Gyan Mudra is one of the most familiar hasta mudras (hand gestures). Many of the great spiritual masters are depicted sitting in meditation with their hands in Gyan Mudra with the thumb and index finger brought together in gentle contact.
It is understood that because of the tremendous flow of energy in our hands, bringing our hands into a mudra helps draw our attention inward and aids in developing mental peace as well as sharpening memory and concentration.
The Sanskrit world Gyana means “pure knowledge” – i.e. the enlightenment of wisdom, or, that which enables us to find truth. Working with this mudra enables us to develop the spiritual feelings and qualities necessary to awaken to our own inner wisdom that leads us to enlightenment.
According to Acharya Keshav Dev, each finger represents one of the five elements — the thumb is agni (fire), the forefinger is vayu (air), the middle finger is akash (ether), the ring finger is prithvi (earth) and the little finger is jal (water).
Specific benefits of Gyan Mudra include:
• Stimulates the Root Chakra (Svadhisthana) and is therefore very grounding
• Beneficial for those suffering with insomnia and mental disorders like depression, anxiety and excessive anger
• Helps energise the neurons in the brain for instant action
• Stimulates the centres of the pituitary and endocrine glands