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International Journal of Health Sciences and Research
Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Website: www.ijhsr.org
Review Article ISSN: 2249-9571
Mudra Therapy and Its Classification
Sunitha S1, Chandra Prakash Sharma2
1
Research Scholar, Himalayan University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
2
Research Supervisor, Himalayan University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
Corresponding Author: Sunitha S
ABSTRACT
Mudra therapy is an age-old effective therapy propounded by ancient sages. Mudra means hand
gestures which are made for the betterment of physical body. This therapy is as old as culture given
and practiced; it prevents specific physical and mental problems. Mudras can be classified into the
five basic categories. The categories are yogic, spiritual, curative, religious, and customary. The
Yoga and Ayurveda philosophy believes that the human body is composed of five elements- fire, air,
water, space and earth. As long as these elements remain in balance, a person enjoys a healthy,
disease free life. Under yogic mudras we have different types of mudra which divulge mystical
powers to the practitioner are maha mudra, nabho mudra, and under spiritual mudras it has classified
into gayan mudra, brahm Anjali mudra, chin mudra, Chinmaya mudra. And next category is curative
mudras it has different types, Aakash mudra, prithvi mudra, varun mudra, vayu mudra etc. And
religious mudras have different types like pranayama mudra, namaskaar mudra. Here in this article we
are going to discuss about the classification of mudhra therapy and how to do the procedure and its
benefits of mudra.
Key words: mudra, gayan mudra, Dhyana mudra, Braham Anjali mudra, prana mudra, Apana mudra,
Vayu mudra, gyati mudras, Maha mudra, nabhoo mudra, prithvi mudra, apna Vayu mudra, Surya
mudra, pranayama mudra, namaskar mudra.
INTRODUCTION SCIENCE OF MUDRA
Mudra science is an ancient science The principle of mudras is that the
that which connects certain energy-flows in transfer of energy takes place from higher
mind body system. The literal meaning of level to the lower level. This law is
mudra is the expression of internal feelings applicable in thermodynamics, electricity,
by way of different postures of fingers, electrostatics, magnetism, atomic and
palms, hands feet and or body.3This is an nuclear bonding. According to Ayurveda,
integral part of yoga and a scientific human body is made up of five elements:
knowledge of spirituality and physical well. Agni (fire), Vayu (Air), Aakash (space),
Mudra involve the entire body, by doing Pruthvi (Earth) and Jal (water). Under
mudras, subtle hand and finger movements healthy conditions, our body has an
make important connections in the nervous optimum balance of all these elements.
system and stimulate specific energy However, imbalance in any one of them
pathways. These mudras (hand postures) affects the body in a negative way. This
have potential benefits for physical, mental ultimately leads to illnesses. When specific
and emotional wellbeing.4 There are mudras mudras are performed, any imbalance in the
to address headaches, pain, anxiety, above stated five elements is restored and
depression, stress, the health of lungs and the person recovers.6
heart, cholesterol, pain in any body part and These 5 elements are well
almost every system of the body.5 represented by the fingers of our hands as
below:
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Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
circuit to balance the elements represented
by those particular fingers.8
IMPORTANCE OF MUDRA
Mudras act as catalysts and switches in
the body to improve body functions.
Concentration of mind is accomplished
by mudras and regain lost energy.
Mudras tell us the state of mind such as
physical, mental and spiritual.9
Deadly diseases like cancer, dementia,
insomnia, diabetes, depression and
Five fingers represent five elements
minor diseases of cough and cold,
Thumb Fire vomiting, deficiency of vitamins and
Index finger Air minerals are cured permanently.
Middle finger Space (ether) Mudras help to link the brain to the
Ring finger Earth body, soothe pain, stimulate endorphins,
Little (pinky) finger Water change the mood and increase our
vitality. 10
The yoga mudras are hand gesture
yoga exercises that aim to bring back the It also stimulates the brain, works on the
elemental balance by guiding the flow of nervous system, helps in relieving stress,
life energy within the body. Depending improves concentration and lastly, it
upon the elements to be balanced, specific gives you a peaceful mind.11
yoga mudras are practiced by manipulating
the fingers. For example, to increase the BASIC RULES TO PERFORM
water element in the body, varun mudra is MUDRAS
practiced. Similarly, to reduce the air All persons of any age, sex, religion
element in the body, Vayu mudra is Normal time to perform a specific
practiced.7 mudra in 15-30 minutes.
