Mudras: eight gestures, and what they are for

Mudra means seal or gesture. The hatha texts describe dozens, some of them whole-body practices rather than hand positions, and they are treated as a category of practice in their own right rather than decoration for photographs.

What a mudra is doing

Two plain things, at minimum. It gives the hands a job, which stops them wandering; and it gives attention somewhere small and specific to rest, which is most of what any concentration practice needs. The tradition says a great deal more about energy and direction, and that is worth studying, but you do not need any of it for the gesture to be useful tonight.

Eight worth knowing

• Jnana mudra. Index fingertip to thumb tip, other three fingers extended, palms facing up on the knees. The gesture of knowledge, and the default for seated practice.
• Chin mudra. The same hand shape with the palms facing down. Traditionally the grounding version of the same seal; most students find it steadier.
• Anjali mudra. Palms together at the heart. Used at the beginning and end of class, and as a greeting — the physical form of namaste.
• Dhyana mudra. Hands resting in the lap, right on left, thumb tips touching. The meditation seal, and a good test of whether your shoulders are actually relaxed.
• Bhairava mudra. As above but without the thumbs meeting, one palm cradled in the other. Often used for longer sittings.
• Prana mudra. Ring and little fingertips to the thumb tip, index and middle extended. Traditionally associated with vitality; commonly taught alongside breathing practice.
• Shanmukhi mudra. The fingers close the ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth in turn, shutting the senses for a short period. Taught with a teacher present, not from a video.
• Hridaya mudra. Index finger folded to the base of the thumb, middle and ring fingertips to the thumb tip. The heart gesture, used in quiet sitting.

How to use them

1. Sit so the spine is upright and the shoulders are not working. A cushion under the hips makes this possible for most people.
2. Rest the hands where they fall naturally — knees or lap — and form the gesture lightly. Pressure is not the point.
3. Keep one gesture for the whole sitting rather than swapping through several.
4. Let the breath settle first. The mudra is a frame for the practice, not the practice.

What not to expect

You will read that specific finger combinations cure specific ailments. The traditional texts make energetic claims, not medical ones, and no gesture replaces treatment for a health problem. What a mudra reliably does is make a sitting practice easier to hold — which, over months, is worth far more than any single claim made for it.

We teach mudras in workshops and as part of the 200-hour training, in the same place the tradition puts them: beside pranayama, with a teacher watching. If you want the breathing practice they usually accompany, start with pranayama for beginners.

Mudras seal the hands; bandhas do the same work inside the body. The three bandhas are explained here.

Common questions

What is a mudra in yoga?

A gesture or seal held during practice, most often a particular placement of the fingers while sitting for pranayama or meditation. Some mudras involve the whole body rather than the hands.

What is the difference between jnana and chin mudra?

The hand shape is the same — index fingertip to thumb tip — but jnana mudra is held with the palms facing up and chin mudra with the palms facing down. The downward version is generally taught as the more grounding of the two.

Do mudras actually do anything?

They reliably settle the hands and give attention a small, specific place to rest, which makes seated practice easier to sustain. The traditional texts also make energetic claims. Neither the tradition nor we would say a hand gesture treats illness.

How long should I hold a mudra?

For as long as you sit — typically five to twenty minutes. Choose one gesture and stay with it rather than changing through several in a session.