Hand Positions for Meditation

Hand positions in meditation can influence the energy of our physical, emotional, and spiritual body. Our hands define our karma due to our fingers being the power points that link between individual Pranic force and universal cosmic energy. Your hands have innate healing powers that can be beneficial during your meditation practice. Despite the exact origins of Mudras being unknown – these ritualistic hand positions were introduced in India and China and have existed for thousands of years. They have appeared in varying religions and traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Tantric rituals, Roman art, Asian martial arts, Taoism, and Indian classical dance.

Different traditions value and define the purpose of hand gestures in different ways. Some traditions focus them on subtle energies, others utilize them as a method of transmitting teaching via symbols, acting as a tool for healing illness and disease or even attributing psychic abilities and “magic” powers to the practitioner. Essentially, Mudras are a sacred form of non-verbal communication and can be viewed as an external expression of inner resolve.

Hand positions can influence how our mind reacts during our meditative practice. This is due to the hands being sites of sensory reception and has a deep connection with our brain – in simple terms: the way we hold our hands during our meditation practice can influence the way we hold our mind. Mudra is a Sanskrit term for hand positions that are defined as, a symbolic hand gesture with the power of producing happiness and joy. Within many Hindu and Buddhist rituals, Mudra is an integral aspect that holds a great deal of significance. Hand positioning can help with linking the brain to the body, soothing pain, stimulating endorphins, altering mood, and increasing our overall vitality.

Within Mudras, each finger is thought to have a specific role within the body and its unique significance. The fingers essentially act as electrical circuits, the use of Mudras can work to adjust the flow of energy and consequently balance various elements of our mental and physical beings to accommodate healing. The thumb is representative of fire, the forefinger wind, the middle finger ether (space), the ring finger earth, and the little (pinkie) finger water. Each of these fingers can be manipulated into certain positions to accurately influence energies to bring forward specific benefits during meditation practice.