I first learned about Adi Mudra in the book “Heal Your BFRB.” (great book, by the way!) Let me tell you all about it and why it helps to cope with BFRBs.
Adi Mudra is a hand gesture that is often used in spiritual yoga and meditation. It means “first gesture” (Adi = primal, Mudra = gesture) because it is the first position a baby can make with their hands.
Fold your thumb and gently hold it with your remaining fingers. That’s it. Easy right!
Adi Mudra calms your nervous system, helps raise awareness, and increases breathing and lung capacity.
For this reason, it can be a good idea to keep your hands like this while doing your breathing exercises to help manage anxiety and stress.
I use Adi Mudra a lot to control my restless fingers. It became my go-to action when I catch my fingers wandering around feeling every so little bump or cuticle.
This hand gesture breaks my urge and protects my fingers from picking, biting, or pulling while I can refocus on my mission of not engaging in my BFRBs.
I love this little BFRB trick, especially in social situations. You can use it casually without anyone noticing. Somehow, holding my thumb(s) with the rest of my fingers soothes me and makes me feel safe and in control.
Try it out, and let me know what you think of this BFRB tip!