How Do Mudras Effect Meditation?

Mudras

Have you ever seen a Buddha image sitting cross-legged with his hands resting one over the other, by the lower abdomen, and with the thumbs joined? This is referred to as a mudra. There are many many kinds of mudras having evolved from a broad base of spiritual traditions. Anyway, why use mudras in meditation? Let me share my first-hand experiences with you.

The Mind

When the mind becomes very still, for example after a week of intensive meditation. We tend to open up to subtle sense impressions that normally pass by unnoticed. One could say that intensive meditation increases awareness of the physical body and mental energy.

Meditation And Mental Energy

Now, let's start by taking a look at the use of mudras in day to day meditation. When I meditate, I'm always aware of subtle mental energy. Meditation generates mental energy which can be felt as a presence in and around the abdomen.

By putting the palms and fingers together in what I call the Virgin Mary mudra, I immediately feel an increase in mental energy. It's my experience that mudras boost mental energy.

Mental energy is very important in meditation and directly affects awareness, concentration and the mind as a whole. The more energy available, the easier it is to meditate.

Now, the mudra that in my experience generates the most energy, is the Virgin Mary mudra - palms and fingers joined together resting against the chest.

Mudra Positions

The fact that the hands are held up high, increases mental energy. So, the trick is to keep the mudra by the chest as opposed to by the lower abdomen. I've also experimented with keeping this mudra above the head, which boosts mental energy even more.

Remember, that keeping your hands together generates more mental energy than leaving the hands apart. So, it's ok to rest the mudra on your lap whenever your arms get tired.

Subtler Mental Energies

Like I mentioned earlier on, during intensive meditation practice we tend to open up to subtle sense impressions that normally pass by unnoticed. In my experience, putting the soles of the feet together boosts mental energy flowing from what is called the root chakra, an energy center located by the genitals.

Another example, is letting the tips of any pair of fingers join together which boosts energy flowing from certain chakras and so on. I don't find these insights conducive to meditation, but I mention it here to shed light on the affects hands and feet can have on mental energy.

Personally, I stick to the straight forward Virgin Mary mudra whenever I want to boost mental energy.

Best of luck!