Benefits of Surya Mudra and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

Introduction

Humans depend on nature for their survival. According to Ayurveda, the human body alone may be made up of five elements. The elements might be water (blood), air (breath), Earth (bones and muscles), fire (heat), and space (emptiness). Yoga is a physical exercise that offers a healthy way of life for all age groups, and it has been recognized as a significant part of current culture. All these elements may be balanced in the human body through yoga. Normally hands and legs are stretched during the asanas and mudras in yoga. Mudras are made with fingers. We perform specific yoga mudras by relocating the fingers depending on the factors and asanas. The fingers of our palm may represent the element of Panchabhutas (Fire, Air, Space, Earth, Water) as follows: 

1. The index finger – Air (Vayu) 
2. The middle finger – Space (Akash) 
3. The little finger – Water (Jal) 
4. The ring finger – Earth (Prithvi) 
5. The thumb – Fire (Agni)  

Typically, our bodies have an ideal balance of these elements. But when one of them is out of proportion or any imbalance occurs, it may harm the body. Mudras in yoga may help in the removal of imbalance in the body. One of the best mudras we can follow is the Surya mudra. Surya mudra is associated with the earth and five elements. Let’s read and discuss more Surya mudra.^1,2 

What is Surya Mudra?

Surya Mudra is also known as Prithvi Shamak Mudra and Agni Vardhak Mudra.³ 

‘Surya’ refers to the ‘sun’, and ‘mudra’ refers to a hand gesture.  Surya mudra is a finger arrangement which is believed to represent that energy in our bodies is received from sunlight. Surya mudra comes under the ‘curative mudra’ in which we practice the mudra to remove any foreign material from the body. This class of mudra may try to bring balance to all the elements of the body.² 

Also Read: Benefits of Vayu Mudra and How to Do it By Dr. Ankit Sankhe

How to Do It?

To gain health advantages from the Surya mudra, we must practise it correctly. The steps of Surya mudra or Agni Vardhak mudra are as follows: 

• Sit on a mat or on the floor. You can also do it while standing upright or in any comfortable position. 
• Then, put your ring finger to the base of your thumb. The remaining fingers may remain straight throughout the entire process. 
• You might feel slight pressure when pressing your thumb against your ring finger. Other fingers may feel stretched as well.   
• Practice the same with your other hand; after that, you can close your eyes while gently holding your hands over your knees. 
• Then return to your normal position. 

Do You Know?

As fingers may be a significant source of magnetic energy, we can perform mudras on them. Practitioners have been performing Surya mudra for centuries. Some fun facts about Surya mudra are as follows: 

• Some stories say that the ring finger is associated with the Sun, whereas the thumb links with Mars. When the two fingers (middle finger and thumb) combine, then it may be like a king (sun) and his commander (mars) together. The commander may follow the king’s orders and carry out his duties, and the king too may perform his duties with the protection of his commander and rule the kingdom. As a result, when we perform the Surya mudra, the earth element may become weaker while the fire element may increase to balance the human body. 
• Some say that Sunday is dominated by the Sun. So, doing Surya mudra on Sunday may help you honor the god sun. While practicing Surya mudra, you may also chant the Gayatri mantra to invite Lord Savitur (the deity of Hasta Nakshatra) to assist you in manifesting your wishes.  

Also Read: Benefits of Prana Mudra and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

If you’re performing it in the summer, I would suggest it’s best to drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration. Practising Surya mudra during summer may increase the level of the fire component.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Benefits of Surya Mudra:

Several mudras may be designed to get different benefits depending on our requirements.⁴ Some of the benefits of Surya mudra are as follows: 

1. Benefits of Surya Mudra for Diabetes

Yoga mudras may improve pancreatic function. In a study, regularly performing the mudras might increase metabolic rates and may help in weight management. It might help in lowering blood sugar levels, which may reduce type-2 diabetes. However, more studies may be necessary to determine the exact impact of Surya mudra on diabetes. Before performing the Surya mudra, you should seek medical advice because diabetes is a severe condition.^4,5 Do not self-medicate and practice the Surya mudra under a proper trainer.  

2. Benefits of Surya Mudra for Thyroid

Surya mudra may enhance the functioning of the thyroid gland in the body. Therefore, it might lower the issues such as obesity caused by hypothyroidism.¹ Please seek medical advice to avoid any complications. If you have a thyroid problem, consult your doctor. Do not self-medicate and practice the Surya mudra under a proper trainer.  

