Philosophy · reviewed by a teacher
Mudra
A mudra is a gesture or seal, most often a position of the hands, used in yoga, meditation, Indian dance and religious art. In a yoga class, mudras such as anjali mudra (palms together) and jnana mudra (thumb and index finger touching) give the hands a steady, deliberate shape.
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 class it is usually a small, quiet detail, especially inside the held shapes of Yin yoga.
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. Deities in a mandala, a circular diagram of a divine realm, each hold their own gesture.
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, the bandhas, and ways of holding the breath, such as mahamudra and viparita karani.
The Gheranda Samhita, a later text, lists a larger set. Both texts present these seals as methods for rousing kundalini, the coiled force of tantric lore. Both draw on tantra, the medieval traditions of ritual and mantra. 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, which you can practise with the sun salutation timer.
- Jnana mudra and chin mudra: the tip of the thumb and index finger touching (see gyan mudra, the seal of knowledge), 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, used in Zen seated meditation, zazen.
- 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 class
In a class, 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. The Sanskrit yoga glossary explains the other terms on this page.
Questions
What is the most common mudra in yoga?
Anjali mudra, the palms pressed together at the chest, is the one nearly everyone meets first. Jnana mudra and chin mudra, with the thumb and index finger touching and the hands resting on the thighs, are the most common for seated meditation.
What is the difference between jnana mudra and chin mudra?
Both join the tip of the thumb and index finger. Descriptions differ between teachers, but a common convention is that the palms face up in one and down in the other. Different sources swap the names, so do not worry about getting it wrong.
Do you have to use mudras in yoga?
No. Mudras are optional. If a hand position is uncomfortable, resting the hands loosely on the thighs works just as well.
How many mudras are there?
There is no single count. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists ten mudras, most of them whole-body or breath seals rather than hand gestures. Indian classical dance and Buddhist art each use their own large sets of hand gestures, and modern books list dozens more, so the number depends on the tradition you look at.
Which mudra is used in meditation?
Two are most common. In jnana mudra the tip of the thumb and index finger touch and the hands rest on the knees. In dhyana mudra, often seen in images of the Buddha, the hands rest in the lap, one on top of the other with the palms up and the thumbs lightly touching.