Mudras Hands are more than just functional; they are an energy map of our consciousness and health.

Each area of the hand corresponds to a certain area of the body as well as diffe rent emotions or behaviors. By curling, crossing, stretching, and touching the fingers and pal ms, we can effectively talk to the body and mind. The position the hand takes is called a m udra and is a technique for giving clear messages to the mind-body energy system.4 Just as letters are combined in a multitude of ways to form different words, so can the fingers build an array of mudras. Given below are a few of the most common mudras experi enced in Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan. Gyan Mudra (seal of knowledge)1 How: Touch tip of index (first) finger and tip of thumb. Other three fingers are straight. Effect: Stimulates knowledge, wisdom, receptivity, and calmness. Planet: Jupiter; expansion. Shuni Mudra (seal of Patience)1 How: Touch tip of middle (second) finger and tip of thumb. Other three fingers a re straight. Effect: Promotes patience, discernment, and commitment. Planet: Saturn; task master, taking responsibility, and courage to hold to duty. Surya or ravi Mudra (seal of sun, life)1 How: Touch tip of ring (third) finger and tip of thumb. Other three fingers are straight. Effect: Revitalizing energy, nerve strength, and good health. Planet: Sun; energy, health, and sexuality. Uranus; nerve strength, intuition, a nd change. Buddhi Mudra (seal of mental clarity)1 How: Touch tip of little (fourth) finger and tip of thumb. Other three fingers a re straight. Effect: Creates capacity to clearly and intuitively communicate, stimulates psyc hic development. Planet: Mercury; quickness, mental powers of communication. Prayer Pose (Pranam Mudra)1 How: Palms of both hands and fingers are completely touching. The outer edge of the mound of the thumb is pressed into the sternum. Effect: Neutralizes the positive side of the body (right, sun, masculine) with t he negative side (left, moon, feminine). There is a science to using Prayer Mudra. There is a polarity in the body betwee n the right side, the pingala, and left side, the ida. When you put the right and left hands together, you are neutralizing the positive and negative polarities of the electromagnetic fie ld. This action creates a neutral space in the electromagnetic field. The position of the knuckl es of the in the notch of the breastbone is a reflex point for the vagus nerve, one of thumbs the major nerves going to the pineal gland up the front the body. This pressure imme diately causes the pineal and pituitary glands to secrete, creating a resonance in the b rain that moves it out of its normal rhythm to a meditative state. This allows one s prayer to come

from the heart. * venus lock1 How: For men, interlace the fingers with the left little finger on the bottom. P lace the left thumb in the webbing between the thumb and index finger of the right hand. The r ight thumb presses the fleshy mound at the base of the left thumb. For women, the thumb pos itions are reversed and the right little finger goes on the bottom. Effect: Channels sexual energy, promotes glandular balance, ability to concentra te easily. Planet: The mounds at the base of the thumbs represent Venus; sensuality and sex uality. The thumb represents the ego.