Bhumi is mother earth and sparsha is touch, so this literally means touching the earth. Buddha called upon mother earth to act as a witness when he attained enlightenment. He asked mother earth to bear witness to his victory over earths illusionary forces. This is more of grounding and connecting ourselves to mother earth and healing ourselves. This mudra was exhibited by, Akshobhya, the second Dhyani.
In this article, we provide a deep look at how to perform the Bhumisparsha Mudra, as well as its numerous benefits and important precautions.
What are Mudras?
Mudras are hand gestures that activate a certain element or energy in the body. The five fingers represent the five elements. The energy activation point lies on the fingertips. When the fingertips are connected, the subtle energy in your body gets activated. The thumb represents the fire element. This element represents agni within the body, and it serves to activate all the other elements.
The index finger represents air, middle finger ether, ring finger earth and the little finger represents the water element.
When different hand formations, or mudras, are formed, the combination of subtle elements has a powerful effect on the mind and body.
How Can Mudras Heal?
There is a spiritual force that mediates our mind-body connection. Ayurveda says that when the elements in our body are balanced, our bodies and minds are healthy. Whenever imbalance arises, we can attain balance by activating specific elements using various mudras. Acupuncture is another method that involves activating specific points in the body and improving the flow of energy. Mudras act in a similar way. The tips of our fingers act like electrical potential points, and when the mudras are formed, they create an electrical circuit that circulates energy throughout the body. As this energy circulates, we feel a healing effect. The most astonishing fact is that our brain uses about 60% of its surface area to process the movements and sensations of the hands.
RECOMMENDED: For a complete guide to the many mudras and their benefits, check out Healing Mudras: Yoga of the Hands by Yogi Nataraj.
How to Perform the Bhumisparsha Mudra?
The left hand rests in the lap with the palm facing upward. The right hand rests palm down on the right knee with the fingers pointing toward the earth. It is also explained in the folk tales that the great sage Shakyamuni overcame the difficulties of Mara while meditating on Truth. In subsequent ages a great sage Akshobhya is learnt to have converted his anger into wisdom by the practice of Bhumisparsha mudra. After cultivating a certain good habit if we want the habit to become a part of our personality then we perform the Bhumisparsha mudra.
When Should I Perform the Bhumisparsha Mudra?
The Bhumisparsha mudra is useful for:
- Improving concentration
- Meditation practices
- Grounds our thoughts
- Makes us stronger for new challenges
- Finding clarity in your thoughts
- Overcoming addiction
- Lightens the earth element, makes us lighter and clamer
- Enhancing the endocrine system
- When performed with Dharma Chakra mudra heals bad habits
Precautions When Practicing Bhumisparsha Mudra
This mudra gives full effect if we practice understanding the Dharmic aspect of the mudra. The true meaning is given in the Dharmic Buddhic texts and meant to churn the heart to throw out bad habits and toxins. This needs to be understood and practiced with a full heart. When done we will feel lighter and stronger.
What Chakras Does Bhumisparsha Mudra Activate?
Bhumisparsha mudra activates the Root chakra giving us a grounding effect.
Related Mudras
Dharma Chakra mudra when performed with Bhumisparsha mudra gives us very healing effect. It gives us strength to fight bad habits.
Related Yoga Poses
Kukutasana (Rooster posture), Mayurasana (Peacock pose), Vrschikasana (scorpion pose) give us similar effects.
List of Mudra Guides
Mudras are very beneficial when performed with proper understanding. Mudras deal with individual elements, combinations of elements, the vital airs, the vital functions and even moods and feelings. Regular practice of each mudra based on our needs and present condition can help us achieve the specific results we are looking for. Please explore our various mudra guides and try out the practices that suit your needs
Chakra Mudras
- Mudras for the Root Chakra
- Mudras for the Sacral Chakra
- Mudras for the Navel Chakra
- Mudras for the Heart Chakra
- Mudras for the Throat Chakra
- Mudras for the Third-eye Chakra
- Mudras for the Crown Chakra
Mudra Sequences
Individual Mudra Guides
- Abhaya Mudra
- Adi Mudra
- Agni Mudra
- Akasha Mudra
- Anjali Mudra
- Apana Vayu Mudra
- Brahma Mudra
- Dharmachakra Mudra
- Dhyan Mudra
- Ganesha Mudra
- Gyan Mudra
- Kundalini Mudra
- Lotus Mudra
- Musti Mudra
- Prana Mudra
- Prithvi Mudra
- Rudra Mudra
- Shakti Mudra
- Shankha Mudra
- Shunya Mudra
- Surya Mudra
- Udana Vayu Mudra
- Uttarabodhi
- Varada Mudra
- Vayu Mudra
- Vitarka Mudra
- Yoni Mudra