Mudras in Meditation

June 19, 2024 (updated from March 20, 2023)

When we sit in meditation, we make sure that our spines are straight, we are free of distrations, we have our favorite music or object in our space.... but how many are inluding a correlating mudra in their session?

Mudras are a simple but benefical part of meditation. They are the positions in which we hold our hands when meditating. In Sanskrit, the word "mudra" means “gesture”.  It's also referred to as "finger yoga”. Each finger represents a different earthly element:

·         Index=Air/Vayu

·         Middle= Space/Akasha

·         Ring= Earth/Privthi

·         Pinky= Water/Jal

·         Thumb= Fire/Agni

Different mudras are used in different kinds of meditations as they help the flow of energy to different parts of the body; some gestures involve other parts of the body in addition to hands. It also matters whether your palms are facing up or down while forming a mudra.

·         Vayu Mudra- gently press the index finger to the thumb; this improves the flow of oxygen throughout our body. This mudra is wonderful for heart chakra meditations.

·         Akasha Mudra - gently press the middle finger to the thumb; this mudra improves creativity and communication. This mudra is wonderful for throat chakra meditations

·         Prithvi Mudra - gently press the ring finger to the thumb; this mudra assists with feeling “at home” in your physical being.  This mudra is wonderful for sacral and root chakra meditations

·         Jal Mudra - gently press the pinky finger to the thumb; this mudra helps with “flow” through the body – water, feelings, energy. This mudra is wonderful for sacral and root chakra meditations

·         Agni Mudra – intertwine the fingers of both hands together, gently press one thumb to the other; this mudra ignites our passions and desires, increases our success of reaching our goals. This mudra is wonderful for solar plexus chakra meditations

 Doing hand warm-ups can help in forming a mudra properly and being able to hold it longer. It will take practice to reap the benefits of how mudras can enhance your meditation sessions, but it’s worth it.

This is not an inclusive list, I encourage you to research the plethora of other mudras that there are, but be mindful of which are beginner-friendly and which are more advanced.

Take some time to practice different mudras and pay attention to your energy flow after each one.

Wishing love and joy for you all.

Namaste