Common Mudra Meanings

After a yoga class in New York City, the yoga teacher said, "we are going to take the last 20 minutes of class to meditate, so show me your mudras”. A few of us looked at each other not sure if we had missed something, while others started to place their hands in a particular position getting ready for the meditation.

The teacher, realizing not everyone was familiar with Mudras or Yoga hands, explained that in yoga, how you hold your hands is often part of a pose. These hand positions are said to have a reflex reaction in a specific part of the brain. Taking a particular hand position is thought to direct energy flow to that area. Pretty cool right?

Here are some of the most common mudras and what they represent:

• Gyan Mudra: Place together the tips of the index finger and thumb. This position represents knowledge and expansion.

• Shuni Mudra: Place together the tips of the middle finger and thumb. This position represents patience and discernment.

• Surya Ravi Mudra: Place together the tips of your ring finger and thumb. This position represents courage and responsibility.

• Venus Lock: Interlace the fingers of both hands, with the right pinky down for women, and the left pinky down for men. This mudra represents sensuality and sexuality.

• Prayer Mudra: Place the palms of both hands together. This position, which you assume before starting a yoga flow, is said to balance the positive (male) and negative (female) sides of the body.

• Vishnu Mudra: Curl your index and middle fingers downward, while keeping your ring and pinky fingers closed together and pointed outward, This mudra is used while practicing the breathing technique Anuloma Viloma.

Now that you know what your yoga hands can do, unroll your mat, (our eco friendly cork yoga mats are great at preventing slippery hands while performing asanas), and get to it!

-- by Viviana Wilches