Stop as soon as one feels pain or extra
stress during performance of mudras.
Mudras can be performed while
standing, sitting, walking, praying,
studying, reading, TV viewing etc.4
Elemental mudras should be done with
both hands. Doing on left side benefits
right portion and vice versa.
For elemental mudras, the basic
principle is that bringing together the tip
of any finger with the thumb, brings in
equanimity, pressing finger with thumb
reduces the element, touching the base
SCIENCE BEHIND THESE YOGA of finger increases the element of that
MUDRAS finger.7
The fingers of our hands are just like
It can be done with any undergoing
live wires of electric current. During a
treatment also.
mudra formation, one or more of the fingers
Mudras can be lifesaving, if performed
touch the thumb to complete an electric
at the time of emergency e.g. Apna
circuit and the life energy flows through that
Vayu Mudra can immediately cure heart
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Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
attack or stroke. Vayu Mudra can Bend forward and hold the big toe of the
immediately cure cardiac arrest and right leg with the hands. Exhale while
gastro entities spell.11 bending forward.
Raise the head slightly upwards and let
CLASSIFICATION OF MUDRA the gaze be on the eyebrow center.
Mudras can be classified into the
Inhale slowly and deeply while tilting
five basic categories
the head.
Yogic-according to gherand sanhita
Hold the breath inside and
there are 25 mudras which give yogic
perform Moola Bandha.
accomplishments.
Spiritual-these are beneficial for Contract the throat so that air does not
concentration, knowledge, peace, escape from the lungs.
generate love for humanity and so on. Maintain this position with breath inside
These are gayan mudra, Dhyana mudra for as long as you are comfortable.
and Braham Anjali mudra.4 This is one round. One can practice from
Curative-the mudras which are 3 rounds to 12 rounds depending on
practiced curing diseases, to ward off time and convenience.6
the foreign elements from the body, to To release the pose, exhale slowly and
keep balance of elements in the body bring the head to normal position.
fall under this category. These are prana Stretch out the legs, relax the body and
mudra, Apana mudra, Vayu mudra etc.6 breathe normally.
Religious-the mudras which are The attention is maintained at the eye-
practiced during performance of sacred brow center throughout the practice.
and religious offerings are religious
mudras. These are gyati mudras.
Customary-when practiced these are
beneficial for self and others. These are
namaskar mudra, pranayama mudra.7
I.YOGIC MUDRA
According to gherand sanhita, there
are 25 mudras which impart
accomplishments to yogic, Twenty-five
mudras which divulge mystical powers to
the practitioner are Maha mudra, nabho
mudra, mandvi mudra etc.
BENEFITS
1. MAHA MUDRA
It improves digestion and cures the
Maha Mudra or the Great Gesture it
disorders of the stomach.
is the first Mudra. In Sanskrit, Maha means
It neutralizes the effect of toxins in the
great and Mudra means a gesture, attitude or
body.
seal. Maha Mudra is a technique to raise the
human consciousness to higher levels and It removes Kapha disorders,
for improving health.6 tuberculosis, constipation, enlarged
spleen, prolonged fever and other
PROCEDURE diseases and the body attains good
Sit on the floor with legs stretched out. health.
Fold the left leg and press the perineum It balances the sympathetic and
with the left heel. parasympathetic nervous system. It
The right leg remains stretched out in generates peace. The sensory
front throughout the practice. excitements are reduced, thus inducing a
tranquil state of mind.
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Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
This practice makes the spine straight Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
and enables the pranic energy to clearly where the energy of the body is
go between Mooladhara and the conserved.
Vishuddhi chakra. The body gets It influences the heart, lungs, and brain.
charged with pranic energy. Since the The central nervous system and the
throat is also contracted during the endocrine glands work together and
practice of holding the breath, the Prana protects the body from certain
gets pushed down towards Apana and conditions like blood pressure, controls
the two merges at the Navel center the anxiety and stress levels, slows
or Manipuraka Chakra. This awakens down the heart rate, increases the
the Prana Shakti. metabolic activity, overcomes insomnia
Since this mudra is done along with etc.9
eyebrow gazing or Shambhavi Mudra, it
calms down the mind. Hence it is an II SPIRITUAL MUDRA
excellent practice before the start of These mudras can be performed for as long
meditation.7 as desired and are blissful.
