Mudras : health at your fingertips !

Mudras are hands gestures whose origin goes back to ancient India, several millennia ago.

Omnipresent in Hindu dances, they tell us the story of the manifestation of God in the universe.

Meaning

The Sanskrit word mudra means “sign”, or “seal”. It comes from the terms: “mud” which means bliss, happiness and “dhra” which means dissolution. Each mudra has a deep meaning and has a part of the magic of Life.

Ancient Vedic tradition

According to the ancient tradition, our five fingers represent the five building blocks, or the five main elements of the universe (called Panchamahabhootas ).

Each finger has its function and its power within our body. When the fingers touch, the “nadis” (subtle energy channels) are connected and particular energy vibrations are activated. The different elements that make up our body and the entire universe can associate and cooperate.

Relationships between the fingers and the elements, according to Vedic tradition.

The thumb is connected to the Fire (Agni)

The forefinger is linked to the Air (Vayu)

The middle finger is connected to the Ether, the Sky (Akasha)

The ring finger is connected to the Earth (Prithvi)

The little finger is connected to the Water (Jala)

It is worth mentioning that the 5 elements do not refers to the same concepts in the Indian and Chinese culture, the correspondences also change (learn more about the 5 Chinese elements here).

Benefits on health and well-being

Using mudras regularly is a natural way to improve your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Murdas is practiced by creating, with one’s fingers, particular forms that generate energy and subtle vibrations that care for the body and the mind.

It also includes the principle of Asanas (postures of yoga). Moreover, mudras are often referred to as ” finger yoga”.

Practiced regularly, the mudras improve our general health, and harmony body-spirit-universe.

Our hands can replace our eyes in the dark, they can also be used to communicate with our fellow humans and with the rest of the universe. Our hands are the first means of expression before one learn how to speak!

Our destiny rests in our hands, and this expression is to be taken literally and figuratively.

Discover 17 mudras with Arasia:

Dharmachakra mudra
1- DHARMACHAKRA MUDRA: The Mudra of the spinning wheel of life brings personal evolution and teaches the perpetual transformation of the universe. Key word: letting go.
Padma mudra
2- Padma Mudra – The Lotus Flower Mudra opens the heart to universal love. Heals inner wounds and teaches forgiveness. Key word: love.
Our hands are the first means of expression before one learn how to speak!
3 – Akini Mudra – The Mudra of concentration and reflection, it allows exchange between the 2 hemispheres of the brain. The 5 energy channels are activated equally. Key word: alignment.
SHIVA MUDRA
4 – Shiva Linga mudra symbolizes the integration of the energies of Shiva and Shakti, Hindu god and goddess. The right hand with the right thumb represents masculine strength and the left hand symbolizes feminine energy.
atmanjali-mudra-namaste
5 – ATMANJALI MUDRA This mudra, commonly called “Namasté” is omnipresent in India to say hello, thank you, goodbye, etc…
It takes us back to the path of the heart.
The 2 hands together represent our spiritual and material parts, or the solar and lunar energies, which are gathered here. Key word light.
SHUNYA MUDRA

