Seals are practised side by side with the locks (Bandhas), the muscle holds used with the breath.
Mudras: the seals
Gestures that close the circuit and turn attention inward.
From tradition
Mudra means gesture, seal, or mark. Where a bandha contracts and locks, a mudra closes a loop, completing a circuit so that energy circulates rather than leaks away. The hatha yoga texts treat some mudras as among the most powerful practices of all; most are subtle, and the simplest are the hand gestures (hasta mudras) used in meditation and pranayama.
From science
Mudras are even less studied than the locks, and honest practice means saying so: the evidence is thin. What can be said plainly is that a settled hand position is a quiet anchor for attention, a small, consistent point of contact that helps the mind stay gathered, much as a mantra or the breath does. The lightness of the gesture is the point: it asks for almost nothing, so it does not pull attention outward.
Common hand mudras
Chin Mudra & Jnana Mudra (the gesture of consciousness / of knowledge) The tip of the index finger touches the tip of the thumb; the remaining three fingers extend. Resting on the knees, palms down, it is Chin Mudra; palms up, it is Jnana Mudra. The joined finger and thumb close a gentle circuit. In the tradition the thumb represents universal consciousness and the index finger the individual self, and the gesture quietly unites the two. It is the default hand position for seated breath and meditation practice.
Anjali Mudra (the gesture of offering) The palms pressed lightly together at the heart. A gesture of centring and respect, used to begin and end practice. It draws the two sides of the body, and the attention, into one line.
Dhyana Mudra (the gesture of meditation) The hands rest in the lap, one cupped in the other, thumbs lightly touching to form a closed oval. Associated with deep meditative absorption, it gives the hands a stable, symmetrical home so the body can be forgotten.
A whole-body seal: Shanmukhi Mudra
Some mudras involve the whole face. In Shanmukhi Mudra, the fingers gently close the gateways of the senses (the eyes softly covered, the ears bridged, the lips sealed) turning attention fully inward. Practised alongside Bhramari (humming bee breath), it keeps the humming inside the skull and is one of the most direct bridges from breath work into sense withdrawal (Pratyahara).
Try this: Chin Mudra for ten breaths
Sit comfortably. Rest your hands on your knees, palms down, and lightly touch the tip of each index finger to the tip of each thumb. No pressure, just contact. Let the other fingers fall naturally. Take ten slow breaths through the nose, with your attention resting where finger and thumb meet. That small, closed circuit is enough to keep the mind from wandering far. This is the whole practice: a quiet anchor that asks almost nothing.
Cross-references
Breath (Pranayama) · Locks (Bandhas) · Sense withdrawal (Pratyahara) · Concentration (Dharana) · Subtle Anatomy
Sources
- Bihar School of Yoga — Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha