How often have you heard a doctor say 'get lot of rest rest' when you are ill? Truly, good sleep is a form of medicine in itself. Getting enough sleep is essential to maintain optimal health and well-being. When it comes to good health, sleep is as vital as regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. Lack of sleep has links to several brain functions, like concentration, productivity, and cognition.
When a person does not get enough sleep, it can interfere with their body’s ability to regulate food intake correctly, can cause aneurysm, blood pressure, and heart diseases. One of the reasons for this requirement is that the body heals during sleep. There is a link between getting adequate sleep and reducing muscle and tissue inflammation. Getting adequate sleep in the night allows the body’s blood pressure to regulate itself. Sleep not only helps the body repair, regenerate, and recover, but is responsible for the upkeep of the internal immune system as well.
Sleep also has links to emotional and social intelligence. A person who does not get adequate sleep is more likely to have issues with recognising other people’s emotions and expressions. Sleep needs vary from person to person, depending on their age. As a person ages, they typically require less sleep to function properly.
In summary, for the body and brain to work to their full potential, it is necessary to take good sleep. Medically, doctors prescribe medicines in the form of mild to strong tranquillizers to get a person rested. Non-medicinal prescriptions include suggestions to reduce or avoid screen time before bed; reset sleep clock, consume soothing teas, or consult with a psychologist. All of these may or may not be practical for everyone. Fortunately, one can make use of our ancient medical prescriptions that work wonders for free - as long as there is a willingness to invest time and belief in such holistic systems. I am referring to a very simple technique that has evolved from Ayurveda and yoga called mudras or hand gestures. The philosophy behind these gestures is that our hands have a web of nerves and nerve endings. Yoga practitioners believe that mudras trigger those nerves. This practice helps stimulate energy flow in the body and communicate with the brain.
The panacea for insomnia and stress is the Pushpanjali Mudra. The gesture gets its name from a posture that is akin to offering flowers or prayers at a place of worship. Its practice calms the mind, removes anxiety and creates a sense of surrender. Practising this mudra is promised a relaxed good night's sleep. It also boosts confidence in a person.
To practice, keep both the palms close together, so that the little fingers are adjacent to each other. There should be no gap between the remaining fingers. The direction of the palms should be upwards. Do it for 15 to 45 minutes.
In our earlier articles we have discussed more mudras for getting good sleep, like Guan + Pran, Shakti. Apaan, etc.
To further enhance the quality of sleep, one can also paste methi seeds around the middle finger and little finger of both the hands with micro surgical tape before retiring for sleep.
