The upright position of the thumb is also stated as a symbol of Lord Shiva. This mudra is also known by the term Shiva Linga Mudra. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is considered the god of destruction. In contrast, Linga comes from Li, translates “to dissolve,” and gam translates “to move on .” Mudra means “energetic seal,” “sign,” or a mere “gesture.”

Linga Mudra will help you in optimizing your body temperature and immunity system. To enhance its effects, you can choose to do some preparatory exercises. “Throw the illness behind you” is the name of one such activity that you can do to increase its effects. The Linga Mudra can also be practiced while being in a meditative state as it is also known to calm your mind and be a mudra to cure breathing disorders. Practicing Linga Mudra will help you eradicate all the negative thoughts from your mind.

Linga Mudra is said to increase body heat. Thus you should avoid body heating foods like red meat, processed food, animal fat, and even dairy just before practicing this pose. Linga Mudra is not for everyone. Suppose you are suffering from thyroid, ulcer, hypertension, migraine, or going through menopause and have been cured of a recent stroke. In that case, you should avoid doing this mudra.

Significance of Linga Mudra

The interlocked fingers make an oval-shaped foundation that helps hold an upright formless structure. The fingers at the bottom represent supreme power holding the entire universe, and the straight, upward thumb means creation. In Hindu Religion, Lord Shiva is worshiped in many forms. Shiva Linga is honored as Lingeshwara, which translates to “lord of the phallus .” Individuals worship Shiva Linga because it symbolizes masculinity and contains the power of creation. Linga Mudra resembles the same. 

Our five fingers represent five elements: fire, air, space, earth, and water. The interlocking technique used in Linga Mudra allows air, space, and earth elements to merge and overlap, thus letting the fire element outshine. This mudra will also help increase the interaction between air and fire elements. Air helps the fire spread, and therefore this mudra uses air element as a catalyst and increases fire element throughout the mind and body. This mudra helps balance Kapha ( water and earth ) and Pitta ( air and fire ) Doshas of the body. Thus this mudra will also help reduce depression, lethargy, asthma, and weight gain.

How to practice Linga Mudra?

For beneficially practicing Linga Mudra, follow the steps:

• Sit in a comfortable position such as sukhasana or padmasana
• Slowly bring your hands in front of the chest 
• Start interlocking the fingers of both hands 
• Your knuckle should be pointing outwards 
• Start pointing your thumbs in a straight, upward position 
• Let your left index finger and left thumb be around your right thumb 
• it would help if you touched the fingertips of the left index finger and left thumb 
• Repeat the process, bring your right index and right thumb around the left thumb

You can rest your hands on your lap right to the solar plexus. It is advised that you should practice Linga Mudra for 45 minutes in 15 minutes each. As a beginner, you can start practicing Linga Mudra for 15 minutes in 5 minutes each. You will have to ensure that your body temperature, cardiac, and respiratory scores are standard. You can practice Linga Mudra in the evening and morning times. These sessions will help you in temperature regulation and boost your immunity. You can also choose to enchant slogans such as “I offer all the negativities in the fire of transformation.”

Preparatory Exercise 

Throw the illness behind you should be practiced Linga Mudra to enhance the benefits:

• Stand with an erect spine 
• Keep the legs wider than hip-width distance 
• Slowly raise your hands in from of your body at shoulder levels 
• Now, try to bend down your knees and make squat like position 
• When you inhale, throw your arms at the back and turn to your right, look over the shoulder 
• Exhale while turning your head and hand to the initial position

Benefits of performing Linga Mudra 

It is a mudra to cure breathing disorders. Linga Mudra does so by generating heat in the body. This heat helps fight infections like typical coal, bronchial cold, general lung disorders, music production, fiber, etc. The heat produced during the sessions will also help enhance the metabolism of other than respiratory functions. Linga Mudra will also be helpful in:

1. Weight loss 
2. Increasing oxygen levels in the body 
3. Reducing mucus production will provide mobility to the accumulated ones 
4. It will help in having an improved digestive system 
5. Will increase self-confidence and self-worth 
6. Helps in enhancing sexual potency 
7. Helps in easing menstruation in women

When Linga Mudra is performed in the morning, it will help boost immunity and regulate temperature. You might think since it is beneficial for digestion, doing this after a big meal will be good, but that will be a bad idea. Doing Linga Mudra directly after dinner will not benefit. Instead, do it in the morning and evening hours, and you will have effective results.

Conclusion 

There are many ways in which we are tense. Having bodily issues adds more stress, but Linga Mudra will help you balance the body’s temperature. You will automatically fight many diseases with an excellent digestive tract and improved immunity. Practicing Linga Mudra will help you keep balance in your life, and if you are struggling sexually, then it will also help in bettering that. You can practice Linga Mudra for 15 minutes initially and slowly increase the time until it reaches 45 minutes. Keep in mind that overdoing Linga Mudra can be problematic.