You may not be familiar with the word mudra, but you’ve probably seen one performed, especially if you practice yoga. Some yoga enthusiasts routinely include these hand and finger gestures in their workouts. Learning mudras to add them to your own yoga sessions can be easily done online.
The three easiest ways to learn mudras online are to take a beginner’s course online, watch a video outlining the how and why of mudras, and follow and read yoga journals and blogs. The cost of these options can be anywhere from free to nearly $500.
Ready to take your yoga workouts to the next level? Keep reading to discover the easiest ways to unlock the not-so-secret secrets of mudras and how to learn them online.
Also understanding the colors of aura can help us gain insights into our own and others’ personalities, emotions, and behaviors, and help us to cultivate more balance and harmony in our lives, Now lets jump in with mudras.
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What are Mudras?
The term mudra is a Sanskrit term that means a gesture, mark, or seal which is used symbolically in dance, ceremonies, and meditations. Mudras are typically made with the hands or fingers, but can also include the elbows, wrists, and shoulders.
You’ll often find mudras used in conjunction with a mantra, or spiritual utterance, in ceremonies or the practice of yoga. Mudras influence your attitude and mood and promote more intense concentration and awareness. Whether you perform a mudra by itself or as part of a yoga session, it is an ancient technique designed to promote health and healing.
How Do Mudras Work?
One of the key theories in yoga is the idea that everything in and on the earth, including our human bodies, is made of the five elements: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Space. Each element plays an important role within your body and imbalances between the elements lead to disease and poor health.
These five elements are represented by our fingers and thumb. When any one of your fingers touches your thumb, that element is brought into balance.
| Finger | Element | Sanskrit Name | Connection with: |
| Thumb | Fire | Agni | Passion, energy, vitality |
| Index Finger | Air | Vayu | Critical to survival; nourishing; providing power to our mind and thoughts |
| Middle Finger | Space | Akash | Encompasses all other elements; communication and voice, singing and rhythm |
| Ring Finger | Earth | Prithvi | Grounding, anchoring, safety |
| Little Finger | Water | Jal | Flow of feelings and emotions; pathway of least resistance to currents of life |
By bringing a finger in contact with your thumb, you are able to control how much of that particular element is present in your body and awaken that element within you.
The Easiest Way to Learn Mudras Online
If you’re thinking this all sounds complicated and hard to learn, relax. (After all, isn’t that what yoga and mudras are supposed to help you do?) There are several ways you can educate yourself about mudras and begin to incorporate them into your yoga workouts.
1. Take an Online Mudras Course for Beginners
For beginners, an online mudras course offers a comprehensive curriculum that starts with the “what and why” of mudras and then dives into the “how.” You’ll learn the history and theory behind using mudras for meditation and integrating them into the yoga philosophy.
Online courses then introduce you to the hundreds of mudras and where they fall on the element connection.
A prime example of a great online course for mudra is Mudras: Health in Your Hands, Unleash the Power of Yogic Gestures from Siddhi Yoga. Certified by the Yoga Alliance and boasting over 2000 graduates from 90+ countries may be just what you’re looking for.
Led by Master Indian teacher Sandeep Solanki, Siddhi Yoga’s program includes a number of features that will help any beginner gain knowledge and hands-on experience with mudras.
- Self-paced training: With 70 hours of content available 24/7, you can work at your own speed, slowing down when you need to study a topic more deeply or moving quickly if you’re already familiar with an area.
- Over 100 lessons: The collection of 150 video lessons teaches you 108 mudras.
- Online manual: Whenever you have questions or need more detailed information about a particular mudra, the digital manual is there at your fingertips.
- Yoga community: Through an online community space, Siddhi Yoga gives you the chance to interact with others who practice yoga, to learn from those who are further advanced in their yoga journey.
- Continuing education: After you finish the Siddhi course, you’ll be able to access up to 70 hours of additional training through the Yoga Alliance.
The full online course costs $495 if paid in installments or $397 if paid upfront in a lump sum.
2. Watch a Video
For beginning yogis who aren’t ready to invest in such a comprehensive course, there are less expensive ways to learn about mudras online. Videos of any length abound on Youtube. Other than having to watch a few seconds of ads, these videos are typically free.
Our search for “mudras videos” brought over 7,800,000 possibilities. From short 2 minute meditations to 10-20 minute videos that provide in-depth guides on learning and practicing mudras, you should find something that suits your needs and level of experience.
Most are on Youtube, although you will find videos on yoga blogs and websites as well.
3. Read Yoga Blogs and Journals
A quick internet search for “yoga mudras blogs” yields over 3,000,000 results. That’s probably more than you’ll ever need or care to read. Still glancing through even a few of these online articles and blogs can yield a lot of information about how to add mudras to your workouts.
Most hone in on 5-10 basic mudras that are easy to explain and simple for beginners to do. Typically a blog or journal touches on each of the 5 elements, offering a specific mudra to influence that area of the body.
Your initial foray into a blog or journal may be free, but some will charge a small fee if you want access to additional content. Here are a few examples to check out:
- Yoga Society
- Art of Living
- Dragonfly Yoga
Final Thoughts
You may not have ever performed mudras in your own yoga sessions, but hopefully, this brief introduction will encourage you to give them a try. Even though yoga can help with injuries, channeling your body’s energy through intentional and conscious movements of your hands and fingers may lead to better health and overall life balance.