6 – Shunya or Shuny Mudra. Here the middle finger (associated with ether) activated invites us to explore space. It is also the mudra of heaven and paradise. – at ARASIA-SHOP.
7 – KSEPANA MUDRA – This mudra promotes the expulsion of worn or negative energies and the subsequent absorption of soft, positive and restorative energy.
It also promotes relaxation, all tensions are released.
bhu mudra ancrage
8 – bhu mudra- ancrage
Bhu mudra encourage la stabilité et le sentiment de sécurité. Il fortifie la connexion avec la Terre mère ainsi qu’avec notre corps. Développe la patience. Mudra d’ancrage, excellent pour les voyageurs. Mot clé : connexion  – à ARASIA-SHOP.
DHYANI MUDRA
9-Dhyani mudra-
This mudra is effective for refocusing and becoming fully aware of one’s personal power.
Very good against depression.
The 2 thumbs come together, the energy circulates, the hands form a dome. You can meditate on emptiness. This mudra is frequently associated with Buddha. – at ARASIA-SHOP.
CHIN MUDRA
10 – chin or gyan mudra –
Indispensable in the practice of yoga or meditation.
Chin Mudra (fingers turned towards the Earth): increases self-understanding.
Gyan Mudra (fingers facing the sky) increases understanding of the universe.
Soothing effect, increases concentration and receptivity.
The index finger represents the human being, the individual soul (atman or ego), and the thumb represents the divine, or the universal soul (Brahman or the Absolute)
The fire (the thumb) associates with the air (the index finger), and this forms a circle so that the energy circulates inside without going out outside.
APANA MUDRA
11- APANA MUDRA is the mudra of purification and digestion. It promotes positive energies and brings the power of renewal. Supports visionary thinking. Strengthens the liver, kidneys, teeth and urinary system.
GANESHA MUDRA
12 – Ganesha mudra
– hands placed at chest level should pull in opposite directions
– this mudra works on the opening of Anahata, heart chakra, the ability to receive and give love
– resolves respiratory problems and improves the functioning of the heart –
garuda mudra
13 – Garuda Mudra should be practiced to develop the feeling of freedom in one’s life. This mudra is very powerful. Garuda is a bird-man from Hindu and then Buddhist mythology. He is also considered the king of birds.
It is the mount of Vishnu, the god of time and the stability of the world, who maintains Life and Creation.
SHANKH MUDRA
14 – SHANKH MUDRA. Also called the “shell gesture”, this mudra is very popular in India. Ideal to practice during seasonal changes or when your energy levels drop.
PRANA MUDRA
15 – PRANA MUDRA – the fire element is associated with the earth element to purify and increase vital energy (prana) This mudra also treats nervous problems and recharges all parts of the body. To perform prana mudra, the tip of the thumb touches the little finger and the ring finger. Keep the other two fingers straight
SURYA MUDRA
SURYA MUDRA
VARUN MUDRA
VARUN MUDRA

Arasia: practice meditation

The benefits of Meditation

Meditation: between tradition and renewal …

Long regarded as the preserve of the wise meditation is associated with the image of the great spiritual masters, be they religious or philosophers.
Yet today, meditation is becoming more democratic: all time widespread in the East, the schools of meditation also flourish in the West and its benefits for the physical, moral and mental health are increasingly well known and recognized.

To each his own experience!

Sometimes witty, sometimes secular, the practice of meditation is always based on a technique: it is possible to meditate on an object, a thought, an action, on breathing, on his feelings or just on yourself … To each to his own experience and find out what works best for them: most of achieving focus its attention in order to appease them, to develop a better sense of yourself … and the universe!

A time out of time, a time to live better.

Practicing meditation is to give yourself valuable time: a time out of time to connect to its own power source.
If you practice meditation regularly, it will be easier every day to connect to this inexhaustible source in order to draw the life force needed to act and exist in the world.

flower of life -Arasia

The tree of life: this mythical symbol

The tree of life is a powerful and ancient symbol, present in many cultures.

The Tree of Life is often depicted within a circle. The circle is the perfect shape that represents consciousness, as well as the unity of life, which is the cell. The circle is also the basic element of the Flower of Life.

The Tree of Life represents the continuity of evolution and the symbolic connection between all forms of creation, like a vast planetary family tree. It is protective and a provider of sustenance.

The tree of knowledge connects the underground world, represented by the roots, with the heavenly world, represented by the branches.

The tree is a symbol present in many religions, mythologies and philosophies.

According to Christianity, the tree is present in the garden of Eden, it is the symbol of eternal life and the knowledge of good and evil.

The same notion of an immortal tree is found in Islam and in Judaism. Placed in the middle of Paradise, it loses its leaves every winter and these grow back in the following spring (representation of the eternal cycle of seasons and life).

According to Buddhism, ‘Açvattha’ is a sacred fig tree: it is under this tree that Buddha meditated and acquired wisdom.

