Various pictures of Gautama Buddha, Mahavir Jain, Lord Krishna, Guru Nanak, and many other realized beings are found in a specific gesture or seal with their hands. Where they are touching the index finger with the thumb. This gesture is known as Gyan mudra.
It is a hasta mudra and in Buddhism, it is also known as Chin mudra. Gyan mudra is referred to in many places of our ancient Hindu Vedic books like Gheranda Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, etc. where Shiva has written and shown all the mudras, gestures for the wellbeing of humanity.
Table of Contents
The Yogic Philosophy of Gyan Mudra
- Yogic Sense: Hasta Mudras (Knowledge Enhancement, Anti Depression)
- Style: Hatha Yoga
- Chakras: Muladhara
- Nadis: Sushumna
- Physical Presence: Fingertips, Wrist
- Strengthens: Mind, Vital Organs, Memory
- Duration: 25 -30 Minutes
- Repetition: If Body Permits
All the yoga, pranayama, mudra, etc. are practiced for the betterment and stability of the mind. Gyan Mudra is skillful for acquiring knowledge, imparting knowledge in various places, and times for the betterment of individual life.
Benefits of Gyan Mudra
There are multiple benefits of Gyan mudra.
Better Sleep
Gyan Mudra improves our sleep quality to a great extent. When there is a balance between work, knowledge, and our Karma, improvement of sleep is a natural consequence. The more you invest doing good karma the more pure knowledge insight you will achieve.
Balancing the chakras
Gyan mudra works best to balance our chakras for a different activity. Once you balance two main elements air and fire the whole body remains calm and composed. There is a specific connection of energy flow that happens with fire and air.
Improving Mental Stability
You see whenever both of these element fire (Food) and air (Breathing) in an individual is balanced means the person is happy all the way. When they are balanced, essentially it calms our mind and makes a feel for acquiring knowledge.
Quality of Internal Air
It helps by improving the quality of the air we have inside the cell joints tissues etc. this is the reason it is also called Vayu Vardhak Mudra. It maintains the balance of air in various vital organs inside our body.
Anti-Depression
It is known as depression reliever mudra. After the whole day, once we have fatigue, stress, anxiety, they create a depression in our mind. Sometimes due to some bad memory depression is also created. Practicing Gyan mudra relieves depression.
Quality of Thoughts and Emotion
There is a specific connection of Gyan mudra with improving the quality of thoughts and emotion within us. While you practice Gyan mudra the quality of the thoughts improves. Whenever we put our emotional quotient in our work, we get the best result out of it. We walk, talk in such a way that we seamlessly do our activities and the best result comes out of it.
Chanting Mantra & Positive Vibration
At the time of practicing Gyan mudra and thinking very positive thoughts or mantra provides amazing positive vibration inside you. Chanting Vishnu, Shiva, or Shakti mantra contributes to your very positive energy. Mantra like Om or Om Namah Shivay or Shakti Mantra, Vishnu mantra, etc. Mantra enhances the various level of energy for you.
Krisna Gyan – The Gist of Gita
You might have noticed at the time of war Krishna has shared his knowledge to Arjuna by “Vishwa Roop Darshana” which means the ultimate philosophy. It is sharing the deepest knowledge with us. In these images where all this knowledge Krisna described to Arjuna performed in Gyan mudra.
Gyan Mudra – Knowledge Mudra
It is a specific gesture for both sharing and acquiring knowledge, performed by combining index and thumb fingertips. Gyan Mudra offers a surreal connection with the Guru of gods named Brihaspati (In English known as Jupiter).
Brihaspati (Jupiter) – Guru of Knowledge
Jupiter is considered as ultimate Guru of knowledge in Vedic scripture. Brihaspati is the Guru through whom every knowledge is shared with all the gods and goddesses. So Gyan Mudra is one of the important mudras for knowledge – for acquiring, keeping, using, imparting it within our capacity.
