The therapeutic use of

yoga hasta mudras.

H. Blashki Grad Cert Y.T., K.Tribe Grad Dip M.T.

Australian Institute of Yoga Therapy

This presentation is an extract from a minor thesis for the Graduate Certificate in
Yoga Therapy, Australian tertiary accredited course code 21720VIC, Melbourne,
Australia, October 2008

Main Research Question

Will regular practice of Hasta

Mudras(Yoga hand gestures) reduce
symptoms or relieve pain in specific
health conditions?
Introduction

The practice of Yoga in the West has predominantly focussed on

asana, pranayama, in some schools bandhas, and meditation,
and whilst most yogis know of some classic hand Mudras such as
Jnana or Chin Mudras, most have very little knowledge of the
various Hasta Mudras.

Although Mudras are mentioned in the very earliest Indian Vedic

texts, there is very little detail written about them as they were
techniques that were never intended to be learned from a book,
but rather passed down from guru to student. The Hatha Yoga
Pradipika and other seminal yogic texts consider Mudras to be an
independent branch of yoga called a yoganda, which requires
very subtle level of awareness, and is considered a ‘higher’
practice of yoga.

According to Swami Satyananda Saraswati, “Mudra practices

establish a direct link between Annamaya Kosha, Manomaya
Kosha and Pranamaya Kosha. Mudras manipulate prana in
much the same way that energy in the form of light or sound
waves is diverted by a mirror or a cliff face. The nadis and
chakras constantly radiate prana which normally escapes from
the body and dissipates into the external world. By creating
barriers within the body through the practice of Mudra, the energy
is redirected within.”
Summary of Aims

This research project explored if working with a given Hasta

Mudra could benefit people with specific health conditions, such
as back pain, joint pain, tinnitus, allergies and exhaustion.

It also explored how people respond in the short term to these

hand gestures and whether or not they experience ‘shifts’ in
energy in their bodies, where they experience this energy, or, if
there is no immediate response, is there likely to be any
beneficial outcome in the longer term.

The study sought to find out whether the outcomes of Hasta

Mudra practice was affected by where and when they were
practiced, For example; with the participants sitting quietly and
being reflective, simply watching television, being a passenger in
a car, or even chatting with others while working with their
specific hand position.

Finally the study aimed to find out if there were other aspects of
well-being that are affected by doing Hasta Mudras for one
specific condition?
Methods

People with back pain, joint pain, tinnitus, allergies or

exhaustion were recruited from the general population of
the regional town of Gembrook Australia (n=20).
Participants were paired as close as possible by condition
and randomized to either receive a prescribed, condition-
specific Hasta Mudra (n=10) or be waitlisted as a control
(n=10). Both the test and control groups were asked to
complete a subjective wellness and subjective quality of
life questionnaire prior to and at the end of the 6-week
intervention, along with providing any other comments at
the completion of the study.

The test group was asked to incorporate the practice of

their prescribed Hasta Mudra into their normal day, for
several minutes at least twice a day and to complete a
subjective wellbeing questionnaire at the end of each day
of the trail.
Results

We found that there was a 20.6% reduction in pain or

symptom levels in the test group compared to an 8.9%
reduction in the control group. Anxiety was reduced by
20.5% in the test group and by 12.2% in the control group,
stress (reduced) by 17.2% in the test group and 8.8% in
the control group. There was a statistically significant
change in the mood level of the test groups with an
improvement (increased calmness) of 28.6% compared to
a deterioration (increased irritation) of 1.6% for the control
group. Sleep was also (statistically) significantly improved
in the test group (19%) compared to a control group sleep
deterioration of 6.8%.
9 of the 10 test group participants completed the 6-week
trial and compliance with the completion of daily
questionnaires was high.

Participants reported including the practice of the Mudras

as part of their normal daily activities, including while:
watching television, reading, travelling (as passenger),
resting, chatting with friends. We believe the results are
particularly significant, as they were NOT part of a
dedicated Yoga or meditation practice, which could
otherwise have accounted for the beneficial results
Results – Test group vs Control

mean percentage change in test and control groups

50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
test % change
% 0.0
control % change
-10.0
-20.0
pain anxiety stress sleep mood appetite
-30.0
-40.0
-50.0

Note:
Reduction in pain, anxiety and stress are positive outcomes, while
increases are negative.
Increases in sleep and mood are regarded as positive outcomes, while
decreases are negative.
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Aching joints (generalised) - Joint Mudra (n=1)
 High

10
9
8
7
6
level pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Low pain anxiety stress

Where no bar is shown, result is 0.

Good

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Bad
sleep mood
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Joint pain & inflammation (specific joint) – Joint Mudra
(n=3)
 High

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Low
pain anxiety stress

Good

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Bad sleep mood
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Tinnitus – Shunya Mudra (n=1)
 High

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post test
4
3
2
1
0
Low
pain anxiety stress

Where no bar is shown, result is 0.

Good

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
Bad 0
sleep mood
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Allergies – Brahmara Mudra (n=1)
 High

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Low pain anxiety stress

Good

10
9
8
7
6
level pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
Bad 0
sleep mood
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Back Pain – Back Mudra (n=2)
 High

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Low pain anxiety stress

Good

10
9
8
7
6
level pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
Bad 0
sleep mood
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Detoxification – Pushan Mudra (n=1)
 High

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Low pain anxiety stress

Where no bar is shown, result is 0.

Good

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Bad
sleep mood
TEST GROUP RESULTS
Exhaustion – Pran Mudra (n=1)
 High

10
9
8
7
level 6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Low pain anxiety stress

Where no bar is shown, result is 0.

Good

10
9
8
7
level6 pre-test
5
post-test
4
3
2
1
0
Bad sleep mood
Conclusion

This study demonstrates that a daily practice of

Hasta Mudras is an effective intervention in the
treatment and management of back pain, joint pain,
tinnitus, allergies and exhaustion. Since Yoga Hasta
Mudras do not require a dedicated place of practice,
nor require any specialized equipment or resources
and are easy to perform and non-invasiveness, they
are a promising intervention for the treatment of a
variety of health conditions.