• In :
• MUDRAS Dec 2019

Soorya Mudra
Abhaykumar Shah shows us how to regulate the Fire Element with the practice of Soorya Mudra 

As we have seen, in Mudra Shastra, our five fingers represent the Five Elements. 

These Elements are Agni (Fire), Vaayu (Air), Aakash (Space), Prithvi (Earth) and Jal (Water), starting from the thumb towards the little finger. Amongst these, Fire is the Element which regulates the other four. It is the authority. The balancing (increasing and decreasing) of the Elements other than Fire is done by the Fire Element. This is achieved either by connecting the tip of the thumb to the tip or the base of a finger or by connecting the tip of a finger to the base of the thumb.

But then, how do we regulate the Fire Element? 

We mistakenly consider the Water Element as the opposite of the Fire Element, but it is not so. Prithvi is the opposite of Fire.  If one wants to increase the Fire element, they should reduce the Earth Element and vice versa.

Soorya Mudra is the tool for increasing the Fire Element as it reduces the Earth Element. Soorya is the Sanskrit word for the sun. How to form Soorya Mudra: 

Connect the tip of the ring finger to the root of the thumb. Put the thumb on the back of the ring finger and press gently. Keep the remaining three fingers comfortably straight. Rest the back of the palms either on the knees or on the thighs. 

Benefits:

The element Agni plays a role in maintaining the body temperature at a particular degree. This temperature is essential for keeping the metabolism running. Soorya Mudra increases the heat, which accelerates the speed of the metabolism. As an effect of this acceleration:

• Low appetite gets cured. 

• Loss of hunger is cured. 

• The problem of indigestion is solved.

Regular practice of Soorya Mudra is one of the answers to the problem of constipation. 10 minutes of Soorya Mudra, 15 minutes prior to meals, results in very good digestion. If the body temperature goes down below normal, Soorya Mudra is the instrument to increase it. When one has to be in heavy air conditioning or in a cool place where the cold is intolerable, Soorya Mudra has the ability to increase the body heat. 

Sweat throws out the toxins in our body. Some people have a tendency of not sweating enough. It is abnormal. Soorya Mudra increases heat, enlarges the pores on the skin, produces sweat, and thus the toxins are managed by their elimination through sweat. 

Slow metabolism, many a time, is caused by an underactive thyroid gland. Soorya Mudra is a good treatment to increase the activity of the thyroid gland. 

Increased Prithvi (Earth) element in the body increases the weight and the mass of the body. Regularly performing Soorya Mudra arrests the rate of weight gain. It is an effective device to fight against obesity. 

Lowered body temperature converts the fluids in the body into phlegm. This phlegm blocks the spaces within the sinuses, respiratory tract, and lungs. It causes breathing discomfort, leading to asthma. Soorya Mudra, by increasing the heat of the body, elevates the fluidity of the mucus and clears the blocked spaces. 

Tuberculosis and pleurisy can be handled with the help of Soorya Mudra.