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The importance of elimination

Daily dietary elimination and intestinal cleansing are incredibly important to practitioners of Yoga.  Impatience, vindictiveness, a violent temper, being unwell and holding or clinging onto things or situations are all unpleasant feelings caused by a full and therefore stressed intestinal system. 

In fact just the cultural conditionnent of eating three meals a day puts a huge stress on our alimentary canal, let alone considering what and how much the average human eats.  I will address this topic another time and start to add healthy enjoyable recipes for those of you inclined to change your relationship to food and nutrition.

Mushti Mudra

 

Fist Mudra – simply form a fist with the fingers of both hands, and place the thumbs over the ring (sun) fingers.  The Mushti Mudra activates the liver and stomach energy thus promoting digestion and alleviating constipation.

The cause of many physical ailments, such as a weak liver, problems with digestion or constipation, tension, heart complaints etc are related to unrecognised, suppressed or uncontrolled aggression.  Most agression from blind fury to righteous indignation is caused by not being able to say “No”, not being able to set boundaries and thus letting oneself be driven into a corner.  Fear is the base emotion and when the flight part of the adrenal response is limited (nowhere to run if you are in a corner) the only choice left to the reptilian hind brain is fight.

Obviously in “civilised” society immediately living out every aggression in a wild way is just not practical or acceptable, but suppressing it to a point of denial makes us our own worst enemy..

When aggression arises it needs to be let out in the foreseeable future, so make fists and punch a pillow, stomp or jog, dance or even clean the house, but acknowledge, at least to yourself, what you are feeling.

Think of the symbolic meaning of showing someone our fists… it’s undoubtedly a sign of aggression.  

Hold the Mudra in both hands for 15 minutes. Breath deeply.  In your minds eye recall past situations where you have behaved too fearfully or aggressively and creatively imagine how you could have behaved instead,  mentally work out solutions and use the affirmation…..

I am quiet and serene in every situation.

For severe cases of pent up aggression practice three times a day.

 

Suchi Mudra

 

The next time you are suffering from constipation or its polar opposite diarrhoea, wrap your fingers around your thumbs and bring your clenched fists in front of your chest in Mushti Mudra. This is the base position. Hold for a few breaths as you focus on the fists, try to let the arms relax.

On an inhalation extend the Jupiter finger (Index) of the right hand upwards and stretch both your arms outwards horizontally.  Hold this tension for 6 cycles of breath.

Breathe deeply using the abdominal muscles with strength. On the last exhalation return the arms to the base position.  Repeat whilst holding the Suchi Mudra with the left hand.

Repeat 6 times on each side.

In your minds eye see yourself as a generous person able to give unconditionally, wisely and liberally.  See yourself as someone who has learnt the art of forgiveness, who can toss out old prejudices and risk having new experiences. Someone who starts each day a new with fresh vigour. Gradually, with practice this inner concept will become increasingly true in your outer world. Use the affirmation…

I let go and release all residue waste from my body, mind and soul

Within a couple of hours you ought to un load.. This Mudra can also be performed whilst lying down (in bed) as a daily ritual until your mind truly understand that giving is receiving and the nature of the universe is abundance.