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Prithvi mudra and Surya mudra

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Prithvi tattva- the earth element

Earth is one of the main elements within us which gives us form and stability. Bone, muscles, cells, tissues, etc are all made up of the earth element and these give structure, form, and stability to the body. A balanced earth element means we have a balance of strength and flexibility both in the mind and the body.

Excess of earth element can make you too rigid with less range of movement in the joints, lethargic, and too rigid with your ideas. Whereas a decrease in the earth element can result in weak muscles and bones, hyper flexibility of the joints, and an unstable mind.

The earth element is associated with the Muladhara chakra (Mula- root; Adhara- support) also called the root chakra. This chakra builds our foundation, a strong foundation can always remain standing even while passing through the ups and downs of life.

How does the earth element get out of balance?

The earth element can get out of balance due to various reasons. We have mentioned below some of the reasons which might increase or decrease the earth element. The reasons mentioned below could be both positive and negative factors. Our intent here is to help you understand the mind/body and how the earth element can have an effect on them.

Reasons for the decrease in earth element

  • No home, constant traveling, not having a proper base – A home is a space that makes you feel safe and free; in your home, you design things according to you and what you like which gives you proper relaxation and peace of mind. You might need to travel for work or recreation, but if overdone then it might start giving you a feeling of ‘Home Sickness‘ or instability.
  • Unstable relationships – A stable relationship could become a reason to take the ‘next step‘ (marriage, live-in, etc), but an unstable one might make you leave feeling as if you have no future with the person.
  • Money/Job Insecurity – If you don’t know where your next meal is coming from then the mind starts getting into fear and worry. A secure job could be a big factor in feeling stable and grounded (but that doesn’t mean you should stop following your passion).
  • Progress culture which keeps on pushing you – A culture (social conditioning) that never lets you rest and feel content with whatever you have achieved, it keeps pushing you ‘forward‘ to achieve ‘success‘. This can leave you with a feeling of discontentment.
  • Malnutrition – The body cannot absorb the nutrients and it’s difficult to gain weight.
  • Some other factors could be discontentment, fear, worry, mistrust, jumping from relationship to relationship, etc.

Reasons for an increase in Earth element.

  • Boring, repetitive, uninspiring work – This might make the mind/body feel stagnated.
  • Having a family – This can be a positive factor that increases the earth element and make you feel more grounded and secure.
  • Eating too much – This probably doesn’t need any further explanation.
  • Excessive Weightlifting
  • Getting stuck in your comfort zone– This could be mental (ideas, beliefs, etc), cultural (not mixing with other cultures), or physical (wanting to be at home, in your shell always, and not facing the world).
  • Belief systems (cults) can away the art of thinking. They dictate what you should do or not.

Working on the earth element with mudra

Depending on the type of issue/problem (mentioned above) you are facing you might need to balance (increase or decrease) your earth element. The following mudras can help you work on the earth element.

Prithvi mudra

As mentioned in the basics of hasta mudra, the ring finger is associated with the earth element. The earth element can be balanced by the Prithvi mudra which is done by joining the tip of the ring finger with the tip of the thumb with all the other fingers remaining relaxed.

Prithvi mudra can be done when you are meditating on the earth element or the muladhara chakra (root chakra).

Surya mudra

Surya means the sun, which is made of fire element. The fire element is the most important element because it has the capability to transform us. The fire element can burn through the excess earth element which can create rigidity in our body and mind.

Surya mudra is done by bringing the tip of the ring finger (which represents the earth element) to the base of the thumb. The thumb rests on top of the ring finger and all the other fingers are relaxed. This mudra decreases the excess earth element within us and can be done while you are feeling lazy or lethargic.