How does your day start - on a positive or negative note? No matter how hard we try to stay positive, negativity creeps in. We can take deep breaths to reenter our minds, but there are times when one feels like shooting the whole day down. Funny enough, there is a yogic hand gesture that allows you to do just that - shoot the negativity down and away.
What is Ksepana Mudra
Ksepana Mudra is a sacred hand gesture or 'seal', known as the gesture of pouring out and letting go. In Sanskrit, Ksepana means to throw (away), to let go, pour off or to cast off. Ksepana mudra is for letting go of waste known as mala in Ayurveda. This waste, or mala, can be a literal physical waste, toxic relationships, negative thoughts, old habits, samskaras, and vasanas that don’t serve your highest self. It’s therefore used as a means of draining out negative energy from within and replacing the void with positive energy or chi. Ksepana Mudra stimulates elimination through the skin, lungs and large intestine, as well as through energetic channels.
The benefits of the mudra
Practice this mudra when you are feeling heavy or down, or when you are holding too tightly to expectations or harbouring a desire to be in control. You can also practice this mudra when you are feeling grumpy, frustrated, or overwhelmed. It's like a tonic for the mind and soul. Ksepana Mudra is particularly useful in times of frustration or stress and can be a powerful way of letting go of anything that is no longer useful for you. It is used to soothe irritation and aggravation, as well as to reinforce optimistic thoughts.
Ksepana Mudra can be practised seated or in a supine position. If lying down, the index fingers should be pointed towards the feet. After completing the above steps, release the hands to the thighs or the ground, palms facing the sky. This will allow absorption of positive energy in place of whatever energy was released during the mudra practice.
How to perform the mudra
The specific position of the hands is extremely important when performing Ksepana, as is the length of time you hold the hand gesture.
Begin with your elbows bent, hands at heart level, and palms facing each other.
Clasp your hands together, intertwining fingers and curving them so the pads of the fingers rest against the backs of your hands and both thumbs are bent.
Straighten the index fingers, pressing the pads of the fingers together.
Press the palms of the hands together and check that your thumbs are snugly crossed with the thumb pads mostly resting in the areas between the base of the thumbs and the knuckles of the index fingers.
5. Bend your wrists to point the index fingers down if you are seated.
6. Rest your forearms against your supine torso and point your index fingers towards your feet if you are lying on your mat.
7. Breathe evenly and slowly, concentrating on completely emptying the lungs in each exhale.
Stay in Ksepana for no more than seven to 15 minutes. Then release the pose and rest your hands, palms up, on your thighs. In addition to the energy shift, with forceful breathing, Ksepana mudra can stimulate the release of natural toxins from your skin, lungs, and large intestine. When the Index fingers are pointed downwards, and other fingers are kept intertwined it has a cleansing effect on both body and mind. It removes constipation by activating the colon. It stimulates perspiration, and thereby removes toxins from the body.
It's important not to hold this gesture for too long, as it can cause positive energy to be released. According to Feng Shui principles, those practising Ksepana Mudra should not point their index fingers towards a door. Doors are thought to be a point of welcome, and the power of this mudra may impact the energy of this space.
(There are over 350 health problems that can be prevented/cured with mudras. To know more visit www.artofselfhealing.in)