Among the Hindus, the universe takes the form of an overturned tree: it’s roots start from the sky, and its branches and leaves cover the earth. The sacred tree of Hindus is the Akshayavat, “the eternal banyan“, a remarkable example of divine power, for this tree would be indestructible. It would be located within the ramparts of Fort Allahabad, at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna River.

In Chinese mythology, ‘Kien-mou’ is the sacred tree that connects the nine sources (stay of the dead) to the nine heavens. Thanks to him, the sovereigns pass from heaven to earth and vice versa. They are temporary substitutes for the sun to manage life on earth.

The tree of life, a mythical symbol, is considered a lucky charm, a talisman that reminds us of where we come from and where we go (we come from Earth to rise to the Heavens).

The tree is charged with symbolism and imbued with divine essence, and with the spark of life that allows it to grow.

It is a very recurrent symbol on jewelry, and ARASIA-SHOP hangings for its spiritual aspect, but it is also because very aesthetic.

We offer many products wonderfully decorated with trees of life like draperies, pendants, etc …

Plant a tree with Arasia and Planet Urgence.

Tibetan bowl: how to make it sing?

The Tibetan bowl is traditionally used for prayer, meditation as well as for holistic therapeutic treatments (healing by sounds).

Their popularity is due to the remarkable sound they produce. They have been an integral part of Asian culture for centuries.

The best singing bowls are from the Dharamsala region in India, and are made of a seven metals alloy: bronze, copper, tin, zinc, iron, silver and gold, which corresponds to the seven planets of the solar system, seven chakras … etc.

Pure sound with harmonizing properties

A Tibetan bowl can produce two distinct sounds:

-The first sound is the easiest to make. It is obtained by tapping the bowl once with the stick in a flexible but firm manner.
-The second sound requires more agility, it is the “singing” of the bowl itself. It is obtained by circular friction of the stick around the bowl.

This sound, incredibly rich and beautiful, is in fact a harmonic (several notes) sometimes complex, and which is characteristic of each bowl.

How to make your Tibetan bowl sing?

If you are right-handed, place the Tibetan bowl flat on your left hand which must remain flexible. Fingertips should not touch the bowl. Hold the stick with your right hand. Start by gently and gently giving one or more small taps on the outside of the bowl to make it ring.

Then rotate the stick around the outer edge of the bowl, pressing more or less firmly on the bowl. You have to try to catch the sound with the stick, and manage to keep it with a regular rotating movement.

Fans of music and dexterity games will be in paradise! Also note that the smaller the bowl, the more difficult it is to make it sing, but after a little practice, you will obtain a very pure sound which has curative, purifying and calming properties.

The simple act of ringing your bowl is a meditation in itself, because you have to center yourself and be in the present moment (listening).

Arasia Tibetan bowls

All our bowls are sold with their stick which is covered in felt for a softer sound.

Our singing bowls can be simple or decorated with spiritual motifs and symbols (the mantra Om mani padme hum, or images of Buddha).

Arasia offers you handmade Tibetan bowls in Benares, the sacred city of India, as well as cushions for Tibetan bowls.

HAVE A LOOK ON OUR ONLINE SHOP HERE.

The Yin Yang symbol

the yin yang symbol
Yin Yang is one of the fundamental symbols of China philosophy

Yin and Yang are the most well-known and fundamental symbol of Chinese philosophy: it expresses the duality through which the universe manifests itself.

Designates the two relative, opposite and complementary poles that characterize each facet of life, for example: shadow and light, the visible and the invisible, the material and the spiritual, self and others…

Perpetual Motion

Yin contains Yang and Yang contains Yin, they are inseparable and one does not exist without the other.

Yin becomes Yang and Yang becomes Yin, nothing is fixed and everything is transformed.

These two relative and mobile principles guarantee the balance of the world, harmony and the universe.

Yin and Yang

Yin Yang is a practical tool for describing and observing the world.

