21 MUDRAS - yoga in your Hand

Mudras In your Hand. A mudra (/muˈdrɑː/ ⓘ; Sanskrit: मुद्रा, IAST: mudrā, "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; Tibetan: ཕྱག་རྒྱ་, THL: chakgya) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.[1] While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers.[2] As well as being spiritual gestures employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian religions, mudras have meaning in many forms of Indian dance, and yoga. The range of mudras used in each field (and religion) differs, but with some overlap. In addition, many of the Buddhist mudras are used outside South Asia, and have developed different local forms elsewhere. Hand Gestures There are numerous hand gesture mudras in yoga. Each of the hand gestures is based on the concept of the five elements as they relate to one's fingers. Hasta mudras (hand mudras) may be conducive for meditation, and help in internalization. Many hand mudrās evolved for use in rituals, especially within tantra. Others developed as iconographical symbols for depictions of deities in statues and paintings. Others were developed for non-verbal story telling in traditional dance. In the Hevajra Tantra hand mudrās are used to identify oneself to the goddesses at different holy sites. 1.Anjali Mudra Gesture of reverence

Palms touching, fingers pointing upward. May be placed in front of the sternum, the forehead, or overhead. 2. Dhyana Mudra Psychic gesture of meditation

Upturned hands overlapping each other, usually right on top of left, with the thumbs touching. 3.Vāyu Mudra Psychic gesture of element air

Tip of index finger on the ball of the thumb, with thumb over the bent finger. Other three fingers are extended. 4.Shunya Mudra (or Shuni Mudra) Psychic gesture of void, empty

Middle finger bent, with thumb over it. Other three fingers are extended. Sometimes, tip of the bent finger on the ball of the thumb. 5.Prithvi Mudra Psychic gesture of element earth

Ring finger bent, with thumb over it. Other three fingers are extended. 6. Varuna Mudra Psychic gesture of element water

Little finger bent, with thumb over it. Other three fingers are extended. 7.Shakti Mudra Psychic gesture of power

Tips of little and ring fingers of both hands touching, with middle and index fingers folded. Sometimes, thumb folded towards the palm 8.Hakini Mudra

Hand-steepling or finger-tenting: joining matching fingertips of right and left hands. 9. Prāna Mudra Psychic gesture to activate life force energy

Tips of little finger and ring fingers touch thumb. Other two fingers are extended. 10.Apāna Mudra Psychic gesture of life force

Tips of middle and ring fingers touch thumb. Other two fingers are extended. 11. Poorna Mudra / Brahma Mudra Gesture of full breath

Thumb tucked in, placed at the base of the fingers. Remaining fingers curled over thumb, forming a fist. Hands are then tucked under the navel area, with fingers facing upwards, and back of the fingers touching. 12. Gyana Mudra / Chin Mudra Psychic gesture of knowledge

Tip of index finger touches thumb, hand upturned. Other three fingers are extended. 13. Adi Mudra The first gesture (as held by a new born baby)

Thumb tucked in, placed at the base of the fingers. Remaining fingers curled over thumb, forming a fist 14. Chinmaya Mudra Pervaded by consciousness mudrā

Tip of thumb and index finger touching. Other three fingers are folded. 15. Yoni Mudra Attitude of the womb or source

Hands touching by the tips of thumbs and index fingers. Other six fingers are either interlaced or folded and pressed together. 16. Bhairav Mudra Fierce or terrifying attitude

Upturned hands overlapping each other, usually right on top of left. 17. Hridaya Mudra Heart gesture

Index finger bent under the thumb. Middle and ring finger touching tip of thumb. Little finger extended. 18.Vishnu Mudra Hand gesture of Lord Vishnu

Thumb, ring and little finger extended. Index and middle finger folded and touching pad of thumb 18. Granthita Mudra Knot gesture

Thumb and index fingers of each hand touch at tips and are interlaced, other fingers are interlaced and folded at the knuckles. 19. Mahasir Mudra Great head gesture

Done with the right hand. Ring finger is curled into the palm. The tips of the index and middle finger touch the tip of the thumb. Little finger extended References Further reading Gertrud Hirschi,Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands (Alternative Medicine Series). Sri Satguru Publications. Delhi.India Further reading Saunders, Ernest Dale (1985). Mudra: A Study of Symbolic Gestures in Japanese Buddhist Sculpture. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-01866-9. Hirschi, Gertrud. Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands. Taisen Miyata: A study of the ritual mudras in the Shingon tradition: A phenomenological study on the eighteen ways of esoteric recitation in the Koyasan tradition. Publisher s.n. Acharya Keshav Dev: Mudras for Healing; Mudra Vigyan: A Way of Life. Acharya Shri Enterprises, 1995. ISBN 9788190095402 . Gauri Devi: Esoteric Mudras of Japan. International. Academy of Indian Culture & Aditya Prakashan, 1999. ISBN 9788186471562. Lokesh Chandra & Sharada Rani: Mudras in Japan. Vedams Books, 2001. ISBN 9788179360002. Emma I. Gonikman: Taoist Healing Gestures. YBK Publishers, Inc., 2003. ISBN 9780970392343. Fredrick W. Bunce: Mudras in Buddhist and Hindu Practices: An Iconographic Consideration. DK Printworld, 2005. ISBN 9788124603123. A. S. Umar Sharif: Unlocking the Healing Powers in Your Hands: The 18 Mudra System of Qigong. Scholary, Inc, 2006. ISBN 978-0963703637. Dhiren Gala: Health at Your Fingertips: Mudra Therapy, a Part of Ayurveda Is Very Effective Yet Costs Nothing. Navneet, 2007. ISBN 9788124603123. K. Rangaraja Iyengar: The World of Mudras/Health Related and other Mudras. Sapna Book house, 2007. ISBN 9788128006975. Suman K Chiplunkar: Mudras & Health Perspectives: An Indian Approach. Abhijit Prakashana, 2008. ISBN 9788190587440. Acharya Keshav Dev: Healing Hands (Science of Yoga Mudras). Acharya Shri Enterprises, 2008. ISBN 9788187949121. Cain Carroll and Revital Carroll: Mudras of India: A Comprehensive Guide to the Hand Gestures of Yoga and Indian Dance. Singing Dragon, 2012. ISBN 9781848190849. Joseph and Lilian Le Page: Mudras for Healing and Transformation. Integratieve Yoga Therapy, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9744303-4-8. Toki, Hôryû; Kawamura, Seiichi, tr. (1899). "Si-do-in-dzou; gestes de l'officiant dans les cérémonies mystiques des sectes Tendaï et Singon", Paris, E. Leroux. Adams, Autumn: The Little Book of Mudra Meditations. Rockridge Press, 2020. ISBN 9781646114900. Saraswati, Swami Satyananda (1973). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Bihar Yoga Bharati, Munger, Bihar India. ISBN 978-81-86336-14-4. 20