Contents
These two mudras are based on the water element
The Water element
Among all the five elements water is the most tricky element to understand, maybe because it’s such an extraordinary liquid with lots of its properties being different from any other liquid (check out this article 41 anomalies of water).
Perhaps because of these anomalies and unusual properties life evolved first in water and nowhere else. Water is one of the most important elements for the sustenance of life. On average about 60 to 70% of our body is water.
In our body water helps with the circulation of nutrients, removal of waste, lubrication of joints, maintenance of body temperature, helps hormones reach their destination, etc.
An imbalance of water element in the body can lead to many problems in the body. This imbalance can happen because of many factors such as diet, amount of physical activity, smoking, stress, etc.
On a physiological level, a decrease in the water element can lead to the thickening of the blood which can cause many problems such as lack of energy (fatigue), headache, dizziness, strokes, heart problems, etc. An increase in the water element can lead to thinning of the blood which can create problems in clotting and wound healing.
Water also plays an important role in the manifestation of thought into physical action or process in the body.
Example- A fearful thought can trigger the body’s response into producing stress hormones which in turn increases the heart rate, the pace of breathing, etc. This can also urge you to take an actual physical action (or no action at all) which could be conscious or unconscious.
The water element is playing a major role in circulating these stress hormones into the site of their actions. The residue of these processes can stay in your circulatory system as toxins which the body can automatically clean if it is functioning properly or hold on to it and throw it into different other sites/organs in the body giving rise to some other chronic problems.
In Yoga and Ayurveda, there are many water-based techniques to flush out toxins from the body. Some of these techniques are neti, shanksh prakshalan, kunjal kriya, basti/ enema, etc.
Seeing the importance of water in the body and the lots of problems associated with its imbalance it becomes very important to balance the water element. The water element can be balanced by drinking an appropriate quantity of water, eating the right food, exercising, yogic cleansing, etc, along with this we can also use some mudras to balance the water element.
Note- Mudra works on a more subtle level, it might not bring a big physical change but it can work on a level of the psyche and the emotions. These subtle changes can lead you to understand your body and the mind on a more subtle level and act accordingly.
Indra mudra ( also known as the Varuna mudra)
Indra is considered to be the rain and thunder god. If rain can bring life, floods can ruin it. For this reason, it becomes very important to balance the water element.
As mentioned in the article, basics of hasta mudra, the little finger corresponds to the water element. By joining the tip of the little finger to the tip of the thumb (all other fingers remain relaxed) you can balance the subtle aspect of the water element in the body. This mudra is called the Indra mudra.
Another name for this is Varuna mudra. Varuna is considered to be the god of water bodies, lakes, rivers, oceans, etc.
Jalodar mudra
This mudra can be used to decrease the excess water element in the body. It is done by joining the tip of the little finger to the base of the thumb, the thumb rests on top of the little finger knuckles.
How to use water element-based mudras?
The water element is associated with the Swadisthana (Sacral) chakra and the sense of taste.
Swadisthana = Swadisth (tasty, giving pleasure) + sthana (place); As the name suggests, Swadisthana chakra can get affected/ imbalanced by things (food, acts, substance, drugs, etc) that give us pleasure. While a balanced approach is possible but the natural tendency of the mind/ body is to repeatedly do the things which give you pleasure. This tendency of the Swadisthana can lead to various kinds of addictions.
Water element can play an important role in creating these addictive urges in the body. Both the Indra mudra (Varuna mudra) and Jalodar mudra can be used when you are working on this addictive nature. These two mudras can also act as support for Swadisthana chakra (Sacral chakra) meditation.