You may have seen a Buddhist statue or a meditation practitioner using the classic yoga hand position of the index finger touching the tip of the thumb. This is the most famous mudra, or hand gesture called Gyana Mudra.
Mudras are used to generate a specific state of mind during yoga or meditation practice. Because different parts of our hands are correlated with specific energy circuits in the body, mudras are powerful ways to stimulate different areas of the brain and nervous system.
You can consider mudras another tool in your spiritual toolbox for working towards mental clarity, meditative discipline, and inner peace.
What are Mudras?
Mudras are specific meditation hand positions or gestures that help draw your focus inward and channel energy to certain parts of the body. A mudra can involve various placements of your fingers, thumbs, and palms to stimulate different parts of the body. Some mudras can involve the entire body, but most focus specifically on the hands.
The Sanskrit word mudra translates to “gesture”, “seal”, or “mark”. These hand signs have been used in Buddhist, Jainist, and Hindu cultures for thousands of years as part of religious and ceremonial practices ranging from dance to sculpture to yoga.
However, mudras are considered secular and not necessarily linked to specific religious beliefs. These ancient hand gestures are closely interconnected with breathing, meditation, and yoga.
1. Mudra of Fearlessness: Abhaya Mudra
Abhaya mudra is known to dispel fear and negative forces while bringing a feeling of peace and reassurance to the practitioner. It makes you feel calm, balanced, and secure to overcome fear.
How to Do It: Bring your right hand up to shoulder height and face your palm outward in front of you. Keep your thumb touching the edge of your hand and allow your fingers to subtly relax as you “stop” fear and “wave hello” to a courage.
2. Gyan Mudra: The gesture of knowledge or wisdom
To perform this mudra, gently join the tip of thumb and
the index finger, while the other three fingers are simply stretched out or
free & slightly bent.
You can practice this mudra anytime during the day or while you are performing yoga postures or during meditation.
Gyan mudra helps to increase concentration, memory, reduces sleep disorders, helps to release stress and anger, eases depression and headache.
This mudra has been used extensively for thousands of years by yogis as it brings peace, calm, and spiritual progress.
3. Vayu Mudra: The gesture of air
You can practice this mudra anytime during the day or while you are performing yoga postures or during meditation.
Gyan mudra helps to increase concentration, memory, reduces sleep disorders, helps to release stress and anger, eases depression and headache.
This mudra has been used extensively for thousands of years by yogis as it brings peace, calm, and spiritual progress.
3. Vayu Mudra: The gesture of air
This mudra relates to the air element. It is great for the Vata body types and reduces any constrictions in the body due to excess air in the body.
To perform this mudra just fold the index finger, and press the second phalanx bone with the tip of the thumb, and the tip of the index finger should touch the base of the thumb.
When practiced regularly this mudra helps eliminate excess gas/air related problems like gout, flatulence, constipation. It helps in diseases like arthritis, neck pain, trembling in Parkinson’s disease, paralysis and cervical spondilytis.
The above give us an idea of how we have use our hands to control the 5 key elements of our body namely air, water, earth, fire and space. Try these during your practice (where it feels comfortable and easeful to do so), and in mediations, and see the benefit.
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