• Author suggest do’s and don’t of two Yoga Mudras that are useful during the winters.

Winter season knocks on our door every year, with its chili vibes and shivering cold. Winter brings a set of snowy air and a cold environment with it. Everything remains joyful and pleasant until we are healthy because once we get in the reeling of winter, every joy turns dark. Therefore, you need to be watchful and prepare yourself for dangers in cold weather.

Winter reminds of a picture of quivering and trembling in the cold. What if you come to know, some practices can make you sweat even in the chilly cold?

Surprised?

Our ancient heritage yoga has many forms to keep us warm. Yoga is not only some spiritual techniques but also a way more than this. Yoga is the combination of mental and physical exercises that involve several poses and breathing exercises that keep us healthy, energetic and warm.

Before discussing these yoga practices, let's know some common problems we face during winters.

What are the Common Problems We Face during winters?

Cold weather brings a lot of health dangers and risks to it. The decrease in temperature is an invitation to diseases that are caused by the cold like a common cold, winter flu, frostbite, hypothermia, etc. Let's discuss them briefly.

Frostbite

Frostbite is the damage to our body parts most likely ear, nose, cheeks, finger, and toes. It often makes your skin dry and grey. The decrease in temperature is the main cause of frostbite.

Cold and Flu

These are the most common problems in winters. This causes the running nose and sneeze. This is the most irritating problem we face due to a decrease in temperature. Mostly we face common cold and flu due to viruses and infections.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is a condition when the temperature of the body falls below 95˚F (35˚C). In this condition, our body loses more heat than it can produce. This happens when you are in contact with cold or water for a long time.

Heart Problems

Cold weather increases the risks of a heart attack. When the surrounding atmosphere is cold, your heart works hard to keep you warm, which increases tension in your heart. Besides, it also increases heart rate and blood pressure.

As mentioned earlier, there are many yoga practices that help in increasing heat in our bodies. Apart from the all extreme physical workouts and intense yoga practices, Yoga can increase our body temperature by just some movement of hands, which is Yoga Mudra.

Yoga mudras are hand gestures that are designed in such a way that they stimulate all the energies (fire, air, ether, earth, and water) inside the body. One of these energies is the energy of Fire that is responsible for the heat inside the body. There are various Yoga mudras to increase the fire energies in the body.

Let's discuss some mudras that increase fire energy/ heat in the body and help to increase body temperature.

Yoga Mudras to Beat the Cold in winters

There are many mudras that control the fire element in the body. Here we will see the best two mudras that increase fire energy in the body and help to beat the cold.

Linga Mudra.

Linga Mudra: The Mudra of Heat

As its name suggests, Linga mudra: the mudra of heat, is the most powerful hand gesture to increase the heat inside our body. Finger arrangement in this mudra is done in such a way that the flow of energy of the fire element is redirected to all the parts of the body.

Let's see how this mudra is performed.

1. To perform this mudra, you should take the following steps.

2. At first sit in a yoga asana like padmasana or sukhasana, according to your comfort.

3. Then, put your hands on your lap and clasp them.

4. Now, clasp both of your hands. Interlock fingers of your hands in such a manner that your right hand's pinky finger comes on the lower free end and left hand's thumb comes on the upper free end.

5. Erect the thumb of the right hand and encircle it with the thumb and index finger of the left hand.

6. Keep breathing at the same speed and continue the same till 10 -15 minutes. Then set yourself free and relax, you would feel warmer and energetic.

Performing this mudra just for 10 -15 minutes, whenever you feel cold, can give you instant relief from cold and make you warm within 10-15 minutes. If you want to get rid of a cold in winters, then, performing this mudra twice a day for 10-15 minutes will give you miraculous benefits from cold.

Important Note. Never perform this mudra excessively. As this mudra increases heat in our body, its excess can cause the overflow of heat in the body, which is not good for us. Therefore, after getting the expected results, leave practicing this mudra.

Surya Mudra

Surya Mudra: Gesture of Fire

Surya mudra is a simple symbolic gesture of hands that increases the production of fire element in the body, as it directly relates to the Sun, the primal source of heat and energy. The practice of Surya mudra on a regular basis can give you relief from the cold. This mudra won't make you warm immediately, but its regular practice will definitely help you in the long run. To perform this mudra, you have to follow the following steps.

1. Sit in a comfortable sitting pose on a mat, keeping the spine straight. You can also perform it standing.

2. Bend the ring finger so that the tip of the ring finger touches the base of your thumb.

3. Now gently press the thumb over the top of the second phalanx of the ring finger. Do this with both hands, simultaneously.

4. Lastly, place the hands (without interrupting the finger arrangement) over the knee cap and take deep breaths.

Perform this mudra for 40-45 minutes a day, either in a single stretch or two-three stretches of 15-20 minutes, in the morning or evening.

Continue this practice in winters and soon you will see the desired results.

Precautions for Linga and Surya Mudra

Do not perform these both mudras if you are suffering from fever. As these mudras increase heat in the body, they might have an adverse effect on fever.

In summers, our environmental heat is enough to keep us warm, therefore, perform these mudras moderately in summers.

As these both mudras are very powerful to increase heat in your body, so you might get dehydrated after sessions of these mudras. Therefore, keep yourself hydrated before performing these mudras.

Additional Gear

Pranayama is best known to heat up the body and regulate the prana energy throughout the body. If you perform Apana Vayu and Surya Mudra in association with Pranayama, you will see quick and wondrous results.

As Surya Namaskara is a well-known warming up exercise, you can practice it before performing these mudras. Besides, it is good to start your day with Surya namaskar then follow up with these mudras in winters.

Conclusive Words

In this world, no one gets his desires completed overnight. We have to wait and work for results. Similarly, in the case of yoga mudras, you have to wait and maintain consistency in order to get the desired result. It is always hard to maintain consistency, but with a strong will and desire, you can get the desired results.

About author: Rishita is pursuing a master's degree in Public Health. She writes to express her views on various medical and healthcare fields. She is particularly interested in healthy lifestyle issues and also writes about yoga and pranayama and the importance of psychological and spiritual health. Photo credits www.fitsri.com