The fire element, the lung meridian, and Mars (the planet and/or ancient god of war) are associated with the thumb. The fire of the thumb nourishes the energy of the other fingers and absorbs excess energy. It thereby restores equilibrium. When we think about the incineration of garbage, we sense that destruction through fire can also have a power that creates order. Even in nature, when during the course of the decades a monoculture of the strongest has been created, the forest fire once again creates the preconditions for a larger variety of new plants. The overheating within our bodies, the fever, kills entire cultures of bacteria. Fire is dependent upon air since it dies without oxygen; the same also applies to our cell respiration. The metabolism in the individual cells can only properly function with adequate oxygen. We can actually strengthen every part of the body or every organ by visualizing and/or breathing light and warmth into it.
Exercise
Either sit or lie down. Now encircle your right thumb with the four fingers of your left hand and place your left thumb along the inner edge of your right hand. Close your eyes. Focus on a part of the body that is weak or ill. Now imagine that a light is burning in the lower center of your body (at the height of the navel). Every time you exhale, direct the rays of light toward the respective part of the body. First let large, dark clouds of smoke (things that make you ill, pain, etc.) escape from the illuminated body part. Then concentrate solely on the light that slowly fills, illuminates, and heals this part of the body. Calmly keep holding onto your thumb for a while and feel the flowing warmth. Then encircle your left thumb and also hold this for a while.
The following meditations will help you consciously experience your individual fingers and the strength within them. You will become acquainted with your fingers, learning to trust and love them. The positive experiences that I have had confirm that the classification of chakra energy with each of the fingers is accurate. It meaningfully complements the meridian system. Your conscious and constructive thoughts are also useful.
here. As already mentioned, thoughts and feelings influence every body function. What you "set your heart on" and "talk yourself into" will manifest itself within a foreseeable amount of time.
Hindu healing practitioners already discovered long ago that too much or too little of an element (earth, water, air, fire, and ether) causes the body to become imbalanced or even seriously ill. See page 30 for more information on this topic. We can restore the harmony within us through the corresponding images. Just as every element can have a positive influence on us, it can also destroy us. The individual elements naturally influence each other. Every element has special needs that can be easily satisfied in a balanced and calm dynamic state. But how often are we stressed, rest and exercise too little, eat too much, or let ourselves be plagued by worries? All or this throws us off balance. When the body is no longer capable of attaining harmony, we are out of balance and we become susceptible to disease.
For many years, I have successfully used mudras to help me concentrate better or to intensify my meditation. Don't ask me why, but I always felt my little finger games to be something quite intimate, and consequently omitted them from the curriculum of my courses. It probably wasn't the right time for them yet.
At a workshop for brain training several years ago, I became acquainted with Mudra Number 27 and immediately put it to use for a great many different occasions. If I lose the thread while speaking or writing, or if I want to remember something, I simply place the fingertips of both hands together. Then the sentence or word usually comes to mind. Mudra Number 42, the hands placed together in front of the chest, calms my thoughts and supports concentration. I was also able to counter physical complaints with mudras. One of the most wonderful experiences occurred when I had to lie down after returning from a very long hike. I was very tired and had met a number of people on horseback (I react allergically to the smell of horses), as well as blossoming trees, during the last three miles. This was enough to cause an asthma attack. I did Mudra Number 4, and after four minutes, my breathing wasback to normal. I also frequently use Mudra Number 5 when I notice that my chest has become constricted. Perhaps I should do a serious course of treatment at some point using this mudra. During the last flu attack, I often felt wretched. Mudra Number 3, the first version, helped me. Before I go on a long hike, I like to move my bowels, which is done easily if I have already done Mudra Number 23, followed immediately by Mudra 24, while still resting in bed. Fellow hikers also report success with these mudras.
In case of seasickness, or when generally suffering from flatulence after too much fat at a meal, I use Mudra Number 3, the first version, with much success. I find Mudra Number 2 to be great because it practically throws me out of the bed in the morning. It is wonderfully refreshing and counteracts sensations of dizziness.
After a long session of garden work that was followed by an annoying backache, I recently had an interesting experience. I laid down on my back, pulled my knees up to my chest, and did Mudra 17 to balance out the energy in my back. After a few breaths, I felt wonderful and a pleasant warmth flowed through the lumbar vertebral area into my back. I could directly feel how the backache slowly dissolved. Our health and well-being are greatly dependent upon an optimal flow of energy, and tension blocks this energy flow.
Since I am basically a healthy person, it naturally hasn't been possible for me to try out the effects of all of the mudras. However, many of my yoga students and acquaintances have told me about improvement or even the miraculous healing of some conditions. One woman thought that mudras saved her husband's life one night when he woke up with vehement heart pain. She attempted to contact a physician and placed his hands
into the form of Mudra 16 while waiting. The heart pain subsided, he fell asleep exhausted, and it wasn't necessary for the physician on emergency call to come immediately. In the morning, she took her husband to the doctor. The diagnosis was that the man had suffered a severe heart attack during the night.
Publisher's Note: If you feel heart pain, please get to the emergency room in your hospital. Call an ambulance; make sure you have emergency phone numbers available for quick reference in case you need them. Doing the mudras while waiting for an ambulance is fine. The woman in this story is very lucky that her husband lived through this experience! The mudra exercises do not replace the care of a competent physician.
