Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands [Paperback]

Gertrud Hirschi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

Mudras also playfully called the "finger power points" are yoga positions for your hands and fingers. They can be practiced sitting, lying down, standing, or walking. They can be done at any time and place while stuck in traffic, at the office, watching TV, or whenever you have to twiddle your thumbs waiting for something. Hirschi shows you how these techniques can prevent illness, relieve stress, and heal emotional problems. 82 illustrations. Index. Bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Yoga for the hands--sounds too good to be true. Do it at the office, on an airplane, lying in bed. Seasoned yoga teacher Gertrud Hirschi has used these hand postures to ease asthma, relieve flu symptoms, think more effectively, relieve tension, even have a bowel movement. The possibilities she attributes to these ancient Indian techniques are endless. Join the tips of the index finger and thumb: this clears the mind. Switch the thumb to the little finger: this restores the body's fluid balance. It's not quite that easy, of course. Hirschi is careful to lay out exercise regimens, related herbal remedies, and associated affirmations. Like a classroom instructor, she guides with simultaneous breathing advice and conjures up helpful images. From building character to healing emotional pain, from bringing luck to connecting with the divine, mudras can work wonders. Now limber up those digits and lets get into spiritual shape. --Brian Bruya

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser; 1 edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578631394
• ISBN-13: 978-1578631391
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 7.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Yoga

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

154 of 155 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece! January 31, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I originally purchased Sabrina Mesko's book Healing Mudras, but I was very disappointed. As much as I wanted to learn about mudras, I found the book annoying to read due to the layout, font choices (lots of italics) and red-colored print. I also found the mudras impossible to decipher from the photographs. So, with much disappointment, I put the book on the shelf along with others that collect dust. Then I discovered Gertrud Hirschi's book Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands, and I was thrilled. This book is so comprehensive but easy to read. The text is clear (black on white), the meditations are fantastic (and there is an incredible array to select from), and the line drawings are simple, direct, and very understandable. I was able to immediately dive in and make good use of the countless mudras and meditations. There are even mudras included to assist with healing physical ailments. I was highly skeptical of these from the outset, but I tried the bronchial mudra, and to my enormous surprise (and delight!), I was able to forego my allergy medication and could breathe freely through the night.

If you want the BEST book on mudras -- with a lifetime of exercises and meditations -- THIS is the one to get. It's clear, concise, and complete, and an absolute joy to read and use.

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Finger Language July 29, 2000

By James M. Sheffield

Format:Paperback

It is a joy to read Gertrud Hirschi, a well-known Swiss yoga teacher and author of Basic Yoga for Everybody, who presents her material in clear, concise terms and uncomplicated pictures, along with suggested affirmations and meditation.

In Buddhism and Hinduism, mudras are a ritual of symbolic gestures, postures and body movements designed to aid one in preventing physical and emotional illness and in promoting spiritual development. It is believed to lock intensive and dense psychic energy into the body by engaging certain areas of the brain to exercise an influence on it. Our body language clearly reveals our attitudes and moods; whether we are slouching in defeat or head held high in victory. If that is so, then why not reverse the procedure and use these gestures to promote fearlessness, energy, sexuality and serenity? That is the theory and the effectiveness of this work. Just as athletes visualize their games in their minds before they play, so Hirschi will show you how to perform even greater miracles with your mind and body. Furthermore, you can perform these anywhere: at a stressful business meeting, sitting in a sauna, or commuting on a bus or train. (No, you can't drive a car, talk on your cell phone and do mudras at the same time.)

Gertrud Hirschi includes herbal and nutritional suggestions in appendices, and even suggestions for creating your own mudras for whatever purposes you desire.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Healing Hands July 7, 2001

By K. Fromal

Format:Paperback

After a year of growing in my physical yoga practice, I became interested in exploring more of the meditative aspects of yoga. I picked up Yoga in Your Hands, and have found this book to be an excellent tool for a beginner.

Hirsch clearly lays out a wide variety of hand positions, along with accompanying affirmations and herbal remedies, that can be used for a wide variety of purposes. The illustrations are focused directly on the hands, to show the correct positioning of each finger to make the mudras successful. The text very accurately describes both the position itself, the uses of the mudra, and when or how it should be performed.

Since purchasing the book, I have tried several of the mudras, with varying degrees of success. Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to this age-old method, and is recommended for anyone with an interest in the subject.