Water ‘Jala’ Mudra

To practice Jala Mudra, rest the palms on your knees facing upward and keep your arms elongated. Connect the pads of the pinky and thumb fingers, and extend all other fingers outward.

Physiologically, this mudra hells purify and circulate fluids throughout your body, relieving dehydration. It activates the kidney functioning and can relieve water retention. Essentially, it brings the element of water within your body into balance.

Energetically, the element of water is housed in our sacral (second) chakra known as the Svadhistana chakra. The home of the second chakra is located two fingers below the center of your navel. You may feel your connection to this region as you sit in meditation with this mudra. Qualities of this energy center include fluidity, empathy, femininity, sensuality and emotions.

When observing water, we immediately notice it’s fluidity. Watching water stream down a mountain, we see it’s resilience and creativity in moving forward. Even rocks can’t obstruct this strong flow, as the water moves around, under or over them. When observing the ocean, we notice the tide of waves rolling in and out. There is fluidity, freedom and a sense of ‘letting go to flow’.

How does this pertain to our emotions? Attaining emotional balance means acknowledging the present emotion without judgment.

1 — Seek clarity and the root of what is causing the feeling.
2 — Let the feeling be without suppressing it.
3 — Let the feeling move through without getting attached or stuck in it. Seek continuity- stay on your path.

Emotions eventually need to be let go of, so we can flow once again.