"The hands are the visible part of the brain."
β Immanuel Kant
Hey lovely,
This Wednesday in chair yoga, Rose had another question for me π
This time about Mudras: Where did they come from? What were they actually doing, beyond looking vaguely mysterious and making everyone feel a little more yoga-ish? And who invented them.
It's a great question because the answer is so much richer and older and stranger and more wonderful than most people expect. These gestures, called mudras, are one of the most ancient and continuously living practices in all of the Indian traditions. And the hands, it turns out, are one of the most potent instruments we carry with us everywhere we go.
So let's talk about them properly. πΏ
WHAT DOES MUDRA ACTUALLY MEAN?
The Sanskrit word mudra has several translations: "seal", "gesture", or "mark". In its broadest sense, it refers to any symbolic or ritual gesture made with the body. The root mud (pronounced more like mood than mud) means joy or bliss, and ra means to draw forth. A mudra, then, is a gesture that draws forth joy, which is a rather lovely way to start.
Mudras appear across an extraordinary range of Indian traditions: yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Ayurveda, and the classical performing arts. They are found carved into temple walls dating back over two thousand years, depicted in sculptures of the Buddha, encoded in the hand positions of Hindu deities, and performed by classical dancers with extraordinary precision and meaning.
FROM THE STAGE TO THE MAT - THE DANCE CONNECTION
One of the most spectacular traditions of mudra use comes not from yoga but from Indian classical dance forms, particularly Bharatanatyam, one of the oldest codified dance forms in the world, originating in Tamil Nadu.
In Bharatanatyam and related traditions, hand gestures, called Hasta Mudras (hasta meaning hand), form an entire language. Single-hand gestures (Asamyuta Hastas) and double-hand gestures (Samyuta Hastas) are combined with facial expressions and body movements to tell stories, depict deities, describe nature, and convey emotional states with extraordinary specificity. The ancient text Natyashastra, written by the sage Bharata Muni around 200 BCE, documents 28 single-hand mudras and their meanings in meticulous detail. There is a mudra for the moon, one for a fish, one for a lotus, one for a bee. An entire universe expressed through the fingers.
This rich dance tradition shares deep roots with yoga; both draw from the same wellspring of embodied spiritual practice, the understanding that the body itself is a sacred instrument, and that deliberate, conscious gesture can create specific states of being.
Mudras don't have a documented single "inventor" the way an invention might. They emerged over centuries from a confluence of dance, ritual worship, and yogic/tantric practice in ancient India, likely developing organically as performers and priests found that specific hand shapes could communicate meaning, emotion, or symbolic states.
THE FOUR FAMILIES OF MUDRA
Within yoga, mudras are understood to fall into several broad categories, each working with a different aspect of the body-mind system.
HASTA MUDRAS - Hand gestures
The most commonly practised family. Hand and finger positions that influence the flow of prana and create specific energetic effects in the body and mind. The focus of our practice at The Yoga Pantry.
MANA MUDRAS - Head gestures
Gestures involving the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and lips. These include practices like Shambhavi Mudra (gazing at the third eye point) and Khechari Mudra (tongue rolling back).
KAYA MUDRAS - Postural gestures
Whole-body gestures that combine physical posture with breath and concentration. Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) is considered a Kaya Mudra; the posture itself is the seal.
BANDHA MUDRAS - Lock gestures
The yogic locks (which I teach in-depth in our beginner plus course) comprise Mula Bandha (root lock), Uddiyana Bandha (abdominal lift), and Jalandhara Bandha (chin lock); these are thought to contain and redirect prana within the body.
WHY THE HANDS? THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE GESTURE
The hands are, neurologically speaking, extraordinary. They contain a staggering density of nerve endings, around 17,000 touch receptors in each hand alone, and are represented by a disproportionately large area of the motor and sensory cortex in the brain. The hands, as Kant observed, really are a visible part of the brain.
Research in embodied cognition confirms what yogis have always known: the position of the body, including the hands, shapes the state of the mind. Hand gestures activate specific neural circuits, influencing attention, emotional tone, and cognitive processing. Studies on mudra practice have shown measurable effects on galvanic skin response, brainwave patterns, and heart rate variability, particularly with sustained practice. The hands are not just tools we use to interact with the world. They are instruments through which we interact with ourselves.
In yogic understanding, this is explained through the framework of the five elements - Pancha Mahabhutas - and their correspondence with the five fingers. Each finger is understood to represent one of the five elements that make up all of existence, and deliberately connecting fingers creates circuits that balance those elemental energies within the body.
THE FIVE FINGERS AND THEIR ELEMENTS:
Thumb - Fire (Agni)
Transformation, digestion, will
Index finger - Air (Vayu)
Movement, breath, expansion
Middle finger - Ether (Akasha)
Space, connection, communication
Ring finger - Earth (Prithvi)
Grounding, stability, nourishment
Little finger - Water (Jala)
Flow, emotion, fluidity
When we touch fingers together in a mudra, we are, according to this ancient understanding, creating a circuit between elemental energies, redirecting or balancing the flow of prana in ways that are specific, intentional, and measurable in their effects over time.
HOW HASTA MUDRAS WORK IN YOGA PRACTICE
In a yoga practice, hasta mudras are typically held during pranayama, meditation, or seated asana, though some traditions incorporate them throughout movement practice as well. They work most effectively when the hands are relaxed but alert, held with a quality of soft intention rather than rigid grip.
