Mudras

Dream Yogi · 09-16-2007, 03:05 PM

Does anyone here have very detailed experience with mudras and how they impact your consciousness?

What is the difference between meditating with thumbs touching index fingers, vs sitting in a zen cosmic mudra, vs any number of other things?

I know there is a difference, it is very clearly a different circulation of energies, but, what and why and how?

Pandara · 09-21-2007, 12:26 AM

Hi,

To understand Mudras, you must understand the meaning of the word. Mudras can be translated as "gesture" or "attitude". I prefer the last discription as it exactly describes your share when performing any mudra. You attitude is therefore very important when you perform any mudra, without the appropriate attitude the mudra will only be a directed flow of energy. For example, when you place your thumb (the Higher Self) over your index finger (the ego) in an attitude of surrender, then your spiritual benefit would be so much greater. But when you perform the mudra with an attitude of lets say self importance, then the benefit will not be the desired one.

What is the correct mudra for meditation, that I cannot tell you, nobody can, but to start you must feel comfortable with whatever mudra you use. I feel comfortable with simply placing my right hand in my left with the thumbs touching (a Buddhist meditation mudra) it is simple and the flow of energies are also condusive to my meditation. However, when I perform Pranayama I would use other mudras for that purpose. When I perform Tantra (here I don't refer to sexual tantra, but ceremonial tantra) I would use other mudras, it all depends on what you do and the enhancement of that state with the appropriate mudra.

Mudras are powerful yoga tools and not something you teach somebody over a few emails or through a book. Please find a competent spiritual teacher who will guide you and who understand the power of mudras. Some of the energies which you might encounter in doing some mudras may be too intense for your nervous system and may cause unpleasant experiences.

Love & Light

Pandara

Marmara · 09-24-2007, 01:19 AM

In short the science of mudras believe in the balancing of 5 elements, out of the ‘Original’ 11 different types of Hastha Mudras, there are 3 mudras where the thumb is to be touched to the index finger. In dhyaan (also gyaan) mudra & vaayu mudra we touch different pressure points on the index finger & the thumb. The 3rd is dhaarna shakti mudra which is dhyaan mudra but this time the pressure applied is slightly harder. With dhaarna shakti you can hold your breath longer and is done only while doing pranayama. In hastha mudras we touch different pressure points on all the four fingers with our thumb. So what we are doing here is acupressure & nothing else. Touching each pressure points has its own benefits. Meditating with gyaan mudra would improve your concentration, memory & release mental stress, why ??? coz this is what gyaan mudra is designed for, perhaps you should do some research on acupressure to understand the hastha mudras.

Not all the hastha mudras are for meditations and nor mudras are confined to our hastha, for instance in vipritha karni mudra we appear to be doing ardh sarvaang asana, but there’s a difference. Of course "Mudras are powerful yoga tools and not something you teach somebody over a few emails or through a book" coz there are so many things involved like prana, apaan vaayu, chakra bhedan, kundalini jaagran etc.

Instead of using the term Classical I’d like to call it ‘Oiginal’ Yoga & that it was an outcome of a particular philosophy. If you don’t believe in Kundalini awakening or Prana or the 5 elements, than perhaps ‘thumb touching the index finger’ will hold a completely different significance to you.

Mokshda · 06-24-2008, 07:45 AM

Namaste to all,
I have come across a book called 'Gheranda Samhita' and its refers to a mudra named 'panch dharini mudra'.
However it looks quite complicated.
Can anyone throw some light on this?
Thank you

**Nichole** · 06-24-2008, 11:49 AM

I wanted to share that this thread has been focused on hasta mudras (hand mudras) up until this point, and that the "pancha dharina mudra" is not a hasta mudra, but five, element-conquering practices within the Shambhavi mudra: Gheranda Samhita, Lesson 3, Mudra 15.

Hello Mokshda,
What do you mean by, "throw some light on this?"
What are you wanting information about?
Please be as specific as you can in your request--perhaps there is someone here who is a authorized to teach and support a student in these practices.

I can offer you no assistant in this mahamudra; I have not mastered this mudra. Personally, I do not have a strong desire to do this type of practice because of the level of committment one would need be to be readied for these practices, meaning the many practices that one would need to master before entering into this practice sattvically. And the level of mastery in these practice that one would absolutely need in a teacher to again enter into these practices safely with any possibility of mastery themselves.