Yin is the black part of the symbol and represents the feminine, the night, the moon, the cold, rest, stillness and the unconscious.

These concepts are qualified as yin in relation to their opposite concepts:

Yang, the white part represents energy, day, sun, masculine, summer, heat, mobility, consciousness.

Yin is calm and Yang is agitation; Yin is the seed and Yang is the fruit.

Arasia-Shop offers a selection of yin yang products: hangings, rings, incense doors, necklaces … Take a look here

To go further: The五行 Wǔ Xíng or the Five elements

Mass-Education An Indian NGO that has planted 100,000 trees!

Mass-Education is an Indian NGO founded in 1976. Its goal is to promote education for everyone, mainly the poor rural and urban areas of Bengal.

Mass Education aims to make changes in basic, everyday life, to create opportunities for development, and to help the emergence of a conscious citizenship.

People are educated to become self-reliant in resource management.

The NGO has already built more than 60 schools with a capacity of 15,000 pupils, 6 teacher training centers, 1 orphanage and 1 nursing home.

They have set up training programs for adults (sewing, plumbing, etc.), actions to raise awareness of health, hygiene, contraception, actions to combat exclusion, demonstrations in favor of respect for Human rights and the environment.

Mass-Education is also a reforestation program with more than 100,000 trees planted since 1980, as well as an ethical tourism program that has already welcomed 300 tourists.

This year, Mass Education has planted 1000 mango trees, check out the pictures here.

You can also finance the construction of a collective latrine (starting at 350 euros), or sponsor one or several children (30 euros per month per child allow to pay for his/her education, food, school materials, etc.)

Sukumar Singh dreams of changing society with his ideas and alternative approaches. He studied history, economics, politics, as well as the social and cultural situation of India. 40 years after founding Mass-Education with a group of farmers, he is till this day dedicated body and soul to this noble cause.

Photos of Mass-Education achievements

Fair travel to India

Plant a tree for 1 euro!

The banyan trees: sacred trees

The banyan, also called pagoda fig tree, Bo tree, pipal, or ficus religiosa is a majestic tree that can reach 30 meters, and several hundred meters in circumference!

With its aerial roots descending from its bushy crown to the ground, becoming trunks, and its heart-shaped leaves, the banyan invites to meditation. In Asia, they are found everywhere: in the towns, in the middle of a road, in front of a building or in the middle of a parking lot, and are tended to by devotees who come to place some offerings or prayers.

Indeed, it is said that Buddha attained enlightenment under the shadow of a banyan tree. And the Bhagavad-Gita made it the tree of supreme knowledge.

This tree has a particular energy, the banyan trees are very often found near the temples, and can live up to 1500 years. It has the power to calm the mind, but also to take the mind very high to heaven.

In South America it is called “the tree that walks” because it seems to have enormous legs that can be compared to elephant’s that leave the “main trunk”.

Some famous banyan trees:

The most famous and most sacred is in the holy city of Bodh-Gaya, in northeastern India, where the Buddha would have attained enlightenment.

The Great Banian of Howrah, near Calcutta, India. Its diameter is over 130 meters.

Another famous Banyan is the Dodda Alada Mara in Bangalore.

The banyan is part of many Ayurvedic remedies. One uses its sap, its leaves, or its bark.

Operation 1 euro = 1 tree in Bengal!

Arasia’s reforestation

The Inner Smile

Originally an ancient Taoist healing method, the inner smile is an extremely powerful meditation ritual that begins at the level of the eyes to go into all the organs of the body. The Taoists have been using the power of the inner smile for 2500 years.

It can also be seen as a broader concept designating a smiling and positive attitude towards every person and every event in life.

A relaxed smile, inside ourselves, can dispel the fears, tensions and negative emotions of life.

Scientists have shown that the smile releases chemical substances in the brain (serotonin, dopamine and endorphins) that instantly cause well-being.

There is a Chinese saying that says that a smile makes the face breathe.

