Yoni Mudra

Yoni Mudra

Yoni (womb) + mudra (gesture)

Ayurvedic Element –  Fire and Air

Fundamentals

While most hasta mudras, or hand gestures, are intended for all practitioners, Yoni mudra is one of the rare ones which is primarily designed for women.

Even the name implies that, as yoni translates to womb or vulva in Sanskrit. The shape of the hands also resembles the womb. 

All hasta mudras are designed to stimulate some kinds of energies in the body and to bring balance to elements.

Yoni mudra is primarily focused on female energy, and it is dedicated to Shakti, a Hindu Goddess who is thought to represent the feminine side of the Universe. 

The mudra encourages women to feel their own inner goddess, and by bringing awareness to the womb, it allows the student to feel her own power of creation, expression, and transformation.

The mudra is also said to bring the feeling of safety and calmness a child has when they’re inside a womb.

Additionally, it is believed to increase fertility and women’s reproductive health.

The mudra may also be incorporated in the Kundalini Yoga practice. This yoga type works with the Kundalini Shakti energy which resides at the base of the spine, and can be risen towards the Crown, where it symbolically unites with Shiva, or the male cosmic energy.

Regardless of the type of meditation or pranayama you do with this mudra, it may make it easier, as it’s believed to isolate you from the external world, and encourages you to turn inward.

Ayurvedic Element – Fire and Air

According to Ayurveda, this mudra is believed to boost the flow of prana and minimize its dispersion out of the body. That is achieved by pressing the tips of the index finger and thumb together. 

These fingers also represent Ayurvedic elements of fire and air, and joining them may bring balance between these elements.

By balancing air and fire, you may combat a variety of physical or emotional ailments which come from their deficiency or excessiveness.

For example, if you struggle with dormant fire energy, balancing it may help you feel your inner power, confidence, and strength.

On the other hand, if your air is excessive, you may struggle with overthinking, hyperactivity, or inability to gain weight, and balancing the element can help counter that.

Chakras – Root and Sacral

By connecting you to the earth and bringing a sense of grounding – this mudra can help you also connect to your Root Chakra.

That is also where you will focus if you are combining the mudra with Kundalini Yoga practice.

On the other hand, since it brings awareness to your womb and reproductive organs, it also activates the Sacral or Swadhistana Chakra.

By working with this energy center, you might feel more creative, passionate, and able to enjoy the pleasures of life without feeling guilt or unworthiness. 

Meridians – Lung and Large Intestine Meridians

This yogic hand gesture combines the tips of the index finger and the thumb, where we can also find acupressure points for the Lung and Large Intestine Meridians.

Working with the large intestine meridian will boost elimination, which refers to both digestion, and the elimination of negative thoughts and emotions.

Stimulating the lung meridian may help you breathe more deeply and connect to your breath. It may also help you release any pent up emotions of sorrow or anxiety.

Benefits Of Yoni Mudra

• Grounds you to the earth, which brings a greater sense of presence and stability. 
• Activates the female energy within you, which may balance you, especially if you feel like you’ve been more active in your male energy.
• Believed to restore balance and wellness in the body, by harmonizing the ida and pingala nadis, or energy channels.
• Boosts fertility in women with long term practice, and may help combat issues related to menopause. 
• Balances the right and left sides of the brain, allowing you to use both sides to your fullest capacity.
• Connects your mind to the breath and body, which may help you reach a deeper state of meditation. 
• It’s believed Yoni mura also improves blood circulation, which may help with many issues, including many skin concerns and menstrual pain.

Contraindications

This mudra is not recommended during colds, fevers flues, or for those who have high blood pressure or cardiovascular issues.

How-To Perform Yoni Mudra

1. Begin sitting in a position that allows you to keep your spine upright. 
2. Close your eyes, place your hands on your things, and take a moment to set a intention for your practice and turn your attention inwards.
3. Now bring your palms towards each other, spread the fingers wide.
4. Now touch the tips of both thumbs together and bring the hands close to the navel.
5. Then turn your hands so that the thumbs are pointing upwards.
6. Then press the tips of your index fingers together, and point them towards the floor. Your hands will form a triangle between the index fingers and the thumb, middle fingers, ring fingers, and little fingers curling inwards.
7. You can either keep the gesture on your navel or place your hands on the lap. Hold it for the duration of your meditation or at least 5 minutes.

Bonus Tip:

You can either bend all other fingers or keep them relaxed. Both options are correct so choose the one which is more natural and comfortable for you. 

When to use Yoni mudra

Meditation

• This mantra is a part of Kundalini yoga and is included in meditation used to raise the Kundalini which resides at the base of the spine. If you are already working with the Kundalini energy, you can incorporate this mudra into your practice.
• The Yoni Mudra is also sometimes done in Nada yoga, which is a type of yoga that focuses on observing and listening to inner sounds.
• The mudra is thought to block distractions, which means it can be helpful in any type of meditation. 
• Practice sitting in lotus pose (padmasana) or any other yoga pose or meditative posture you can hold for a long time.

Mantra

• To work even more with your divine feminine energy, you can pair this mudra with one of the mantras dedicated to the Goddess Shakti, such as Adi Shakti Mantra.

Pranayama

• Pranayama, will as always, help you get deeper into your mudra and meditation practice. No particular breathing exercise is related to this particular mudra, but you can simply take deeper breaths, and observe how your belly raises and lowers your hands with your inhales and exhalations.

Where & When

• It is recommended to practice your chosen mudra for at least two months to begin receiving benefits from it.
• However, you can practice Yoni mudra any time when you feel out of touch with your feminine power and want to connect with your womb and the Divine Feminine. 

For more in-depth asana resources, check out our free Mudra Library. Here you’ll find complete guides to each and every yoga mudra to deepen your yoga knowledge.

Each mudra page features high-quality photos and illustrations, insights into the meridian, chakra, and ayurvedic element systems, as well as tips on how, why, and when to practice each mudra.