मुद्राmudrā · seal, sign
Mudras, the seals of yoga
3 min read · Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
A mudrā is a seal. In yoga the word covers two families: hand gestures such as jñāna, cin, dhyāna and añjali mudrā, used in meditation, prayer and pranayama, and the great seals of hatha yoga, which combine posture, breath, locks and gaze. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists ten of these (3.6-3.7), the Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā twenty-five.
The word
मुद्रा (mudrā) means a seal, a stamp, a sign. A king's signet ring was a mudrā, and so was the mark it left in wax. In ritual, dance and sacred images the word came to mean a symbolic gesture of the hands: Śiva's raised palm granting fearlessness, the Buddha touching the earth. In hatha yoga it means something larger: a seal made with the whole body, the breath and the attention, to hold and direct prāṇa.
Two families of mudras
| Family | Examples | Source | Who can practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand gestures (hasta mudrā) | jñāna, cin, dhyāna, añjali, viṣṇu | ritual worship, iconography, dance, later meditation teaching | everyone |
| Seals of the body and breath | mahāmudrā, mahābandha, viparīta karaṇī, khecarī | Hatha Yoga Pradipika ch. 3, Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā ch. 3 | after posture and pranayama, with a teacher |
You may be surprised that the hand gestures most people associate with yoga are absent from the lists of the haṭha texts. They are no less authentic; their sources are simply different.
The ten mudras of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
महामुद्रा महाबन्धो महावेधश्च खेचरी । उड्डीयानं मूलबन्धश्च बन्धो जालन्धराभिधः ॥ करणी विपरीताख्या वज्रोली शक्तिचालनम् । इदं हि मुद्रादशकं जरामरणनाशनम् ॥
mahāmudrā mahābandho mahāvedhaś ca khecarī | uḍḍīyānaṃ mūlabandhaś ca bandho jālandharābhidhaḥ || karaṇī viparītākhyā vajrolī śakti-cālanam | idaṃ hi mudrā-daśakaṃ jarā-maraṇa-nāśanam ||
The great seal, the great lock, the great piercing and khecarī; uḍḍīyāna, the root lock and the lock called jālandhara; the act called inversion, vajrolī and the stirring of the power: these ten mudras destroy old age and death.
Three of the ten are the bandhas, the locks. The promise of conquering old age and death belongs to the tradition; read it as you would read a sacred poem. The text adds that these mudras must be kept secret (3.9) and begun "little by little, first" by those who are well instructed (3.31, Pancham Sinh). Some (khecarī with cutting of the tongue, vajrolī) are part of the history of yoga and are never taught from a page.
The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā lists twenty-five mudras (3.1-3.3), adding among others nabho mudrā (the tongue turned up to the palate), śāmbhavī (the gaze between the eyebrows), yoni mudrā (closing the senses), aśvinī (contracting the anal sphincter) and kākī (drinking the air through lips shaped like a crow's beak).
The hand mudras, one by one
| Mudra | How | Meaning in the tradition | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jñāna mudrā (ज्ञान, knowledge) | tip of the index finger on the tip of the thumb, other fingers relaxed, palms down on the knees | the individual self (index) meets the universal (thumb); the three free fingers are often said to be the three guṇas | seated meditation, the free hand in pranayama |
| Cin mudrā (चित्, consciousness) | the same circle, palms up | the same union, with an open gesture; Śiva as Dakṣiṇāmūrti, the silent teacher, is shown with it | meditation |
| Dhyāna mudrā (ध्यान, meditation) | hands in the lap, palms up, one resting in the other, thumbs lightly touching | the gesture of the meditating Buddha | long sittings |
| Añjali mudrā (अञ्जलि, offering) | palms joined before the heart | the gesture of namaste, greeting and prayer | beginning and end of practice, Surya Namaskar |
| Viṣṇu mudrā | right hand, index and middle fingers folded | a working position | nadi shodhana |
| Ṣaṇmukhī mudrā (six gates) | thumbs on the ears, index fingers lightly on the closed eyelids, middle fingers beside the nostrils, ring and little fingers around the lips | closing the senses to listen inwardly | bhramari, nāda |
Adi and brahma mudrā, taught in the Bihar School and some other modern schools, come from modern teaching manuals rather than the classical texts. The detailed gyan mudra page covers the most common gesture.
How to practise a hand mudra
- Sit comfortably, spine upright, on a cushion, kneeling or on a chair.
- Rest the hands on the thighs or knees, shoulders soft.
- Form the mudra lightly: fingertips touch, they do not press.
- Close the eyes or lower the gaze. Breathe slowly through the nose.
- Stay three to fifteen minutes, or for the length of your meditation.
If the thumbs separate in dhyāna mudrā, or press hard, your attention has drifted or tensed: the gesture becomes a quiet signal.
Seals of the eyes and tongue
- Śāmbhavī mudrā, named after Śambhu, Śiva: the gaze gently raised between the eyebrows. "Fixing the gaze between the two eye-brows, behold the Self-existent. This is Sambhavi, secret in all the Tantras." (Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 3.64, Vasu). Hold ten to thirty seconds, never with strain.
- Nabho mudrā: keep the tongue turned up against the palate, the safe practice in the spirit of khecarī. The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā asks the yogi to keep it "wherever he may be" (3.9).
- Khecarī mudrā: turning the tongue back into the cavity behind the palate (HYP 3.32). The texts describe lengthening the tongue by cutting the tissue beneath it. Never attempt this.
What not to believe
Books and websites assign each finger to an element, an organ or a disease, with promises of healing. These systems are modern and vary from one author to another; no study supports them. When you sit quietly in jñāna mudrā and breathe slowly, it is very likely the slow breathing, not the position of the fingers, that calms you. A hand mudra is a gesture of attention and devotion. That is already a great deal.
Mudras by level
- Beginner: jñāna, cin, dhyāna and añjali mudrā; nabho mudrā; viṣṇu mudrā for alternate nostril breathing.
- Intermediate: ṣaṇmukhī mudrā with bhramari, short śāmbhavī, the three bandhas learned one at a time.
- Advanced: mahāmudrā, mahābandha and viparīta karaṇī with retention, under a teacher. See the Breath chapter and meditation for where mudras fit.
Questions people ask
What are the most common yoga mudras?
Jñāna mudrā and cin mudrā (thumb and index finger joined), dhyāna mudrā (hands resting in the lap), añjali mudrā (palms joined, the namaste gesture) and viṣṇu mudrā, the hand position for alternate nostril breathing.
Do hand mudras heal diseases?
No study shows it. Charts linking each finger to an element, an organ or a disease are modern and differ from one author to the next. A hand mudra is a gesture of attention and meaning.
How long should I hold a mudra?
As long as your meditation or breathing practice lasts, from three to fifteen minutes. There is no need to hold a hand mudra for hours.
Are mudras in the Yoga Sutras?
No. Patañjali does not mention them. The body seals come from the hatha texts (15th-18th centuries); hand gestures come from ritual, iconography, dance and later meditation teaching.
Sources
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, translated by Pancham Sinh, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV part 3 (1914), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
- Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 17, 2026
- Srisa Chandra Vasu (tr.), The Gheranda Samhita, Sacred Books of the Hindus vol. XV (1914-1915), Internet Archive checked October 17, 2026
Practise gently and within your limits. Yoga is learnt best with a qualified teacher; this page does not replace one.