Smiling is also the opening of the heart, a voluntary action that has the effect of feeling happiness in oneself.

But how to practice the inner smile?

It can be practiced at any time, and the more you practice it, the more it will become natural, as a way of being in the world.

You can close your eyes, but it’s not mandatory. Think of your safe place, become aware of your breathing and the present moment … you are alive, you are happy!

Imagine the corners of your lips which rise slightly. Observe this smile, let the joy invade and spread around you …

You can also visualize someone you love who smiles at you and you smile back.

By smiling at yourself, others and the world, you send out waves of positive energy.

“Joy engenders a smile,

And the smile engenders relaxation, calm and joy.

To smile, I do not expect to feel joy;

The feeling of joy can very well be born later.

Being alone in my room, I sometimes smile at myself.

I do it out of kindness to myself, to take care of myself, to give myself love.

I know that if I do not take care of myself, I cannot take care of others. “

_ Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk for peace

Other quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh

Arasia, an ethical initiative with its suppliers

Arasia has put in place an ethical approach with most of its suppliers in Asia.

We are concerned about the manufacturing conditions, and the comfort of workers. We made a point to visit the workshops to find out where our products come from.

An Arasia’s supplier

The Thai pants and Thai skirts, for instance, are ordered from a very nice Thai couple, Bank and Tete.

They have a small ready-to wear business that make, sells and export traditional Thai clothes.

Here is Bank, my main contact with whom I communicate regularly and who has become a friend. He runs several small shops on the side of Hua Hin a seaside resort (200 km south of Bangkok).

The large packages next to him contain Thai pants and skirts ordered by Arasia.

The depot in Chiang Mai

The following picture was taken in a small village near Chiang Mai (northern Thailand), at the depot where Bank regroups all its orders after the clothes are made. From left to right: Cindy the founder of Arasia-Shop, Tété the wife of Bank and Som the cousin of Tété. Both women manage the orders and the administrative part of the business.

The village seamstresses

Thai pants and skirts are made in a small village near Chiang Mai by local seamstresses. When a large order is placed, most of the women in the village are asked to give a helping hand and help to carry out the order as soon as possible.

A relationship of trust

This councious partnership with Arasia ensures a comfortable and regular income for its suppliers and contributes to the improvement of their standard of living.

A relationship of trust has been established and Arasia can thus place orders from France and does not need to travel all the way to order.

Logistic

Once the items are ready, they are grouped together with other orders and sent by boat to France (by containers). This means of transport takes more time, but is much less polluting than the airplane.

Here is a picture of the team managing logistics and exporting in Thailand, with Cindy the manager of Arasia on the right.

For more information visit our website

And check out our ethical charter!

Ethnic fashion, the harem pants and the brand ARASIA

Ethnic fashion is a set of clothing criteria that invites the eye in a colorful trip.

It a style that seeks to be authentic, refined with sometimes a spiritual meaning and a strong exoticism influence.

Outfits from afar

Ethnic fashion is inspired by the traditional attire or dresses of numerous Asian, African, etc. ethnicities. It is a mix of many styles with a wide range of varieties that have common features:

• Ethnic clothing is often colorful or even multicolored with fringes, feathers, and beads
• The fabrics bear geometrics or stylized patterns such as elephants, spiritual figures, trees, flowers and animals…
• The jewelry is made from natural and raw materials as wood, leather, rope and is sometimes adorned with small shells, mirrors semi-precious stones and/or metal.
• Ethnic fashion is mostly hand-made and from an age-old traditional expertise practiced by tribes, ethnicities and craftsmen of the world.

A trendy trend

Those traditional dress codes are now used by fashion designers who updated them. Ethnic fashion can be chic as well as inexpensive but it is always laden with history and symbolism.

Arasia Shop, Etnic Boutic

You can find in our online shop Arasia clothes inspired by Asian ethnicity such as the Hmong – they live in the mountains between China, Thailand and Vietnam – characterized by singular and original prints.
You can also fin on our website the typical Thai pants !