and resigned as professor in philosophy. 

He began to receive visits of foreigners, thanks to the fame acquired through the local people; foreigners showed up to have a higher economic budget than Indians. He made a turn and changed its name to Rajneesh, he changed his style steering it to eastern life-style needs, expanded the number of proposed techniques, he asked his disciples to dress in orange and have his picture on a necklace. 

To take part to the activities in his Ashram was necessary to have a document proving the personal sexual health, particular that was inducing to think about the appropriateness of intimate relationships, accepted by all because even proposed as a way to spirituality. He began to accumulate large economic fortunes, to the point that his secretary ran off with a remarkable amount of money. 

He changed again his name to Osho, he went away from India, founded a community in Oregon, again became rich, he began to dress with futuristic clothes, to wear watches studded with sapphires, to have 100 Rolls Royce.

He was a skilled collector of methods and techniques, which perhaps pleased because were proposed in a superficial and undemanding way; he was at the same time very fine in the ability to propose himself and the techniques. His speeches and his books are richly and pleasantly adorned, but the techniques described are quite poor.

 

What could be done consists in identifying how much there was in him the motivation to help others to grow inwardly or rather how much was important for him power and wealth ....

 One might ask: is not that if it was really a self-realized person , he could live more simply and perhaps request to people less money and so give to more people a chance to participate?

 

 Just similarly famous was Sri Sathya Sai Baba, well-known for his "specialties" that were materialization of a sacred powder, small rings or necklaces and healing people. 

 

Let's start by his name: Satya means "truth"; Sai Baba is the name taken from a famous saint, higly loved by the rich people of Mumbai, Shirdi Sai Baba, of which, he has always claimed, to be the reincarnation. What can be inferred from its name? Appealing himself be "truth" could be more difficult  to doubt of him, to think that he could be instead a liar; about what? for example, that he claims to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, an assertion that has no demonstrable assumption ... Would you believe me if I told you to be the reincarnation of Buddha or Julius Caesar or Napoleon Bonaparte or Einstein?  

Asserting to be " truth " even what he was doing could not be doubted, that is his materializations and the eventual healing of people. In addition, he claimed to be an Avatar, ie God incarnate on Earth ... how not to believe him if he claimed to be " the truth"?

Its success was due to the fact that all the devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba headed by him to see the reincarnation of their Saint, to see the materializations; people especially was going there to make requests to whom is God on earth (he collected the requests that were given to him in an envelope).
I have had the opportunity to live in his ashram in Puttaparthi for three months, revealing all the secrets of his false materializations, so now I can repeat all of them in the same way; I can also explain how he pretended to perform healings. I also collected photographs and videos that proved what I say. In addition, in relation to the fact that he claimed to be an Avatar, he had confidence with male young devotees in the Ashram and had intimate relations with them (which is also written in some books about him).
He too received very big donations, but the most important thing for him was to feel himself powerful, to have the power on thousands of people ...

 

The currently living Guru, Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi, renowned for its "speciality" that is to embrace the people. Amma means "mother "; In fact, this is the part that she took in relation to the people. His fame rests on the fact that , in Indi , people who do not know each other, never would embrace, especially with a woman. This "special contact" with indian gents and ladies shocked and called a lot of local people.
Just when many Indians frequented her for this "speciality", began to be well known as a very special person; then droves of foreigners heard about this famous lady and soon joined. 

From here to the pass that she is having an unconditional love for all, was not requiring a lot of processing. In his Ashram nowadays, when she is present, you have to take a ticket and you are entitled to get in line to receive his embrace for a few seconds. Certainly, after a long trip to India, after waiting days and doing hours in queue, when you'll receive her embrace, it is impossible for you don't fee something great! 

 Amma also give lectures, which are very skinny and with no particular merit ... what is left? Embracing with love ... maybe ... even if for a few seconds every person , sometimes more than a thousand people in a row, that is, for 8 or 10 hours ...
She too has received large amounts of donations and has many activities in various parts of India. She was a poor woman, but now,  embracing she is very rich ...

 

Very famous was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the inventor of Transcendental Meditation, TM, which consists in repeating a mantra; became famous because he hosted in his Ashram, in Rishikesh, the Beatles band, when they had the greatest fame. Hundreds of journalists were present there and it was easy for him to reach the celebrity, although the Beatles themselves criticized him a lot. 

His  Mantra technique was sold expensively in all the world ... but it is a so simple method, already famous in ancient times and in some other places it is taught for free  ...

 

 

Consequently to him, also became famous in Rishikesh the Guru Sivananda, Yoga practitioner, who followed behind the fame of Maharishi, proposing to the journalists, to disclose to the Yoga Asanas (postures). So also the name Shivananda began to spread throughout the world and many centres were established everywhere. 

But ... if you go to Rishikesh and you buy the oldest and the original books in the Shivananda Ashram, you will see that what is proposed is extremely simplistic and approximate, without specific instructions, details and explanations; nothing related to a real competent person.
He made not great wealth but was really respected in his area and famous all over the world.

And I could go on with a long list that gathers people who claim to be able to receive power from God and that they can distribute to his followers, or others that sell gymnastics for being super-flexible as being the purpose of Yoga(that instead is a method of evolution of consciousness); others who say they can awaken Kundalini power with fitness exercises or other asking for a blind faith in exchange for the fact that they can mediate with God.

