Mudras

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

Q ? Reviewing notes from the training course, I see that you describe Shoulderstand as a mudra: Viparita Karani Mudra. In her book, Mudras - Yoga In Your Hands, Samuel Weiser, 2000, Gertrud Hirschi lists Viparita Karani as one of Hatha Yoga’s body mudras. What makes this pose a mudra? Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

PS – I have a suggestion: There might be students who would like to connect with some of the students writing to you - especially if there are those who are working w. a specific population or condition. I wonder if students could provide their e-mail addresses IF they are OK with being contacted by others on your Q&A list. This could be optional, of course.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Chandra on 2002-05-20 13:19 ]</font>

#2

The word mudra means ?seal? as in sealing the leaks in the energy body so that attention will move from the outward directed awareness to the inner self. I think of them as techniques of pratyahara, directing the senses inward toward the true Self. Mudras as hand positions developing specific flows of prana or attitudes for meditation. As whole body positions they regulate larger streams of prana as an assist in moving into meditation. Mudras are methods from Tantrik Hatha yoga teachings that seek spiritual awakening by physical and mental techniques. They are more completely described in classical texts of the medieval period such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita (GS). Chapter three of the GS covers 25 mudras of which Viparita Karani is one. Some have the potential for a spiritual awakening of the refined udana prana that is developed by their practice. This prana when cultivated becomes Kundalini Shakti.

Of course most people practicing Shoulderstand would never experience it as Viparita Karani Mudra unless their attention would be directed by a teacher or if they were spiritual awake then it would happen spontaneously. This is an example of a practice that is shared by a living transmission of a teacher, not merely by reading the text.