Mudra

The word

Mudra is Sanskrit for a seal, a mark or a gesture. The same word is used for a signet ring’s impression, which gives a sense of the idea: a shape that is pressed and held with intention. In a lesson it is usually a small, quiet detail inside the held shapes of Yin.

Where mudras come from

Hand gestures have a long history across Indian culture. They appear in temple ritual, in classical dance such as Bharatanatyam, where the hand gestures carry meaning and tell a story, and in Hindu and Buddhist art, where the position of a figure’s hands signals a particular quality. A raised open palm facing outward, abhaya mudra, is read as a gesture of reassurance, and a hand touching the earth is associated with images of the Buddha. Buddhist figures often hold objects with their own meaning as well: Avalokiteshvara, the figure of compassion, is shown holding a lotus, the flower that rises clean from mud, and his six-syllable mantra is om mani padme hum.

In the hatha yoga texts the word means something broader. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, usually dated to around the fifteenth century, describes ten mudras, and most of them are whole-body techniques rather than hand positions: particular postures, locks and ways of holding the breath, such as mahamudra and viparita karani. The Gheranda Samhita, a later text, lists a larger set. So when an older hatha text says mudra, it usually does not mean the hands at all.

The simple hand mudras that most people know from classes today are drawn from this wider mix of ritual, art, meditation and modern teaching.

Common mudras in a yoga class

• Anjali mudra: palms together at the chest. The gesture that goes with namaste, and the start of a Sun Salutation.
• Jnana mudra and chin mudra: the tip of the thumb and index finger touching, the other fingers relaxed, hands resting on the thighs in a seated pose.
• Dhyana mudra: hands resting in the lap, one palm on the other, thumbs lightly touching. A common meditation position.
• Adi mudra: the thumb tucked into the palm with the fingers folded over it.

How they show up in a modern practice

In most classes, mudras are small and practical. They give the hands something steady to do in a seated pose so they do not fidget, they mark the start or end of a practice, and they turn up inside postures, such as the palms together in Tree Pose or in a twist.

You will also find books and apps that assign a specific effect to each mudra. Those claims are modern and not something the hatha texts or this page can vouch for. What a mudra reliably offers is attention: holding a small, deliberate shape is an easy way to notice where your mind has wandered.

How mudras can come up in a private lesson

In a private lesson, a mudra might appear at the start as the hands settle, during a longer seated pose, or at the close. It is always optional. If your wrists, thumbs or shoulders are uncomfortable, the hands can simply rest. Slow, held shapes leave the most room for this kind of detail, and you can read about my 200-hour training at House of Om in Bali.