2. NABHO MUDRA 1. GAYAN MUDRA
Nabho Mudra or the sky mudra Gyan Mudra is a powerful mudra (or
involves the tongue touching the upper hand position) practiced for thousands of
palate and is similar to Kechari mudra. In years by yogis that brings peace, calm, and
Sanskrit, the word ‘Nabha’ indicates sky spiritual progress. Artistic depictions of
and mudra means a gesture. great spiritual masters such as Guru Nanak,
Christ, Buddha, and Mahavir are all shown
PROCEDURE regularly with this hand position.
Firstly, Sit in padamasana or sidhasan.
PROCEDURE
Fold the tongue and reverse it to touch
It Connect the thumb and the
on the top inside pallet
forefinger (tip to tip, not tip to nail, which is
Concentrate the eyes between the another “active” variation of Gyan Mudra).
eyebrows The other fingers are straight but relaxed.
Go on inhaling and exhaling keeping Pressure between the thumb and forefinger
full concentration is light.
BENEFITS
It stimulates the third eye pineal gland,
pituitary gland, and memory as well as
balances the nervous system.
This is probably the best mudra to
sharpen your memory and heal your
internal organs by helping with stress,
anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
This will sharpen your memory and
enhance your inner spiritual qualities.
BENEFITS It brings in metabolically changes in our
It brings profound sense of calmness and body which increases flow of blood to
peace by activating the ‘rest and digest’ brain.11
mode (as opposed to the ‘fight of flight’
which is activated during stress or
strain). This ‘rest and digest’ mode is a
direct result of the activation of
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Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
human consciousness. Yogis also state that
this mudra is the gesture of knowledge. It is
one of the most used gestures with those
who meditate or practice yoga regularly.
PROCEDURE
First Form a circle by joining your
thumb and your forefinger.
Place the nail of your index finger
against the soft pad of the thumb
Extend the last three fingers of your
2. ANJALI MUDRA hands, the palm-side facing upwards
Anjali mudra, one of the hand gestures It is important that the palm-side of your
of yoga Anjali, in Sanskrit word which hands should face upwards in the
means "salutation" or "to offer,” Therefore, receiving pose.
Anjali mudra translates as "salutation seal".
PROCEDURE
Bringing the hands together, the palms
are placed gently against one another in
front of the anahata (heart) chakra.
The fingers point upward. The spine is
lengthened while sitting comfortably
straight. Bringing the hands together in
such a way while saying "Namaste" is a
respectful greeting.
BENEFITS
It Creats the Pranic circuit, which
maintains and redirects the “Prana” or
the flow of energy within your body.
It increases the concentration, even
during meditation and also it also
increases energy and stamina.
It improves the better sleep patterns.
It reduces the common ailments like
lower back pain.
It relieves stress and any unnecessary
BENEFITS tension in the body.5
It improves focus during meditation.
It promotes mindfulness, inner III CURATIVE MUDRA
awareness and calms the mind The description of a few curative
It relieves stress mudras is given here
It connects the brain's right and left 1. AKASH MUDRA
hemispheres.5 Akash, this Sanskrit term means
3. CHIN MUDRA ‘view or recognizes ‘and mudra means
The Chin Mudra, also known as ‘gesture or seal’. It is also known as
Gyan Mudra, can be described as a yogic the Shuni mudra, which means
gesture that represents the unified nature of the gesture of patience.
International Journal of Health Sciences and Research (www.ijhsr.org) 122
Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
PROCEDURE practice of Prithvi Mudra helps to awaken
First, sit into any comfortable the earth element.
posture.
PROCEDURE
By straightening of the head, neck
and back in a straight line, proceed It is a pretty simple yogic hand gesture
for deep breathing, this increases that is performed by the ring finger and
your awareness required for the thumb. Firstly, you must bring the ring
practice. finger and the thumb closer.