My best advice is to find a teacher who has mastered this mudra and have them prepare you.

**Nichole** · 06-24-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dream Yogi

Does anyone here have very detailed experience with mudras and how they impact your consciousness?

What is the difference between meditating with thumbs touching index fingers, vs sitting in a zen cosmic mudra, vs any number of other things?

I know there is a difference, it is very clearly a different circulation of energies, but, what and why and how?

I have studied some of the hasta mudras from two different teachers: Sarasvati Burhman teaching Baba Hari Dass' hasta mudras and Joseph LePage teaching from his and Lilan Lepage's mudra booklet that they are publishing into a book. I recommend the Lepage's booklet because it so detailed and gives guidance on both the subtle and grosser benefits, as well as contraindications, of the mudras they cover.

I believe that mudra is translated into English almost directly as "seal." Pandara, could we also say that mudra is created through gesture, and as you wisely shared, more importantly through attitude rather than defining mudra by either of these terms?

Highest respect,

InnerAthlete · 06-24-2008, 07:43 PM

"Throwing light" would warrant the attention of a Guru.

**Nichole** · 06-24-2008, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InnerAthlete

"Throwing light" would warrant the attention of a Guru.

I had to reread the thread, but I got it now

Pandara · 06-24-2008, 11:47 PM

Nichole: Just as Shamatha is necessary to lead one to Vipashyana in meditation, I belief that gesture which is the physical aspect of the mudra is necessary to lead one to the appropriate attitude of the mudra. However I feel that gesture is only 10% of the practice and that attitude is the other 90% of the practice. To achieve the 10% that is easy, but the 90% part takes effort, purification, commitment and a very good teacher, this is my own personal pov and expereince over the years. You are also 100% correct to say that Mudra means "seal" or my own teacher Sri Durga, has described it always as a "short cut".

Mokshda: The mudra you are refering to is part of the Mana or head mudras and involve the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and lips. It combines a number of mudras connected to these five body parts and forms a very important part of Kundalini yoga. Again it must be seen and practiced as part of a whole system and not as individual pratices. The mudra is very powerful as it lead to certain siddhis. However, remember that siddhis can put a blockage on your further spiritual development.

In general about mudras: It is important to understand that mudras in all five the different classes namely: Hasta (hand), Mana (Head), Kaya (Posture), Bandha (locks) and Adhara (perineum) establish a strong link between Annamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha and Pranamaya Kosha and as such is designed to lead the practitioner to greater awareness of the flow of prana and your attitide towards this flow of prana. Ultimately it will, eventually after the grosser tendencies have been purified through constant effort (years of purification through yoga), lead to balances within the Koshas. In conclusion, becasue of their ability to redirect the flow of prana, mudras are an integral part of awakening Kundalini. But again, the practitioner must be ready and this is only for a master or teacher to determine and only to be attempted under the constant guidance of a master or teacher. All mudras also lead to Pratyahara and Dharana, and one must be certain that you are ready for Pratyahara and the subsequent effects of sense withdrawal.

Mokshda · 07-03-2008, 10:32 AM

Namaste to all
Thanks for your reply. Was just curious to know more. I also dont have this level of commitment to do such practices.
Thanks again
Regards ro all

Dream Yogi · 09-23-2008, 11:19 PM

i need to know what the g yan mudra does to idala and pingala

when i do it its like it cuts my face in half and it is not pleasant
and the tendency is for me to want to do the cosmic buddhist one, with thumbs touching

so that, in the first place, i have nystagmus where my eyes are not still, and its related to the third eye and the 2nd and first chakra imbalances

i like to meditate in gyan mudra, its how i am taught in my kriya school, but they said its fine for me to put my hands together

i am so used to index to thumb that i find the other meditations disrupted a bit by me being restless if i use another mudra for meditating, but it very much needs to be, that my eyes are corrected and stabilized.

my experience, it is that there are strands of energy coming out of my eyes, connected to other people's faces, and i get a lot of psychic troubles, so this seems to clear up if i unite the thumbs together

i need to have these people leave me alone, and i need to be where it is all balanced and clean and smooth.

