Yogis Use This Hand Movement to Turbo-Charge Their Metabolism

Feeling sluggish? It could be that your metabolism just needs a helping hand—literally. Surya Mudra is a yoga pose that is meant to stoke your inner fire, giving your metabolism a much-needed jolt and triggering your digestive system into action. And thankfully, this pose only involves your hand, which means you can utilize it when you feel most lethargic—at your desk or on the sofa. Of course, this doesn't mean you can forgo exercise and healthy eating, but it's worth a shot, right?

Keep scrolling to find out how to do Surya Mudra.

Mudras are hand positions that are most often utilized during meditating. In Sanskrit, mudra means "sealing in the energy." In ancient Ayurvedic medicine, each finger links to a different element. "As a healing modality, the fingers are understood as electrical circuits, redirecting the free flow of energy (prana) that is present in these discharge points. When focused back into the body with intention, specific results can be obtained to achieve balance within. Each finger is characteristic of an element: the thumb is fire (agni), the index finger is air (vayu), the middle finger is ether (akash), the ring finger earth (prithvi), and the little finger is water (jal)," writes Kara Rane at The Yoga Times.

Directions:

Stand or sit with your back straight.Hold both hands out in front of you.

Hold both hands out in front of you.

Bend the ring finger on each hand, and use your thumb to hold down the tip. Remember, the more pressure you add the more this pose is meant to boost your metabolism and rev-up your digestion.

Point the rest of the fingers towards the sky.

Ideally, you want to hold the position with each hand for 45 minutes, but this can be broken up into three sessions of 15 minutes.

This simple move can is purported to ease symptoms of a common cold, too. Handy.

Next up: Which alternative treatment is right for you?

This story originally appeared on Byrdie UK.