Next place your back of the palms on Sit in comfortable Posture
both knees. Gradually, fold the Now, place the hands with the palms
middle finger and touch it firmly facing upwards on the thighs or above
against the thumb. the knees.
Now, by maintaining the contact of Now slowly fold your ring finger and
the middle & thumb finger, extend tap the tip of the ring finger or Anamika
the rest of your fingers as much as finger to the tip of the thumb with little
possible. pressure. And try to keep the rest of the
three fingers extended and straight as
much as possible.
BENEFITS
It relieves the Condition of Migraine
BENEFITS
It reduces Sinusitis Pain
It helps Prana to flow better through
It induces the centers of concerned
our spine to the other parts of the
nerve cells in the nervous system.
body. This flow of prana encourages
Therefore, improves the functioning
energy distribution in all parts of our
and ultimately affects the hearing
body. Thus, the regular practice of
ability of an individual.
this mudra keeps us energetic and
Practicing Akash mudra stimulates prevents fatigue, weakness, and
the other side of those pressure
laziness
points. Further, the interaction of
It heals the body tissues and boosts
calcium, vitamin D and PTH
the growth of tissues.
regulates the blood calcium level.
Therefore, it cures the calcium Prithvi mudra heals cuts and wounds,
deficiency. 8 dry and cracked skin, fracture in
bones, the density of bones and brittle
2. PRITHVI MUDRA nails. 7
In Sanskrit ‘prithvi,’ refers to the
‘earth,’ and ‘mudra,’ refers to ‘gesture of 3. APANA VAYU MUDRA
the hands.’ Earth is considered as one of Apana Vayu mudra is a
the elements within the body and with the therapeutic mudra, mainly helps in
healing heart-related diseases.
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Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
PROCEDURE both hands in such a way that tips of
Firstly, join the tip of the middle the finger touch the base of your
finger and ring finger, with the tip of thumb and thumb pressing the top of
the thumb. the second phalanx (of the ring
Secondly, bend the index finger finger).
towards the thumb and touch the base Arrange another hand finger in the
of the thumb with the tip of the index same manner.
finger. After aligning the body & hand
Leave the little (pinky) finger comfortably, hold your hands over
extended as much as possible. the kneecap.
Do the same arrangement with both While pressing down the ring fingers,
hands simultaneously. make sure that other fingers are
Now, without disturbing the finger lightly stretched.
arrangement, place both hands on
your upper thighs.
BENEFITS
It helps in maintaining the
BENEFITS metabolism of the body.
It Prevents Heart Disorders As Surya mudra increases body
It Cures Shrinking of Heart Arteries temperature, it relieves from the
It Beneficial in Reducing the Effect problem caused by cold weather
of Heart Attacks. like Dry skin, Sore throat, Painful
It reduces air element in the body joints & Flu.
which improves digestion in the This mudra works for removing extra
body. cholesterol accumulated in the blood
It improves lung function, thus, helps vessels and hence reduces the risk of
to cure such problems. 10 heart attacks and indirectly helps in
curing diabetes also.
4. SURYA MUDRA It tackles coldness of limbs-Surya
“Surya” means sun and here mudra helps in problems like
“mudra” means hand gesture. Surya shivering, cold, coldness of body
mudra is basically finger arrangement parts.
(gesture) that represents energy our body
gain through sunlight. 5. PRANA MUDRA
The Prana Mudra means “the energy
PROCEDURE or else spirit of life” in its own self. The
Sit in a comfortable yoga Sana on a Prana Mudra is single of the most vital
mat, not directly on the floor. mudras as it helps to turn on the inactive
Now arrange the finger in the same energy in the body. This energizes the body
way Bend the ring fingers of your
International Journal of Health Sciences and Research (www.ijhsr.org) 124
Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
and awakens all the organs. This mudra Others curative mudras are: samaan
links to the heart and soul of the person. mudra, Udaan mudra, shakti mudrera,
thyroid mudra, linga mudra. 6
PROCEDURE
It is done with the help of both the IV RELIGIOUS MUDRAS
hands. These are twenty-four in number
Tips of ring plus little finger have to be which are performed by yogis of highest
joined by the lean of thumb. penance, some of them are sumukh,
All other fingers must be extended samput, dwimukh, trimukh, shakat, and
straight. singhakrant.
