Mudras for meditation

Dr Satish  K Kapoor

Hatha yoga comprises of a vast body of beliefs and practices aimed at harnessing the life-force for self-mastery. Mudras form an important part of Hatha yoga, and are used independently, or, in conjunction with postures, breathing exercises, cleansing processes, and concentration techniques. 

A mudra may pertain to a whole body-position, an eye movement, a hand gesture, a spiritual practice, an occult sign, or a devise to constrict the flow of psychosomatic energy. Some of the important mudras employed during meditation are as under:

Nose gazing: Agochari mudra

Sit in dhyana mudra, joining hands like a bowl in your lap, or, in jnana mudra, placing the tip of thumb on the index finger of both hands, while keeping other fingers extended. Breathe normally and focus with open eyes on tip of the nose without straining yourself. Thereafter, visualise the same spot with closed eyes. Repeat the exercise, five to seven times, or more. When nose-gazing becomes firm, one should try to listen to nada, the cosmic sound reverberating within. Agochari mudra stabilizes the mind and the senses, bestows clairaudient faculty, and activates muladhara chakra in the subtle body.

Breath of life: Bhuchari mudra

Sit in sukhasana, easy pose, siddhasana, adept’s pose or vajrasana, thunderbolt-pose. Bend the index, middle and ring fingers into the palm of right (or left) hand, and place the tip of thumb at the nasal base above the upper lip. Raise the little finger and gaze steadily at it, until tears begin to flow. Put the arm down, close the eyes, and conjure up the image. Repeat it 10-15 times. Practiced along with kumbhaka, retention of breath, and mulabandha, root-lock, Bhuchari mudra helps to raise apana vayu, ‘down-breath’ from the lower half of the body to the heart, so that it can mingle with prana, breath of life. It improves attention and activates the sense of smell.

Mental vision: Chachari mudra 

Sit in meditative posture and reflect on your thoughts. Breathe naturally, focusing attention at three places in successive order: a few inches ahead of the nose (or an external object in front), tip of the nose, and between the eyebrows, for as long as possible. Chachari mudra improves mental vision and prepares one to actualise higher states of consciousness. 

Point of concentration: Kaki (Kaag) mudra 

Kaag or crow is regarded as a messenger-bird belonging both to physical and spirit worlds. Kaag mudra aims at acquiring its supernormal ability. It is accomplished by shaping the mouth like a crow’s beak and gulping air through it slowly. Breath is held for 10-15 seconds and released through the nose, which is also the point of concentration.  Kaki mudra rejuvenates the body, releases tension, and makes the mind sharp.

For psychic ability: Bhujangini mudra

Bhujanga, serpent, is emblematic of primal energy lying dormant at the base of spine. Bhujangini mudra triggers this energy to rise up along the sushumna channel, so that it reaches the highest spiritual region. Its practice entails swallowing the air by throat, directing it towards the abdomen, and expelling it by burping. The posture adopted during this mudra is bhujangasana. 

(Dr Satish K Kapoor is a noted educatioist, historian and spiritualist).