Good health is gut health

Good health is gut health

The digestive system is a breeding ground for illness. Abhay Kumar Shah shows us mudras that are beneficial for its proper functioning

The root causes of numerous diseases lie in the stomach, indigestion and constipation being the foremost. A lot of factors lead to these two problems.

First of all, an unhealthy lifestyle is the main culprit: having meals late at night, heavy junk food, lack of exercise, stress, and sleeping late. 

Some of us, after crossing fifty, are diseased with bacterial infections. Medication (for diabetes and blood pressure, for example) can also cause constipation or hamper the digestive system. Some drugs, like painkillers, raise acidity. The regular intake of antacids reduces the amount of vitamin B12, and that of laxatives becomes habit-forming. 

It is to our benefit to make our digestive system strong and healthy. No medication is a permanent solution for these problems. Changing our eating habits and lifestyle for the better, and reducing stress will go a long way in keeping us healthy and fit.

Mudra Therapy can give miraculously fast results for constipation, indigestion, and acidity. 

Jnana Mudra

Jnana Mudra reduces stress and calms the mind, which ultimately helps to correct digestion. In fact, it sets every system in place. 

Touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb. Keep the remaining three fingers comfortably straight. Rest the back of the palms on the thighs or knees. 

Practise for 16 to 48 minutes, preferably in the early morning. 

Apana Vayu Mudra 

Apana Vayu Mudra releases the gases clogged in the stomach area and the intestines by forcing them downwards. This mudra also reduces the effects of late-night sleeping and a hangover, and is very important for heart care too. 

Touch the tip of the index finger to the bottom of the thumb. Touch the tips of the middle and the ring fingers to the tip of the thumb. Keep the little finger straight. Rest the back of the palms on the thighs or knees.

Practise for at least 16 minutes, twice a day. 

Apana Mudra 

Apana Mudra is a detoxifying mudra. It eliminates the waste from our body through the processes of excretion, sweating, exhalation, and urination. The regular practice of this mudra can reset our digestion system. Apana Mudra creates an outward and downward pressure. 

Touch the tip of the thumb to the tips of the middle and the ring fingers. Keep the remaining two fingers comfortably straight. Rest the back of the palms on the thighs or knees.

Practise for 30 minutes, twice a day. 

Pooshan Mudra 

Pooshan Mudra is the best mudra for handling gut infections. It helps to grow the good bacteria while reducing the bad. It also cleans the intestines and detoxifies them. 

In this mudra, two different formations are to be formed with both hands. 

Right hand: Touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb. Put the tip of the middle finger on the nail of the index finger. Keep the remaining two fingers comfortably straight. Rest the back of the palms on the thighs or knees.

Left hand: Touch the tip of the middle finger to the tip of the thumb. Put the tip of the ring finger on the nail of the middle finger. Keep the remaining two fingers comfortably straight. Rest the back of the palms on the thighs or knees.

Practise for 30 minutes or more at night, before going to bed.