How mudras create their effects - the yogic understanding:
β By connecting specific fingers, we complete energetic circuits that redirect prana flow through the nadis (energy channels) of the body
β Different mudras stimulate or calm different organ systems, emotional states, and qualities of mind
β The effects deepen with duration; most traditions suggest holding a mudra for at least a few minutes for noticeable effect, and building to 15 - 45 minutes for deeper therapeutic benefit
β Mudras work synergistically with breath; a mudra held during pranayama amplifies the effect of both practices
β The quality of attention matters as much as the physical position; a mudra held with presence and intention carries a different quality than one held absently
β Like asana, mudras work cumulatively; regular practice over weeks and months builds lasting shifts in energy, mood, and awareness
You may have already practised some of the most well-known hasta mudras without realising it. Chin Mudra, thumb and index finger touching, other fingers extended, is one of the most common, used during meditation and pranayama to cultivate receptive awareness.
Pranam, sometimes called Anjali Mudra, palms pressed together at the heart, is the gesture of greeting and reverence we use to open and close practice. Even these simple, familiar gestures carry this entire tradition within them.
IN OUR CLASSES - THE LE PAGE APPROACH
Each week at The Yoga Pantry, we explore a new mudra together.
Our mudra practice is drawn from the work of Joseph and Lilian Le Page, founders of Integrative Yoga Therapy and authors of Mudras for Healing and Transformation, one of the most comprehensive and beautifully researched modern texts on mudra practice available. The Le Pages approach mudras not as esoteric ritual but as a genuine therapeutic system, mapping each mudra to its elemental correspondences, its effects on the physical body and energy body, its psychological and emotional qualities, and its potential for healing and transformation.
Their work draws from classical yogic and Ayurvedic sources while making mudra practice deeply accessible and practically applicable, which is exactly the spirit in which we practise them together. Each mudra we explore in class is an invitation to experience something for yourself, in your own body, in real time. That direct experience is always more valuable than any description of it.
If you'd like to explore further, Mudras for Healing and Transformation by Joseph and Lilian Le Page is a beautiful addition to any yoga student's bookshelf. πΏ
Or tune into The Yoga Pantry Facebook page every Monday mid-morningish...for a live mudra card draw with me π
The hands have been speaking this language for thousands of years. Every time you bring your palms together in prayer, every time your fingers settle into Chin Mudra at the start of a meditation, you are participating in one of the oldest continuous spiritual practices on earth. You are joining a conversation that has been happening, without interruption, for millennia.
There is something quietly extraordinary about that. The same gesture. The same intention. Across thousands of years and thousands of hands.
I can't think of a better reason to keep practising it. πΏ
What's Happening In The Pantry π§ββοΈ
Our next Beginner Yoga Course starts on the 3rd of August.
Which will be here in a mere 2 weeks!
If you know someone who's looking to get into yoga and doesn't know how or where to start, then now is the perfect time to start your campaign to get them into our awesome beginner courses. Our beginner Yoga course has been running for almost 13 years (we turn 13 on the 21st of July) and is the best and most well-rounded beginner yoga course around (if I do say so myself). With a good mix of philosophy, breathwork, and, of course, physical postures, but what really sets us apart is the emphasis on finding ways to let the poses fit you rather than the other way around. Plus, all the wonderful folks who make up our amazing community.
It's also a great course to brush up on your basics and get back into the swing of things if you've been away from your yoga practice for a while...ππ
For more information and to secure a coveted spot in this fantastic course, check out our website and BOOK NOW!!!!!!!
There are a few fantastic workshops coming up over the next few months too!
Starting with our beloved Restorative Yoga session on July 26, that's next Sunday folks!
The Power of Rest is 2 hours of absolute bliss, surrendering your aching and tired body to the soft embrace of bolsters, blankets and blocks, plus some lovely poetry to help you sink into your own inner wisdom and intuition, topped off with yummy herbal tea. Join Tash on Sunday, July 26 for this class favourite.
βBook Here and bring a friend ππ
We've also got another SOUNDBATH happening on August 23rd
Full Moon Surrender - Letting Go And Reconnecting - Restorative Sound Journey
This is happening a couple of days after the actual full moon, but the moon's pull will still be strong, so I thought we might make an event of it π. Make sure you grab your ticket for this event before it slips your mind, because it will be here in a flash and it will be awesome! There's going to be some drumming, some crystal bowls, some chimes and some mantras. We'll harness the power of the moon, let go of old useless baggage and reset our intentions for the rest of 2026.
βBook your spot in the session and bring your friends to share the full moon magic!
AND even more exciting!!! In September, we are going to explore releasing tension and stress through the MELT method of using a tennis ball to access trigger points in the body and coax the body to let go of deeply held tightness and tension; then we will follow that up with an hour of restorative yoga to soothe and soften any lingering tensions. You will achieve jellyfish/sloth status!
AND you'll also get a special tennis ball to take home for your continued home practice, yay!
βCheck out all the details for our Melt, Release, Restore Workshop - 2 hours to a new you!
Mark your calendar; this is not to be missed!
Head here to book all your regular yoga classes and maybe even try some new ones!
Remember, you can join us online from anywhere in the world, live or at a time that suits you, with our instant 14-day on-demand Zoom recording!
Don't forget you can also join us for a FREE meditation session every Saturday morning, and even if you can't, you can book in via Zoom and do the meditation later in the day, or every day, until the next session :)
Your YouTube Class Of The Week...
Welp, I'm going to have to work on some new YouTube content! Anything in particular you'd like to see on our channel? Let me know, and I'll get on it!
For now, here is my most popular channel video :)
Feel free to share these vids far and wide because sharing is caring, and it helps me with the algorithm :D
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With hands at my heart and so much love for this practice πΏ
Tash & The Yoga Pantry Team
See you on the mat π»
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I see you, and I appreciate you. You are awesome...and don't you forget it ;) x
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