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Order I · Seals of Gnosis and Ascent
Yoni Mudra
योनि मुद्रा · yoni mudrā · Σφραγὶς τῆς Μήτρας
11
The hands form the triangle of the womb. The seal returns the dispersed force to its source.
- Meaning
- Seal of the Womb, the Source
- Tradition
- Hatha Yoga; Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha)
- Hands
- Both hands, interlocked
- Placement
- In front of the lower abdomen, the index fingers pointing forward and down.
- Associations
- Lower abdomen; the triangle of creation.
- Level
- Advanced
Formation
- Place the palms together with the fingers and thumbs straight and pointing away from the body.
- Keep the pads of the index fingers together.
- Turn the little, ring and middle fingers inward so that their backs touch, and interlock them.
- Bring the thumbs toward the body and join their pads to form the base of the womb shape.
Example Meditation
Form the seal before the lower abdomen with the index fingers pointing forward and down. Breathe evenly and keep the attention within the diamond of the fingers and thumbs. The seal turns the energy of the hands back into the body and steadies the mind for concentration.
Effects
PhysicalΣῶμα
- Redirected prana. The sources state that it returns to the body the prana that would otherwise disperse through the hands.
EmotionalΘυμός
- Stability. It makes body and mind more stable in meditation.
IntellectualΝοῦς
- Concentration. It develops greater concentration and balances the activity of the two brain hemispheres.
SoulΨυχή
- Cross-connection. The interlocked fingers create a complete cross-connection of energies; the joined index fingers and thumbs intensify the flow.
AscentἈνάβασις
- Return to the source. Yoni is the womb and the source. Zevism holds that one must stand at the source; the seal is the return of the soul to the origin it came from.
Finger Key
| Finger | Element | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumb | Fire | meets the left thumb | meets the right thumb |
| Index | Air | meets the left index finger | meets the right index finger |
| Middle | Aether | turned inward, interlocked with the left fingers | turned inward, interlocked with the right fingers |
| Ring | Earth | turned inward, interlocked with the left fingers | turned inward, interlocked with the right fingers |
| Little | Water | turned inward, interlocked with the left fingers | turned inward, interlocked with the right fingers |
Cautions and Variants
Variants. Another practice also bears the name Yoni Mudra: closing the ears, eyes, nostrils and lips with the fingers (Shanmukhi). The form shown here is the hand seal of the Bihar School.
Recommended for Every Zevist Library
Gertrud Hirschi, Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands
The standard practical manual of the hand seals, with their indications and meditations. The Temple of Zeus recommends it as a purchase for every Zevist library, personal or communal.