Mudra Therapy and Its Application in Prevention and Management of Contemporary Lifestyle Disorders

Abstract

Lifestyle disorders, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, asthma, arthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, depression, anxiety, and cancer, constitute an escalating global health crisis. Mudra therapy is a classical Indian science of deliberate hand and body gestures that offers a non-pharmacological, evidence-aligned therapeutic paradigm rooted in ancient yogic Samhitas. To systematically review the role of mudra therapy, as described in the Gheranda Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Goraksha Samhita, Shiva Samhita, and Yoga Chudamani Upanishad, in the prevention and management of major lifestyle disorders. Narrative review using PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, and authenticated classical textual sources with PRISMA guidelines. Specific mudras modulate the autonomic nervous system (ANS), endocrine axes, metabolic pathways, immune function, and psychoneuroimmunological networks. Disease-specific mudras demonstrate evidence-supported therapeutic benefits grounded in Panchamahabhutic (five-element) theory. Mudra therapy is a pure, cost-free, sideeffect-free adjunctive intervention warranting integration into public health programs and clinical trials.