And so many other games based on the power of faith are present throughout our history ...

So ... what did I want to tell you?

That you haven't to believe anyone?

That all Spiritual Masters are fake and untruth?
No, absolutely not!
I propose only to have care of what you want to choose and follow, nothing else...

Some ideas:

• use discernment in choosing to frequent who is  teaching something about inner evolution and spirituality ....
• have broad appraise, use criticism, ask many questions .... doubt, by the sole purpose of being able to weigh well ....
• not use blind faith ... which, I believe, is for those who want to be blind and not see the reality of things, not only what is told by words ....
• pay no attention to what people say ... but take care of what is realistically, and not hypothetically, possible to observe ....

As about a person that you can meet, the same thing can also be applied to what is written in a book or when you go to a conference or a seminar.
The feeling to be a good follower and a good devotee, maybe we will feel safer and more part of a group .... but it depends, in my opinion, from what is behind all.

Even if the main purpose is to gain money, you will be served up as somebody representing how to earn money; if the purpose is the power you will be at the mercy of those who want power over you ... and so on.

In my opinion the best disciple is one who sees the Spiritual Master, the Guru, in everybody and therefore he will be able to learn from everyone; the best disciple,  at the same time, is who is going in with an open mind and evaluates in depth, with the curiosity of a real researcher, who has in advance the right idea of what and how much can learn from somebody. That's all, a very simple concept, but it requires a commitment to not only make choices emotional or following the mass .....

I'll wait you for the next post , on a very specific topic : "Mudra, the energy from the positioning of the fingers"

"Assessments on how the Mantra is usually proposed"

If you believe that what is written in the previous post is quite logical and it seems for you credible what succinctly said about the findings in respect of this ancient method, then remember to consider that:

• many things are covered with meanings that go beyond the reality and confuse their more profitable knowledge; so also nowadays it happens for Mantra
  
  
• if you are told to do japa (repetition of a mantra) without receiving logical explanations (receiving only some hypothetical ideas) and without making known how and where could be, within you,  created an effect in favour of the vibrations that you do, put some questions before and request more practical details. Could be that they have no particular knowledge about the argument, and also they never before experienced this method in its correct way.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• if it is proposed to repeat OM as it is written, it will have the same value, for example, to repeat the word FORK or PAN; Mantra OM, instead, is composed of a scale of sounds, the one that blends with the next one, that allow to actually feel your own body vibrate and resonate in progressive, impacting on the mechanisms of the Chakras, from the lowest up to the on top of the head .... just say O - M does not lead to anything ....

• if you are told that each mantra contains in itself the energies that are unleashed only to repeat them for the sole reason that they are repeated for thousands of years, then think of how many words are repeated for thousands of years but do not trigger anything at all; the proposal of this concept is a nice idea, probably pleasant and attractive, but in reality it is nothing more than a mild assumption
  
  
• if you find yourself repeating, in a group, series of Sanskrit words which perhaps you didn't know what they mean, or even if you know the meaning, while you repeat you haven't continuously and exactly the clear meaning of what they express, then it is a waste of time . .. they do not bring profound changes, except, maybe, to give you a feeling of bliss consequently to your belief that it is something useful and powerful. Repetition is profitable only when your unconscious intelligence is able to record the concept
  
  
  
  
  

• if you participate in Bhajans (songs that contain Mantra or sentences, usually in Sanskrit language), know that it is something similar to singing in Christian churches or to dogmatic Buddhist rituals and to other devotional songs; if you practice in this way, it means that you are a devotee of Krishna or Shiva or of some other Hindu God, as others are devoted to the church of Christ, or in a temple are devoted to Buddha. You are so a person who believes to dogmas and faiths, you are a person linked to religion represented by the words. You're not a person who believes in what had been proposed, long time ago, about these methods, that is, the evolutionary path, done by tools and methods (one of which is the Mantra)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• if you are told that every Mantra corresponds to a specific God (usually Hindu God) means that you believe it is necessary for you to lean on faith in many Gods (which were invented by man only in order to maintain confidence in the fact that there is someone who can give some help and give support in various fields of life); plus the fact that the Mantra can be connected to a deity is only a hypothesis, built without logical foundation or demonstrably system
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• if it is given to you a secret Mantra, could hide the purpose to activate your credibility or to make you an acolyte or to have the power to make you unable to tell others the same, so that, whoever tells you that can maintain  the sole of his teachings. Originally instead was only advised not to use the Mantra in front of other people, who may not be involved by these methods, not to be laughed at or not to be adversely affected from the outside
  
  
• if you are told that the Mantra that you receive is exclusively yours, it is often false. An experienced person who would give you a specific Mantra should join with you for at least one year continuously, to live with you to know your character and your inner obstacles; so that to recommend the exact Mantra that can help to overcome those sides that make difficult your path towards the evolution
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• if you are told to pay a personal Mantra, then you are just about to fall in the net of a fraud; there could be many examples of people who presented themselves as Guru and who have exploited the lack of knowledge in the people on Mantra to become famous and rich.

In the next post I would like to suggest ideas about it in "Masters and Gurus, disciples and devotees." See you soon ....