Our hands are one of the most important and frequently used parts of our body, yet are so underrated in daily life. We rely on them every day, and we don’t even have to think about what we want to do.
It’s an automatic reaction to do things like typing on computer keyboards and mobile phones – we drive, cook and clean. Everything that we do can potentially create an issue with the hands and wrists.
So I have created for you, 5 ways that yoga can benefit your fingers, your palms and wrists.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that with yoga practice for your hands, the aim is to move them in gentle ways, to prepare them for daily life, weight-bearing poses or just harder poses in general.
Let’s have a look at a few things that yoga can help your hands with.
The Mudra’s – a gentle hand movement and position.
Did you know that our hands contain the most amount of nerve endings in the body? Yoga Mudras work by placing our hands and fingers in positions that activate our energetic meridians, which then re-directs the energy flow in the mind and body to bring everything into alignment. It’s really cool to research and to practice.
A mudra is a gesture or seal used in yoga. The practice of these gestures and seals channel the flow of prana (breath – which is life force energy). There are many mudras, and variations, there will always be a different answer if you ask a group of yoga teachers, as we all have our own interpretations.
The easiest one to remember is Namaskar Mudra, which is hands together at heart centre, this mudra initiates aligning both sides of the body, and creates a sense of calm and peace. It is also used at the end of a yoga class as a way of closing the session, but also to thank every single person who has attended.
Each of the five fingers (of each hand) represents the five different elements – fire, water, air, sky, and earth.
So in essence, when practising a hand mudra you receive mindfulness, stillness, and a stretch or movement through the hands with this practice.
Daily gentle movement
Try the following gentle hand movements daily to help reduce hand injury:
Gentle wrist rotations.
Fist pumps.
Draw back the fingers of one hand, and press your palm forward.
Spread all fingers really wide.
Movement of fingers, pretending to type on a keyboard.
Place hands on a wall and walk your body away (like a modified downward facing dog).
Flick your fingers – this gets rid of uneasy energy.
Shake hands really fast.
Warming up with gentle movement can help in preparing for harder poses or weight bearing and balance poses.
Improve energy and blood flow.
Clap your hands!
Ok so it’s technically not a yoga pose, but it does awaken your energy and chakra centres!
Clapping has a number of benefits. It aids in circulation and helps to move blood through your body.
Activation of chakras is incredible, clapping is an active movement, it requires energy, so this, in itself helps to no end. Clapping your hands makes you feel so good.
Strengthen your wrists and hands.
As always, with regular practice and self-care, our body responds in a healthy manner, set some time aside each day to practice gentle warm-up, and find a mudra that suits how you feel.
Poses that help to strengthen your hands.
Every yoga pose requires the use of your hands, the more that you practice, the more your confidence will start to build. Each of the poses below require your whole palm, and all fingers to be active, your hands need to support your body.
Without further ado, here are the 5 strengthening poses for your fingers, palms and wrists:
Downward Facing Dog.
Upward Plank.
Three-Legged Dog.
Cat/Cow.
Eagle arms.
Take care, and listen to your body. Always be kind to yourself, and move with ease and grace. You are the most important person in your life. Enjoy!
This story was originally published on The Carousel.
