15-Day Yoga Mudra Challenge

Apanayana Mudra for IBS and Elimination

Part of the Yoga Mudra Challenge — experience how daily guided mudra videos with Dr. Juli Kramer support healing, balance, and inner calm.

Duration: 13 minutes

Meaning and Purpose

Apanayana Mudra, the Gesture of Release, supports the body’s natural elimination and digestive balance. It helps relieve symptoms of IBS, constipation, and bloating, while calming the nervous system and promoting a steady digestive rhythm. This mudra encourages both physical cleansing and emotional letting go.

This page includes a guided video and meditation with Dr. Juli Kramer. You’ll learn simple hand placement and slow breathing that restore ease in the abdomen. As you practice, you’ll feel digestion settle, tension soften, and a quiet sense of internal harmony return.

Yoga Journal highlights that yoga-based practices can stimulate digestion, support regular elimination, and reduce stress-related discomfort.

How to Practice Apanayana Mudra

Sit comfortably with a straight spine and relaxed shoulders.
Touch the tips of the thumb, middle finger, and ring finger together.
Keep the index and little fingers extended.
Rest your hands on your thighs, palms facing upward.
Breathe deeply into the lower abdomen, exhaling slowly to release tightness and tension.

Hold the mudra for 10–15 minutes, or follow along with the guided meditation to support calm and regular elimination.

Healing Focus and Benefits

Apanayana Mudra strengthens the colon and lower digestive tract, helping relieve cramps, gas, and irregularity. It balances the downward flow of energy (apana vayu), aiding detoxification and emotional release. In addition, this mudra promotes mental clarity by helping you let go of what no longer serves—physically, mentally, and energetically.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that gentle relaxation and routine support healthy bowel function and overall digestive wellness.

Integrating into the 15-Day Yoga Mudra Challenge

In the Radiant Shenti Yoga Mudra Challenge, Apanayana Mudra symbolizes release and renewal. Practice it whenever digestion feels sluggish or stress unsettles your gut. Over time, it helps you feel lighter, more balanced, and more at ease in your body.

Citation: Mudras for Healing and Transformation Joseph Le Page and Lilian Aboim