3. Benefits of Surya Mudra for Weight Management

Surya mudra may be one of the mudra or asanas which may act against weight loss. This mudra may reduce the number of nutrients in the body which may raise the fire element in the body and decrease the Prithvi element. Obesity may affect heart functioning, which may be lowered by Surya mudra.³ If you have obesity, consult your doctor. Do not self-medicate and practice the Surya mudra under a proper trainer.  

4. Benefits of Surya Mudra for Body Temperature

When we practice Surya mudra along with Surya namaskar, it may regulate the body temperature. Surya mudra may avoid shivering, which may be caused by low and cold temperatures. In addition, in ‘hypohidrosis’ the body may not cool down by sweating, or a person may sweat less than usual. This might be lowered by doing Surya mudra.³ However, don’t rely just on the Surya mudra and consult your physician. Do not self-medicate and practice the Surya mudra under a proper trainer.  

5. Benefits of Surya Mudra for Depression

A mudra is a hand movement that regulates the flow of energy to particular parts of the brain. As the Surya mudra may increase the body temperature it may lead to the release of antioxidants. It may lower stress levels and induce feelings of joy and satisfaction with life by keeping frustration away.³ However, don’t rely on the Surya mudra and consult your doctor. Do not self-medicate and practice the Surya mudra under a proper trainer.  

6. Other Benefits of Surya Mudra

1. It may relieve constipation.^1-3 
2. Surya mudra might improve metabolism.^1-4 
3. It may help to treat the flu.² 
4. It may help to relieve problems caused by cold weather, like dry skin, sore throat, and painful joints.² 
5. It may help to decrease anxiety.⁶ 

Yoga practice may help develop the mind and body; however, it is still not an alternative to modern medicine. You must not rely on yoga alone to treat any condition. Please consult a qualified doctor who will be able to assess your condition correctly and advise accordingly. Moreover, it is necessary to practice and learn yoga under the supervision of a trained yoga teacher to avoid any injuries.  

Also Read: Benefits of Prithvi Mudra and How to Do it By Dr. Ankit Sankhe

Risks of Exercise

Surya mudra has the following risk factors: 

In case of any medical condition, kindly consult the doctor and practice Surya mudra.⁶ However, more research is required to state the risk of exercise. Proper guidance of a qualified and experienced yoga teacher/yoga expert, we can assess and analyse the risk factors and continue to practice exercise with precautions.  

Conclusion

Yoga mudras are yoga techniques that restore elemental balance inside the body by regulating the flow of life energy. Surya mudra is one of the techniques that may act against thyroid function, weight loss, and relieving constipation. You may do Surya mudra anywhere in the open or at home in any position. By regulating the heat factor in the body, Surya mudra may treat all the diseases related to it. It may be associated with increasing Agni (fire) element, so it is also known as ‘Agni Vardhak Mudra’. It may decrease the Prithvi (earth) element in the body, so it is also called ‘Prithvi Shamak Mudra’. To avoid complications, you may do Surya mudra frequently by taking the required precautions, possibly under the supervision of a yoga instructor. 

Also Read: Benefits of Udana Mudra and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. Kumar SN, Venu A, Jaya MH. Effect of yoga mudras in improving the health of users: A precautionary measure practice in daily life for resisting the deadly COVID-19 disease. InLessons from COVID-19 2022 Jan 1 (pp. 41-59). Academic Press. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323998789000017 

2. Sunitha S, CP S. Mudra Therapy and Its Classification. International Journal of Health Sciences and Research (IJHSR). 2021;11(1):118-26. Available at: https://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR_Vol.11_Issue.1_Jan2021/IJHSR16.pdf 
3. Kumaran SS. Yoga for disabled person: A short view. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/49684995/Yoga_for_disabled_person_A_short_view 

4. Raveendran AV, Deshpandae A, Joshi SR. Therapeutic role of yoga in type 2 diabetes. Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2018 Sep 1;33(3):307-17. Available at: https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1101087 

5. Krishnamurthy D. Promoting mental health@ at your fingertip. IP Journal of Paediatrics and Nursing Science. 2019 Apr 15;2(1):5-7. Available at: https://www.jpns.in/media/journals/IJPNS-2-1-5-7.pdf 

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