Mudras & Hand Symbolism: What are Mudras? Part 1
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When we study Eastern philosophies, beliefs, culture, and the pragmatic yogic methods of Hinduism and Buddhism, we often come across practices of systematic hand gestures. The rites, rituals, initiations, dances, and spiritual disciplines of these Oriental religions and traditions are replete with multifold forms of hand gestures with symbolic meanings and empowering virtues. In Sanskrit these gestures are called mudra. Mudra means “seal,” or “symbol.” The word has various connotations or definitions in Yogic and Tantric philosophies. In Hatha yoga, mudras are special physical asanas, or body-postures; they are also certain exercises or processes that arouse into activity one’s innate energies. The ancient yogic text, the “Gheranda-Samhita,” describes twenty-five of these mudras among which are: ashvini-mudra, bhujangini-mudra, kaki-mudra, khecari-mudra, maha-mudra, manduki-mudra, matangi-mudra, nabho-mudra, pashini-mudra, sahajoli-mudra, shakti-calani-mudra, shambhavi-mudra, tadagi-mudra, vajroli-mudra, viparita-karani-mudra, yoni-mudra, etc.
The above yogic manual advises us that these mudras are to be kept secret with great care and not to be conveyed to anyone unfit for their reception as these mudras could confer tremendous power and psychic abilities called siddhis. Those without the right spiritual qualifications could cause untold harm to themselves and others should they engage in these exercises and be successful in unfolding occult faculties. The psychic powers acquired therefrom would be misapplied, misused and abused for egoistic purposes–and this is potentially fatal for one’s evolutionary