Prana mudra alters the energy in the
V CUSTOMARY MUDRAS
body, making you fit in conscious
1. Pranayama mudra: by folding first
breathing by your hand mudra practice.
two fingers and pressing the base of
Take profound and regular breath. thumb pranayama mudra is formed.
Breathe in and exhale for same duration. 2. Namaskar mudra: joining both
hands together with all the fingers put
together and keeping the base of
thumbs on the heart cave makes
namaskar mudra. It is exercised for
offering prayers, for concentration, to
give respect to anyone or to greet
someone. 8
DISCUSSION
Kuldeep Singh (2015) indicated that
the hand and finger positions of mudras or
hand gestures make important connections
BENEFITS in the nervous system and stimulate specific
This mudra assist eliminates any kind of energy pathways. It is also said that mudras
A, B, C, D, E, K vitamin deficiencies. increase energy and blood circulation to
It improves the regulatory power of the different parts of the brain, to important
mind. This mudra might help in tackling nerve junctions and glands. Early yogis
the unregulated habits, for example mapped out the hand areas and their
eating and sleeping disorders. associated reflexes which relate to the
It decreases nervousness, thereby different areas of the body and brain.3
improving self-confidence. Balaji P.V Deekshitulu (2016)
It fights against chronic fatigue, general reviewed that the Mudhratherapy can be
weakness. control of stress, depression, anxiety, fear
It helps to manage emotions for example and promotion of mental health and
anger, mental tension, envy, tetchiness, happiness. Studies have shown that mantras
pride, restlessness, revive happiness, can have beneficial effects on the health of
delight, enjoyment, wish, energy & the body as well as positive results in mental
enthusiasm. & physical levels.7
It also has the power to enhance your Deepti Tripathi et al., (2016) studied
immune system. that the yoga hand mudra was found to be
It treats eye irritation like burning red effective in normalizing high blood pressure
dry eyes, and cataract. in a novel way. This mudra is helpful in
emergency situations where medical help is
not available immediately. It can also
International Journal of Health Sciences and Research (www.ijhsr.org) 125
Vol.11; Issue: 1; January 2021
Sunitha S et.al. Mudra therapy and its classification
reduce further medical deterioration of 7. Deepti Tripathi, Jitendra Kumar Bhatt,
patient’s clinical condition.9 Yatiraj Kalantri, Vikrant Chitnis , Sheetal
Chitnis and Ramesh Chandra Kalantr
CONCLUSION (2016) Effect of Yoga Hand Mudra for
controlling High Blood pressure, Research
The various types of yoga mudra
Journal of Recent Sciences, Vol. 5, 33-35.
may be practiced anytime, anyplace – in the 8. Gherand Sanhita Mudra Prakaran 1- 25
bus, train, car, office or at home. It is mudras
suggested by experts that the yoga mudras 9. http:// Yoga Pedia.com
should be practiced for 24 minutes 10. http:// Vedic yoga ayurvedha.com
incessantly for good results. It can also be 11. https://7 Pranayama.com
done for five minutes at a time as well. To 12. Lakshmikanthan C, Alagesan R,
believe it, you must try it. There is nothing Thanikachalam S, et al. Long-term effects
to lose and much to gain. Thus, the above of yoga on hypertension and/or coronary
mention mudras applied tension to the artery disease. J Assoc Physicians India.
nerves or the neural which form the psycho- 1979; 27:1055-1058.
13. Kotikalapudi Shiva Kumar, TM Srinivasan,
neural circuits and it helps in balancing the
Judu Ilavarasu, Biplob Mondal, HR
five basic elements and reduce cough, cold, Nagendra (2018) classification of electro
and bronchial infections. It also balancing photonic images of yogic practice of mudra
the tension, and redirection of the internal through neural works, IJOY, Volume: 11 |
energy effects the changes in veins, tendons, Issue: 2 | Page: 152-156.
glands and sensory organs, to bring the body 14. kriya Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Siddhas
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15. Narnolia, P.K., et al., Effect of Sudarshan
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