7 Effective Yoga Mudras for Weight Loss

• Surya Mudra
• Apana Mudra
• Gyan Mudra
• Pushan Mudra
• Linga Mudra
• Rudra Mudra
• Varun Mudra
• Weight Loss – Ayurvedic View of Mudra

Obesity is the sign of an unhealthy lifestyle, which is the epicenter of various health-related problems.

Yoga Mudras works on the extra weight of the body in the same way as ‘Gandhi against violence’.

Why It’s Beneficial

Yoga mudras are able to produce internal heat in the body. This heat burns out excess fat accumulated around the belly which results in a flat stomach.

Some mudras are also effective in curing digestion-related problems that boost metabolism and leads to weight loss. Boost metabolism by mudra also reduces the chance of diabetes.

Here are 7 effective yoga mudras that will help you in weight loss.

1. Surya Mudra

Surya Mudra restores the Agni element in the body. According to Ayurveda, Disturbed digestion is the cause of all weight-related issues.

To do Surya Mudra,

• Fold your ring finger and place your thumb over the middle phalanx of it.

Surya mudra helps in weight loss by,

• Increasing fire element to boost metabolism
• Pressing down ring finger reduces the earth element, which represents weight gain in the body

2. Apana Mudra

When the body’s waste elimination process gets stuck, it manifests in the form of many diseases which leads to weight gain. In this case, detoxification becomes necessary to lose weight ¹.

Apana mudra is known for its action on the downward flowing Vayu, the Apana Vayu in the body. This mudra flushes out the body’s toxins and waste, which accumulate to increase weight, in the form of feces, sweating, and urine.

To do Apana Mudra,

• Join the tip of the middle & ring finger with the tip of the thumb. Extend the other two fingers straight.
• Do it with your other hand too and place both hands on your thighs.

Do this mudra for 15 to 20 minutes daily in morning time. Along with weight loss, you can try this mudra in case of bloating, acidity, or gas related problem.

3. Gyan Mudra

An increase in stress hormone (cortisol) results in anxiety that causes fat to store in belly ². This stored fat leads to weight gain which usually is very tough to lose.

Gyan mudra is a relaxing and calming hand gesture. It generally performed during meditation and pranayama to calm down the stress response of the body. In this way, it helps in weight loss.

To do Gyana Mudra,

• Come in a comfortable posture, cross-legged, seated Padmasana (lotus pose), Sukhasana (easy pose).
• Now, straighten your back, eyes closed deep with breathing, respectively.
• Bring both hands on respective thighs or knees and touch the tip of the thumb to the tip of an index finger. Maintain the position.
• Practice regularly for 30 to 45 minutes to see the benefits.

4. Pushan Mudra

Poor digestion can be a barrier in your way of losing weight ³. If your digestive system is defective, its power of absorbing nutrients goes down, which can severely affect the body’s metabolism.

Pushan Mudra is the best practice an obese person can do in improper digestion and lose weight. It helps in the digestion process, which leads to better metabolism and so the weight loss.

To do this mudra,

• Right hand – Press the tip of the index and middle finger against the tip of the thumb. And, extend the other two fingers straight.
• Left hand – Make Apana Mudra.
• Now place both hands on your kneecap and meditate on navel chakra, where digestion takes place.

Do Pushan mudra for 10 to 15 minutes after having a meal. It cures the defects of the digestive system and boosts the body’s metabolism.

5. Linga Mudra

Linga Mudra is the Mudra of Lord Shiva. Meditation in this mudra showers the blessing of shiva on his diety.

Practicing this mudra generates heat in the body. This heat activates suppressed metabolism, which enhances the digestive fire. This heat detoxifies the body by burning extra fat or ‘Ama’ (toxin), which ultimately results in weight loss.

To do Linga Mudra,

• Come into seated cross-legged posture sukhasana (easy pose), Padmasana (lotus pose).
• Now, after erecting your back interlocked the fingers of both hands. Palm should be in contact with each other.
• Close your eyes and try to concentrate while deep breathing.
• Practice Linga Mudra on a regular basis for 20 to 30 minutes.

Putting pressure against the palms generates more heat in this mudra. This whole process assists in weight loss.

6. Rudra Mudra

Lack of physical strength leads to laziness and when you’re lazy it becomes natural to gain weight ⁴. The problem is that you can’t lose weight easily due to a lack of physical strength and laziness.

Rudra mudra is an easy practice anybody can do to lose weight and gain strength. Rudra in this mudra is the representation of vigorous power of Lord Shiva that increases the body’s temperature in which extra fat is burned out easily.

To do Rudra Mudra,

• Press the tip of the index and ring finger in contact with the tip of the thumb. The rest two-finger should be steady and straight.
• Do this finger placement with both hands and rest it over knees.

Do 3 this mudra 3 times a day to lose weight in less time. Every practice session should be a length of 15 minutes at least.

7. Varun Mudra

Varun is the water lord as per the Hindu Mythology. This Mudra deals with the water element in the body.

Scarcity of water element or dehydration slows down the metabolism. Indirectly affecting the Agni elements. Therefore, the body loses the capacity to burn calories and energy gets piled up, which results in weight gain.

To do this Mudra,

• Begin with the sitting posture Sukhasna (easy pose) or Padmasana (lotus pose).
• Now, fold the little finger and thumb inwards to the palm. Touch the tips of both the fingers. Breathe gently while keeping the posture.
• Practice it for 30 to 45 minutes every day for the optimum results.

Varuna Mudra balances the water element within the body and also acts as a triggering button to activate the fire element.

Obesity or Medaroga: An Ayurvedic View

In Ayurveda, Obesity is concerned with the Medoroga associated with the meda dhatu problem, which arises from the metabolism of fat.

According to Ayurveda, the onset of weight gaining is the reason for the imbalance in the five elements (water, earth, ether or space, air, and fire) of the body. These elements, after combining give birth to Doshas (Vata, pitta, and Kapha) of the body.

The disturbing pattern of lifestyle brings changes unfit for our health, which causes an imbalance in the body’s ability to work efficiently. Suppressed or inactive metabolism is one of the products of the situation. Ayurveda defines it as a disorder related to Agni (fire). Improper action of fire on food creates toxins (ama) or improperly digested food.

This further gives rise to weak tissue with the inability of transforming into other tissue levels. It becomes static and starts accumulating on some the specific positions in the body i.e, Hips, Breasts, Abdomen, etc

1. How to Detox Your Body to Lose Weight https://www.trifectanutrition.com/blog/how-to-detox-your-body-to-lose-weight
2. Anxiety and Weight Loss https://www.structurehouse.com/obesity/anxiety/
3. Poor Digestion & Weight Gain https://www.livestrong.com/article/496197-poor-digestion-weight-gain/
4. Laziness and weight gain https://en.calameo.com/read/000753773240f54da5307