Mudras

Mudras are often referred to as "yoga in your hands." 

Like you do in yoga by positioning your body in certain poses, by placing your hands and fingers in simple configurations, mudras are considered to activate corresponding regions of your brain.

Mudras are ancient meditation techniques that have been passed down through the ages for thousands of years. They continue to be effective today during our modern times.

You may be surprised to learn that you likely place your hands in mudras intuitively throughout your day. The hakini mudra is the mudra of mental clarity.

Think about how you may position your hands when you are deep in thought. You may find that you bring your hands together in the hakini mudra. You may even rest your head on your hands as you contemplate a dilemma.

World leaders and deep thinkers are often photographed with their hands in the hakini mudra position as if they are pondering something momentous. 

To Do the Hakini Mudra for Mental Clarity

Touch the fingertips and thumb tips together. Create space between your palms as if there's a tennis ball between your hands. Hold for 5-15 minutes for best results.

One of the reasons I enjoy mudras is because they are so portable. You can do them discreetly most anywhere. 

If I know I'll be facing a stressful day, I may employ the apan vayu mudra to reduce impending anxiety. This is a mudra I do often so placing my hands and fingers into the mudra now seems natural for me.

To Do the Apan Vayu Mudra to Release Anxiety

Do with both hands. Fold your index fingers into your palms. Touch your thumb tips to the tips of your middle and ring fingers. Extend your little fingers gently outward. Hold for 5-15 minutes at a time for best results.

Combine Mudras with a Breathing Technique

I often combine a mudra with a gentle breathing technique such as inhaling and exhaling evenly through my nose. This helps to calm my mind and body so that I can feel more grounded throughout my day.

You will discover that some mudras resonate with you more than others. Some mudras just "feel right" in your hands. Experiment and have fun positioning your hands and fingers into mudras that have been done for thousands of years.

Try a New Mudra Every Week!

I invite you to join me as I share a different mudra with you every Wednesday on The Daily Meditation Podcast, or Day 4 of a meditation series on the Sip and Om Meditation App. Each mudra is customized to flow with the week's meditation theme.

Listeners over the years often tell me that initially they weren't quite sure what a mudra was. Now, mudras are many listener's favorite meditation technique!