Dharmachakra Mudra (Dharmacakra Mudrā) is a devotional hand mudra formed with the two thumb + index circles that touch, associated with balance of all five.
Dharmachakra Mudra holds both hands at the chest, each with the thumb and index fingertips joined in a circle, the right palm facing out and the left palm facing in, with the two circles touching. It is a Buddhist iconographic gesture of turning the wheel of the teaching, known from images of the Buddha.
The gesture
The gesture
Both hands at the chest, each with the thumb and index fingertips joined in a circle; the right palm faces out, the left palm faces in, and the two circles touch.
Fingers
two thumb + index circles that touch
Element
balance of all five
Palm
right out, left in
Hands
both
Hold for
a few breaths to 5 minutes
Also called
Wheel of Dharma Mudra
How to do Dharmachakra Mudra
Sit in Easy Pose or Lotus Pose with the spine tall and shoulders relaxed.
Bring both hands in front of the chest with the elbows bent and close to the body.
Join the thumb and index fingertips of each hand to form two soft circles.
Turn the right palm to face out, away from you, and the left palm to face in, toward the chest.
Bring the two circles together so they touch, with the other fingers extended and relaxed.
Breathe slowly for a few breaths up to 5 minutes, keeping the shoulders down.
Lower the hands to the lap to release.
Quick check: do you know this mudra?
Benefits
Traditionally used as a gesture of teaching and of setting the wheel of the Dharma in motion.
Widely shown in Buddhist art, where it depicts the Buddha's first sermon.
Practitioners use the two touching circles as a symmetrical focus for attention.
Gives the hands a clear, symbolic task during a seated pause.
When to use it
Use it for a few breaths at the start or end of a seated practice, or when you want to learn the Buddhist teaching gesture.
Cautions
Hold the raised arms only as long as is comfortable; lower them if the shoulders, elbows or wrists tire.
Rest the elbows against the body or on cushions if you have shoulder problems.
Do not hold it if you have an injury or pain in the arms, hands, neck or shoulders.
Dharmachakra is Sanskrit for the wheel of the Dharma, the Buddhist teaching. The gesture belongs to Buddhist iconography: statues and paintings show the Buddha with both hands at the chest forming two circles that touch, representing the first sermon in which he set the wheel of the teaching turning. It is a gesture seen in depictions of the Buddha, not a health mudra from the classical hatha yoga texts.
Because it uses both hands symmetrically and shows two thumb and index circles together, it is read in modern yoga as balancing all five elements rather than emphasizing one.
How to practice
Sit in Easy Pose or Lotus Pose. Bring both hands to the chest, join each thumb and index fingertip into a circle, then turn the right palm out and the left palm in so the two circles touch. Keep the other fingers extended and soft.
Breathe slowly through the nose. Dirga Breath gives a steady rhythm. Hold for a few breaths up to five minutes, then lower the hands to the lap.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the elbows close to the body and the shoulders down. Hands held far in front tire the shoulders quickly.
Know the neighbors. Unlike Vitarka Mudra, which raises only the right hand with the left in the lap, here both hands are at the chest and the two circles touch. Unlike Chin Mudra, where the hands rest on the knees with a single circle each, here the hands are raised and the circles meet. Unlike Hakini Mudra, where all the fingertips of one hand touch those of the other, here only the thumb and index fingertips form circles and the palms face different ways.
Keep the circles soft rather than pinching, and keep the two hands level.
Tradition vs. evidence
The meaning of this gesture is religious and symbolic. No research shows that it balances the elements or improves the mind. What is defensible is that a symmetrical, effortless hand position gives attention something to settle on and pairs well with slow breathing.
Honest note: hand mudras have very little clinical research behind them. What is defensible is that a held gesture is a reliable anchor for attention and pairs naturally with slow breathing; the traditional claims are described here as tradition, not as medical advice.