Gyan Mudra and Chakra Cleansing
Gyan Mudra is used for the best purpose we serve for the betterment of the world and individuals. Gyan mudra activates Muladhara chakra, one of the most important chakras through which the subtle energy of kundalini Shakti flows upwards. It cleanses the toxins and negative energy in the mooladhara chakra.
Gyan Mudra: Step-By-Step Instructions
- Gyan Mudra can be performed in padmasana or any asana simple enough to sit comfortably.
- At the starting point sit in a meditative posture and relax.
- Stay calm and composed with your body and mind.
- Bring your hands and rest over your knees.
- Touch the thumb and index finger forming a small circle as you see in the image.
- Put a little bit of pressure on the fingertips of both fingers.
- Keep breathing normally.
In this mudra, you can practice any pranayama or the best is meditation. This is the basic mudra for various meditation techniques. Mudra combined with pranayama techniques provides amazing benefits for vital respiratory organs.
Advance Variations of Gyan Mudra
- Once you convey Gyan mudra with your right hand in front of the chest and keeping the left hand over your knee, it is known as Sampurna Gyan Mudra.
- Once you put your hands in Gyan mudra straight in front means both your palm placed in front or facing front, it is known as Abhay Gyan mudra.
- Placing both hands in Gyan mudra with your lap and if you are sitting in padmasana, is known as the Ananda Gyan mudra.
Beginner’s Tip of Gyan Mudra
While you practice Sambhavi mudra, Gyan mudra is the basic gesture you should sit in padmasana and make the gestures of your hand. Such a way it helps performing Shambhavi mudra.
When and how long should practice is mudra?
You can practice this mudra for 30 minutes at a stretch depending on your capability. You should practice in the morning with an empty stomach. In the morning your mind remains calm and composed and the essential energy remains very fresh. So to maintain a state of awareness within our mind, morning is the best time to practice Gyan mudra.
Contraindications and Cautions of Gyan Mudra
There is no such precaution exist for this mudra in general. If you have a recent operation on your fingers or wrist try restraining practicing Gyan mudra.
Therapeutic Applications of Gyan Mudra
- Alzheimer
- Short Term Memory Loss
- Insomnia
Mudras Related to Gyan Mudra
Preparatory Mudra
Follow-up Mudra
FAQ’s on Gyan Mudra
Why we should practice Gyan Mudra?
Gyan Mudra is known as the best mudra related to knowledge. Yes to a certain extent it helps supervision the knowledge within us. To remain free of judging people, keeping an open mind, and balancing knowledge with practicality is a key benefit of Gyan mudra. In a way, it helps to manage our knowledge.
Can it be practiced before sleeping at night?
Yes, you can practice this at any time. You can practice in the morning in the evening or before going to sleep. It’s a very simple gesture for improving the quality of the knowledge.
Can Gyan mudra relieve stress and anxiety?
Yes, Gyan mudra is specifically known as a depression and anxiety reliever. It helps to improve our thoughts and emotion, which is essentially responsible for various anxiety and instability. Due to our anxiety and wrong imagination, we create miss conception about various simple things. Gyan Mudra helps to relieve all these non-sense and stress and anxiety.
Conclusion
Knowledge is associated with human memory. The more memory we have the more we are carrying from childhood. We have got memories from various emotional subjects, practical, family, etc., and other various knowledge areas. Memories give us knowledge but the more amount of memory you have the more bourdon also you suffer. So it is essential that you must acquire knowledge that doesn’t create a burden for you.
Further Reading
Have you enjoyed reading about “Top 7 Benefits of Gyan Mudra | How to Do Gyan Mudra”? Also, check various Topics on Yoga and related topics on Yoga. Relevant issues like Mudra and Asana also.
Reference
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7396129/
- https://www.researchgate.net/post/How-do-different-forms-of-Mudra-help-in-meditation
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6848556/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7239502/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438173/