Can doing 'Shankha Mudra' every day increase your height?
An Instagram post claims that doing a mudra—gripping the right thumb with all four fingers of your left hand and then touching the left thumb to the middle and forefinger of your right hand—daily for two minutes every day will help increase a person’s height.
By Sunanda Naik Published on 4 Oct 2022 10:45 AM GMT
Hyderabad: An Instagram post claims that doing a mudra—gripping the right thumb with all four fingers of your left hand and then touching the left thumb to the middle and forefinger of your right hand—daily for two minutes every day will help increase a person's height.
Click here to view the post.
After searching the internet, we found that this mudra is called Shankha mudra, which is a sacred hand gesture commonly used in Hindu purification ceremonies.
The big question here is, can this mudra help you increase your height?
FACT CHECK
Is it possible to increase your height after the age of 20?
Too tall or too short, many of us are not happy with our height. Healthline says even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after the age of 18-20. In most cases, you reach your peak height by the time you're done with puberty, says Healthline.
Healthline also suggests, "Genes largely determine your height. You may get taller by eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, staying active, and having good posture, but there is no guarantee."
In a video uploaded by Bharat Yoga's verified YouTube channel, Acharya Pratishtha explains other benefits of Shankha mudra such as curing digestive problems but nowhere does she mention that it can help increase a person's height.
Several factors contribute to your overall height. It's thought that genetic factors account for about 80% of your final height. Certain environmental factors, such as nutrition and exercise, typically account for the remaining percentage, Healthline said.
It suggests that the reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates. The growth plates, or epiphyseal plates, are areas of specialised cartilage near the end of your long bones. Increases in height are primarily due to the lengthening of your long bones, as the growth plates are still active or "open." Near the end of puberty, hormonal changes cause the growth plates to harden or "close" and the lengthening of bones to stop. Growth plates close around the age of 16 in women and somewhere between the ages 14 and 19 in men.
To conclude, you are perfect the way you are. Your height, weight, or looks should not define you.
From the above investigation, it is evident that doing the Sankha mudra won't affect your height. Hence, the claim is false.