06-24-2008, 11:49 AM	#5
Nichole SYT Moderator Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Boulder, Colorado Posts: 797	I wanted to share that this thread has been focused on hasta mudras (hand mudras) up until this point, and that the "pancha dharina mudra" is not a hasta mudra, but five, element-conquering practices within the Shambhavi mudra: Gheranda Samhita, Lesson 3, Mudra 15. Hello Mokshda, What do you mean by, "throw some light on this?" What are you wanting information about? Please be as specific as you can in your request--perhaps there is someone here who is a authorized to teach and support a student in these practices. I can offer you no assistant in this mahamudra; I have not mastered this mudra. Personally, I do not have a strong desire to do this type of practice because of the level of committment one would need be to be readied for these practices, meaning the many practices that one would need to master before entering into this practice sattvically. And the level of mastery in these practice that one would absolutely need in a teacher to again enter into these practices safely with any possibility of mastery themselves. My best advice is to find a teacher who has mastered this mudra and have them prepare you. __________________ Nichole Nurenberg-Miller Structural and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist • RYT500 www.FiveKoshaYogaTherapy.com Last edited by Nichole; 06-24-2008 at 02:09 PM.

06-24-2008, 07:43 PM	#7
InnerAthlete Mostly Good Egg Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Certified Purna Yoga Teacher - Seattle, WA Posts: 1,035	"Throwing light" would warrant the attention of a Guru. __________________ ---- http://www.yogamojodojo.com http://www.teamyoga.com http://www.innerathlete.net/forum

06-24-2008, 11:47 PM	#9
Pandara sátshata Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pretoria, South Africa Posts: 605	Nichole: Just as Shamatha is necessary to lead one to Vipashyana in meditation, I belief that gesture which is the physical aspect of the mudra is necessary to lead one to the appropriate attitude of the mudra. However I feel that gesture is only 10% of the practice and that attitude is the other 90% of the practice. To achieve the 10% that is easy, but the 90% part takes effort, purification, commitment and a very good teacher, this is my own personal pov and expereince over the years. You are also 100% correct to say that Mudra means "seal" or my own teacher Sri Durga, has described it always as a "short cut". Mokshda: The mudra you are refering to is part of the Mana or head mudras and involve the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and lips. It combines a number of mudras connected to these five body parts and forms a very important part of Kundalini yoga. Again it must be seen and practiced as part of a whole system and not as individual pratices. The mudra is very powerful as it lead to certain siddhis. However, remember that siddhis can put a blockage on your further spiritual development. In general about mudras: It is important to understand that mudras in all five the different classes namely: Hasta (hand), Mana (Head), Kaya (Posture), Bandha (locks) and Adhara (perineum) establish a strong link between Annamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha and Pranamaya Kosha and as such is designed to lead the practitioner to greater awareness of the flow of prana and your attitide towards this flow of prana. Ultimately it will, eventually after the grosser tendencies have been purified through constant effort (years of purification through yoga), lead to balances within the Koshas. In conclusion, becasue of their ability to redirect the flow of prana, mudras are an integral part of awakening Kundalini. But again, the practitioner must be ready and this is only for a master or teacher to determine and only to be attempted under the constant guidance of a master or teacher. All mudras also lead to Pratyahara and Dharana, and one must be certain that you are ready for Pratyahara and the subsequent effects of sense withdrawal. __________________ Blessings & Om's Pandara _____________________________________________ Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise. - Swami Sivanada

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Mudras for Empowerment	telecino	General Yoga Discussion	1	07-20-2006 02:49 AM
Downloadable yoga with mudras and pranayama	Datta Pandya	General Yoga Discussion	1	05-10-2006 08:43 PM
MUDRAS	qha	General Yoga Discussion	0	10-23-2004 11:58 PM

09-16-2007, 03:05 PM	#1
Dream Yogi dashan Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 17	Does anyone here have very detailed experience with mudras and how they impact your consciousness? What is the difference between meditating with thumbs touching index fingers, vs sitting in a zen cosmic mudra, vs any number of other things? I know there is a difference, it is very clearly a different circulation of energies, but, what and why and how?

