| The 25 Important “Seals” (Mudra) and “Locks” (Bandha) of Hatha Yoga |
(from the Gheranda-Samhita, Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, and Shiva-Samhita)
There are twenty-five mudras, the practice of which gives success to the Yogis (Gheranda-Samhita 3.1).
The ten mudras listed in the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika “annihilate old age and death. They have been explained by
Shiva and give eight kinds of divine wealth (i.e. the great “powers”: becoming small, becoming large, becoming
light, becoming heavy, coming within easy reach of everything, wish fulfillment, mastery and control over matter
and Nature). These Mudras should be kept secret by every means, as one keeps one’s box of jewelry, and should, on
no account, be told to anyone, just as a husband and wife keep their dealings secret” (HYP 3.7-9).
The Gheranda-Samhita describes 25 mudras and bandhas. The 10 mudras and bandhas described in the Hatha-Yoga-
Pradipika are indicated with a star (*). The 10 mudras and bandhas described in the Shiva-Samhita are indicated
with a cross (+).
GAZING (drishti) at the middle of the eyebrows is called bhru-madhya-drishti (“mid-brow gazing”) and is performed
in mudras marked with an up-triangle(▲). “WATER-PIPE SEAL” (jalandhara-bandha) is performed in the
mudra/bandha marked with a square (■).
There are twenty-five mudras, the practice of which gives success to the Yogis (Gheranda-Samhita 3.1).
The ten mudras listed in the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika “annihilate old age and death. They have been explained by
Shiva and give eight kinds of divine wealth (i.e. the great “powers”: becoming small, becoming large, becoming
light, becoming heavy, coming within easy reach of everything, wish fulfillment, mastery and control over matter
and Nature). These Mudras should be kept secret by every means, as one keeps one’s box of jewelry, and should, on
no account, be told to anyone, just as a husband and wife keep their dealings secret” (HYP 3.7-9).
The Gheranda-Samhita describes 25 mudras and bandhas. The 10 mudras and bandhas described in the Hatha-Yoga-
Pradipika are indicated with a star (*). The 10 mudras and bandhas described in the Shiva-Samhita are indicated
with a cross (+).
GAZING (drishti) at the middle of the eyebrows is called bhru-madhya-drishti (“mid-brow gazing”) and is performed
in mudras marked with an up-triangle(▲). “WATER-PIPE SEAL” (jalandhara-bandha) is performed in the
mudra/bandha marked with a square (■).
| Download the Mudra Practice |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |