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Look at many articles on meditation and you’ll see something common in the photographs or illustrations they use – a hand position where the thumb and forefinger are touching to make an O. The more I read and wrote about meditation, the more I started to wonder why this was; and if you are wondering too, this is the answer.
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The gesture of touching the thumb and forefinger together is a position known as a mudra.
There are several of these that can be used, and the idea is that they connect different fields of energy around the body, and this change in the energy flow can impact your body in various ways.
Mudras also tap into the Ayurvedic principle that the body consists of five elements – earth, fire, water, air and space or ether. Each digit corresponds to one of these elements, and by touching them together, you can balance the elements within your body. Imbalance is thought to be a cause of illness or emotional disquiet.
This might seem a little out there, but scientists investigating the theory of mudras have actually seen changes in the way energy flows around the body when using mudras via electrophotonic imaging.
Those scientists also suggest another reason why they might work. In their paper, they state that ‘in yoga philosophy, different areas of the hand stimulate specific areas of the brain. By applying light pressure to these areas of the hand, we will “activate” the corresponding region of the brain, similar to reflexology.’
The Gyan Mudra
The gesture you see in so many images of meditation practice is called the Gyan Mudra (or Chin Mudra). To do it, you touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of the thumb, keeping the other three fingers straight but relaxed. Now, rest your hands on your knees with palms up.
While there are believed to be a few different benefits of this hand position, the main reason that it’s used in meditation is that it’s said to help increase focus and concentration and calm the nervous system. If you’re struggling to still your mind during meditation, try shifting your hand position to see if it makes a difference.
Related Read: 8 Meditation Tools to Still the Mind.
If you want to look further at the more spiritual meaning, in yogic practice, the thumb represents universal consciousness or divine energy, while the forefinger symbolises individual consciousness or the self. By bringing these two fingers together, you unite yourself with the universe, a gesture that reflects the deeper goal of meditation – to transcend the ego and connect with something greater.
Is It the Only Hand Position Used?
While Gyan Mudra is the most common in meditation, in yoga practice, there are actually 13 different finger positions, or mudras, that you can use, each with a different intention and energetic focus. Here are just some of them…
Prana Mudra
In this position, you touch the tips of your thumb, little finger and ring finger together, keeping your other two digits straight but relaxed. Prana Mudra is said to help increase vitality and fight fatigue. This was the position studied in the scientific research I mentioned above.
Varun Mudra
In this position, you connect your little finger and your thumb. The little finger, in Ayurvedic medicine, relates to the element of water in the body – so, this is good to increase fluid levels in your body – if you have problems with dry skin, for example – but, on an emotional level, can also help encourage feelings of fluidity and freedom. It could be a good one to use if you’re feeling stuck or hemmed in.
Shuni Mudra
In this position, the tip of the middle finger touches the tip of the thumb while the other fingers stay relaxed. It’s said that this mudra can help increase discipline and patience ( the author of this piece immediately adopts said position).
Surya Mudra
This involves bending your ring finger across your palm and placing the tip on the base of your thumb. This is said to increase the fire element in your body, raising metabolism and warmth. It’s even said that this might help enhance weight loss.
Related Read: Why Yoga Can Support Your Weight Loss Goals
There are many other mudras, including complete body movements, that have been shown to reduce pain conditions in studies. If you want to see more about using them in your meditation practice, as part of your yoga practice, or just as a way to invoke change in your body, take a look at the book Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands by Swiss yoga teacher Gertrud Hirchi, which explains the practice and positions more fully.