Magic Hands Pt. 1: What the heck is a yoga mudra? | Some Scuffs

We discover is the antithesis to every quick fix out there for a generation with a 6-second attention span.

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Neatly packaged zen is all around us. We can now learn to meditate with the help of Youtube tutorials, visit online wellness stores to stock up on crystals and essential oils, download apps on our phones to guide us through 5-minute mindfulness exercises.

So how is a coffee table book on yoga mudras any different?

Okay, I should probably explain. A mudra is basically a gesture or pose that is meant to seal your energy flow, and can help you to focus your intention and visualise during your yoga practice.

Sinnead Ali taught at a yoga shala in Thailand where she fell in love with mudras. They helped her cope with her anxiety and to find herself through meditation. When she moved to Singapore, she was determined to share this gift with young girls facing the high pressures of growing up in this day and age.

So she took a year to write a book all about mudras, with pages of guided meditations and beautiful photographs of hands in specific poses. Now, all she had to do is fund the publishing of the book.

In our mini-series Magic Hands, we get a behind-the-scenes peak into the glossy wellness industry. Just how challenging is it to sell something you believe so much in, and stay true to your message despite high expectations, stiff competition and worst of all, consumer cynicism? Because having an authentic voice isn’t enough if others don’t trust it.

But Sinnead is determined to speak. In part 1, she tells us about the mudras that she loves so much.

Theme music for Magic Hands was by Malika Avani, Derrick Siu and Kei Franklin. Sound design was by Lee Zhe Ren.  Find the Moody Nails campaign here.