09-21-2007, 12:26 AM	#2
Pandara sátshata Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pretoria, South Africa Posts: 605	Hi, To understand Mudras, you must understand the meaning of the word. Mudras can be translated as "gesture" or "attitude". I prefer the last discription as it exactly describes your share when performing any mudra. You attitude is therefore very important when you perform any mudra, without the appropriate attitude the mudra will only be a directed flow of energy. For example, when you place your thumb (the Higher Self) over your index finger (the ego) in an attitude of surrender, then your spiritual benefit would be so much greater. But when you perform the mudra with an attitude of lets say self importance, then the benefit will not be the desired one. What is the correct mudra for meditation, that I cannot tell you, nobody can, but to start you must feel comfortable with whatever mudra you use. I feel comfortable with simply placing my right hand in my left with the thumbs touching (a Buddhist meditation mudra) it is simple and the flow of energies are also condusive to my meditation. However, when I perform Pranayama I would use other mudras for that purpose. When I perform Tantra (here I don't refer to sexual tantra, but ceremonial tantra) I would use other mudras, it all depends on what you do and the enhancement of that state with the appropriate mudra. Mudras are powerful yoga tools and not something you teach somebody over a few emails or through a book. Please find a competent spiritual teacher who will guide you and who understand the power of mudras. Some of the energies which you might encounter in doing some mudras may be too intense for your nervous system and may cause unpleasant experiences. Love & Light Pandara

09-24-2007, 01:19 AM	#3
Marmara Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4	In short the science of mudras believe in the balancing of 5 elements, out of the ‘Original’ 11 different types of Hastha Mudras, there are 3 mudras where the thumb is to be touched to the index finger. In dhyaan (also gyaan) mudra & vaayu mudra we touch different pressure points on the index finger & the thumb. The 3rd is dhaarna shakti mudra which is dhyaan mudra but this time the pressure applied is slightly harder. With dhaarna shakti you can hold your breath longer and is done only while doing pranayama. In hastha mudras we touch different pressure points on all the four fingers with our thumb. So what we are doing here is acupressure & nothing else. Touching each pressure points has its own benefits. Meditating with gyaan mudra would improve your concentration, memory & release mental stress, why ??? coz this is what gyaan mudra is designed for, perhaps you should do some research on acupressure to understand the hastha mudras. Not all the hastha mudras are for meditations and nor mudras are confined to our hastha, for instance in vipritha karni mudra we appear to be doing ardh sarvaang asana, but there’s a difference. Of course "Mudras are powerful yoga tools and not something you teach somebody over a few emails or through a book" coz there are so many things involved like prana, apaan vaayu, chakra bhedan, kundalini jaagran etc. Instead of using the term Classical I’d like to call it ‘Oiginal’ Yoga & that it was an outcome of a particular philosophy. If you don’t believe in Kundalini awakening or Prana or the 5 elements, than perhaps ‘thumb touching the index finger’ will hold a completely different significance to you.

06-24-2008, 07:45 AM	#4
Mokshda Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 6	Namaste to all, I have come across a book called 'Gheranda Samhita' and its refers to a mudra named 'panch dharini mudra'. However it looks quite complicated. Can anyone throw some light on this? Thank you

07-03-2008, 10:32 AM	#10
Mokshda Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 6	Namaste to all Thanks for your reply. Was just curious to know more. I also dont have this level of commitment to do such practices. Thanks again Regards ro all

09-23-2008, 11:19 PM	#11
Dream Yogi dashan Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 17	i need to know what the g yan mudra does to idala and pingala when i do it its like it cuts my face in half and it is not pleasant and the tendency is for me to want to do the cosmic buddhist one, with thumbs touching so that, in the first place, i have nystagmus where my eyes are not still, and its related to the third eye and the 2nd and first chakra imbalances i like to meditate in gyan mudra, its how i am taught in my kriya school, but they said its fine for me to put my hands together i am so used to index to thumb that i find the other meditations disrupted a bit by me being restless if i use another mudra for meditating, but it very much needs to be, that my eyes are corrected and stabilized. my experience, it is that there are strands of energy coming out of my eyes, connected to other people's faces, and i get a lot of psychic troubles, so this seems to clear up if i unite the thumbs together i need to have these people leave me alone, and i need to be where it is all balanced and clean and smooth.