HOW TO CONNECT WITH UNIVERSE? (HAND MUDRAS)

JNANA MUDRA

(PSYCHIC GESTURE OF KNOWLEDGE)

ASSUME A COMFORTABLE MEDITATION POSTURE.
FOLD THE INDEX FINGERS SO THAT THEY TOUCH THE INSIDE ROOT OF THE THUMBS.
STRAIGHTEN THE OTHER THREE FINGERS OF EACH HANS SO THAT THEY ARE RELAXED AND SLIGHTLY APART.
PLACE THE HANDS ON THE KNEES WITH THE PALMING FACING DOWN.
RELAX THE HANDS AND ARMS.

CHIN MUDRA

(PSYCHIC GESTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS)

CHIN MUDRA IS PERFORMED IN THE SAME WAY AS JNANA MUDRA, EXCEPT THAT THE PALMS OF BOTH HANDS FACE UPWARDS, WITH THE BACKS OF THE HANDS RESTING ON THE KNEES. RELAX THE HANDS AND ARMS.

SEQUENCE

ONE OF THESE TWO MUDRAS SHOULD BE ADOPTED WHENEVER PRACTISING MEDITATION, UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED.

BENEFITS

JNANA MUDRA AND CHIN MUDRA ARE SIMPLE BUT IMPORTANT PSYCHO-NEURAL FINGER LOCKS WHICH MAKE MEDITATION ASANAS MORE POWERFUL.
THE PALMS AND FINGERS OF THE HANDS HAVE MANY NERVE ROOT ENDINGS WHICH CONSTANTLY EMIT ENERGY.
WHEN THE INDEX FINGER TOUCHES THE THUMB, A CIRCUIT IS PRODUCED WHICH ALLOWS THE ENERGY THAT WOULD NORMALLY DISSIPATE INTO THE ENVIRONMENT TO TRAVEL BACK THROUGH THE BODY AND UP TO THE BRAIN.
WHEN THE FINGERS AND HANDS ARE PLACED ON THE KNEES, THE KNEES ARE SENSITIZED, CREATING ANOTHER PRANIC CIRCUIT THAT MAINTAINS AND REDIRECTS PRANA WITHIN THE BODY.
WHEN THE PALMS FACE UPWARD IN CHIN MUDRA, THE CHEST AREA IS OPENED UP.
THE PRACTITIONER MAY EXPERIENCE THIS AS A SENSE OF LIGHTNESS AND RECEPTIVITY, WHICH IS ABSENT IN THE PRACTICE OF JNANA MUDRA.

VARIATION

JNANA MUDRA AND CHIN MUDRA ARE OFTEN PERFORMED WITH THE TIP OF THE THUMB AND INDEX FINGER TOUCHING AND FORMING A CIRCLE. BEGINNERS MAY FIND THIS VARIATION LESS SECURE FOR PROLONGED PERIODS OF MEDITATION, AS THE THUMB AND INDEX FINGER TEND TO SEPARATE MORE EASILY WHEN BODY AWARENESS IS LOST. OTHERWISE, THIS VARIATION IS AF EFFECTIVE AS THE BASIC POSITION.

PRACTICE NOTE

THE EFFECT OF CHIN OR JNANA MUDRA IS VERY SUBTLE AND IT REQUIRES GREAT SENSIVITY ON THE PART OF THE PRACTITIONER TO PERCEIVE THE CHANGE IN CONSCIOUSNESS ESTABLISHED. WITH PRACTICE, HOWEVER, THE MIND BECOMES CONDITIONED TO THE MUDRA AND WHEN IT IS ADOPTED, THE SIGNAL TO ENTER A MEDITATIVE STATE IS TRANSMITTED.

