Philosophy
Anjali mudra, the gesture of joined palms
Anjali mudra is the gesture of pressing the palms together in front of the chest, often called prayer hands. Anjali means an offering made with both hands, and mudra means a seal or gesture. It goes with the greeting namaste and is used across Hindu, Buddhist and Jain practice, and at the start and end of many yoga classes.
Anjali mudra is the gesture of joined palms: the hands pressed together in front of the chest, fingers pointing up. In English it is often called prayer hands, and it is the gesture that goes with the greeting namaste.
Anjali means an offering made with both hands, or the hollow of two cupped hands. Mudra means a seal or a gesture. Together the name describes the hands held as if presenting a gift.
What does anjali mean?
In Sanskrit an anjali is the double handful: the two palms cupped side by side, as when water, rice or flowers are offered. In Hindu worship this survives in pushpanjali, an offering of flowers held in the joined hands and released at the end of a ritual.
From that cupped offering came the gesture of joined palms, a sign of respect. The page on namaste, the greeting word by word, explains the spoken half of the gesture.
Where does anjali mudra come from?
The joined palms appear across South Asian art and texts.
Dance texts. The Natya Shastra, the classical treatise on drama and dance usually placed between about 200 BCE and 200 CE, lists anjali first among the combined hand gestures. The later dance manual Abhinaya Darpana adds a detail that is still taught: joined hands held above the head salute the gods, at the face a teacher, and at the chest everyone else.
Hindu art. Temple sculpture often shows devotees, attendants and figures such as Hanuman and Garuda with joined palms before a deity.
Buddhist practice. Monks and lay Buddhists join the palms to greet, to pay respect and before teachings. In Japan the gesture is called gassho. In Tibetan art, the four-armed form of Avalokiteshvara holds a jewel between palms joined at the heart. The Thai wai is a related greeting.
Jain practice. Jains greet one another and honour the Tirthankaras with joined palms, often with the words jai jinendra.
It belongs to a wider family of mudras, the seals and gestures of Indian practice. Its closest partner in a class is gyan mudra, the gesture of knowledge, the circle of thumb and finger used in seated meditation.
How do you hold anjali mudra?
- Stand or sit tall, shoulders soft and away from the ears.
- Bring the palms together in front of the chest, fingers pointing up.
- Rest the thumbs lightly near the breastbone, without pressing into it.
- Let the elbows relax down, so the forearms make a gentle line rather than a flat bar.
- Press the palms together evenly but lightly, then bow the head a little if you wish.
If your wrists are sore, lower the hands an inch or two or loosen the press. The gesture should not hurt.
How does anjali mudra show up in a yoga class?
More often than any other mudra. The Sun Salutation begins and ends with it, in a standing shape often called pranamasana, the salutation pose. In Tree Pose the joined palms may stay at the chest for balance or rise overhead. Prayer twists in chair pose and lunges use the hands together to guide the rotation.
At the end of class, most teachers sit up after the final rest, bring the palms together and bow. You may return the gesture, say thank you, or simply stay still. Any of these is fine.
Questions
Is anjali mudra a prayer?
Not necessarily. The joined palms are used in prayer and worship, but in India and Nepal they are just as often an everyday greeting, a thank you or an apology. In a yoga class the gesture marks a beginning or an end, and it carries no required belief.
Should the palms be flat or slightly hollow?
Both are taught. Some teachers ask for the palms pressed flat from heel to fingertips. Others leave a small hollow between the palms, likened to a lotus bud. Choose whichever lets the shoulders and wrists stay relaxed.
What is reverse prayer?
Reverse prayer joins the palms behind the back, fingers pointing up between the shoulder blades. It asks a lot of the wrists and shoulders. A gentler option is to hold the opposite elbows or forearms behind you, and you can skip it entirely if it strains.
Why do people raise joined hands to the forehead?
Height shows degree of respect. Classical dance manuals describe joined hands above the head for the gods, at the face for a teacher and at the chest for others, and in daily life many people lift the hands higher for an elder or at a shrine.