LISTEN

THE WORD JNANA MEANS "WISDOM" OR "KNOWLEDGE" AND THUS JNANA MUDRA IS THE GESTURE OF INTUITIVE KNOWLEDGE.
CHIN, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD CHIT OR CHITTA, WHICH MEANS CONSCIOUSNESS" .
CHIN MUDRA, THEREFORE, IS THE PSYCHIC GESTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
SYMBOLICALLY, THE SMALL, RING AND MIDDLE FINGERS REPRESENT THE THREE GUNAS OR QUALITIES OF NATURE.
TAMAS, (STABILITY) RAJAS (ACTIVITY) AND SATTWA (CREATIVITY)

YONI MUDRA
(ATTITUDE OF THE WOMB OR SOURCE)

ASSUME A COMFORTABLE MEDITATION POSTURE WITH THE HEAD AND SPINE STRAIGHT.
PLACE THE PALMS OF THE HANDS TOGETHER WITH THE FINGERS AND THUMBS STRAIGHT ANS POINTING AWAY FROM THE BODY.
KEEPING THE PADS OF THE INDEX FINGERS TOGETHER, TURN THE LITTLE, RING AND MIDDLE FINGERS INWARDS SO THAT THE BACK OF THE FINGERS ARE TOUCHING.
INTERLOCK THE LITTLE, RING AND MIDDLE FINGERS.
BRING THE THUMBS TOWARDS THE BODY AND JOIN THE PADS OF THE FINGERS TOGETHER TO FORM THE BASE OF A YONI OR WOMB SHAPE.

BENEFITS

THE INTERLOCKING OF THE FINGERS IN THIS PRACTICE CREATES A COMPLETE CROSS-CONNECTION OF ENERGIES FROM THE RIGHT HAND INTO THE LEFT AND VICE VERSA. AS WELL AS BALANCING THE ENERGIES IN THE BODY, IT HELPS TO BALANCE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT HEMISPHERES OF THE BRAIN.

PLACING THE TIPS OF THE INDEX FINGERS AND THUMBS TOGETHER FURTHER INTENSIFIES THE FLOW OF PRANA.

THIS MUDRA MAKES THE BODY AND MIND MORE STABLE IN MEDITATION AND DEVELOPS GREATER CONCENTRATION, AWARENESS AND INTERNAL PHYSICAL RELAXATION. IT REDIRECTS PRANA BACK INTO THE BODY WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE DISPERESED THROUGH THE HANDS AND FINGERS. THE ELBOWS NATURALLY TEND TO POINT TO THE SIDE WHEN PERFORMING THIS MUDRA WHICH HELPS OPEN UP THE CHEST AREA.

VARIATION

YONI MUDRA MAY ALSO BE PERFORMED BY INTERLOCKING THE MIDDLE, RING AND LITTLE FINGERS WITHOUT TURNING THEM INWARD.
THE THUMBS MAY BE CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE OUTSTRETCHED INDEX FINGERS, OR OUTSTRETCHED WITH THE PADS TOUCHING TOWARDS THE BODY.

NOTES

THE WORD YONI MEAS "WOMB" OR "SOURCE". YONI MUDRA INVOKES THE PRIMAL ENERGY INHERENT IN THE WOMB OR SOURCE OF CREATION.

BHAIRAVA MUDRA

(FIERCE OR TERRIFYING ATTITUDE)

ASSUME A COMFORTABLE MEDITATION POSTURE WITH THE HEAD AND SPINE STRAIGHT.
PLACE THE RIGHT HAND ON TOP OF THE LEFT.
SO THAT THE PALMS OF BOTH HANDS ARE FACING UPWARD.
BOTH HANDS REST IN THE LAP.
CLOSE THE EYES AND RELAX THE WHOLE BODY.
KEEPING IT MOTIONLESS.

VARIATION

WHEN THE LEFT HAND IS PLACED ON TOP OF THE RIGHT, THE PRACTICE IS CALLED BHAIRAVI MUDRA. BHAIRAVI IS THE FEMALE COUNTERPART OF BHAIRAVA.

NOTES

THE TWO HANDS REPRESENT IDA AND PINGALA NADIS, AND THE UNION OF THE INDIVIDUAL WITH THE SUPREME CONSCIOUSNESS. BHAIRAVA MUDRA IS USED IN PRANA MUDRA. IT MAY ALSO BE USED DURING PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE.