🤲Illustration coming soonIndex fingertips touch and point DOWN, thumb tips touch and point UP, forming a diamond; the middle, ring and little fingers INTERLACE behind. Held below the navel.
Yoni Mudra
Yoni Mudrā
YOH-nee MOO-drah
Meditation & focusElement: earth + water
Yoni Mudra (Yoni Mudrā) is a meditation & focus hand mudra formed with the diamond: index tips down, thumb tips up, associated with earth + water.
Yoni Mudra forms a diamond with the index fingertips touching and pointing down, the thumb tips touching and pointing up, and the other fingers interlaced behind, held below the navel. Tradition uses it to turn attention inward.
The gesture
The gesture
Index fingertips touch and point DOWN, thumb tips touch and point UP, forming a diamond; the middle, ring and little fingers INTERLACE behind. Held below the navel.
Fingers
diamond: index tips down, thumb tips up
Element
earth + water
Palm
toward body
Hands
both
Hold for
5–15 minutes
Also called
Mudra of the Womb, Source Mudra
How to do Yoni Mudra
Sit in Easy Pose, Butterfly Pose, or a supported seat with the spine tall and the shoulders relaxed.
Bring both hands in front of the lower belly, below the navel, with the palms facing the body.
Interlace the middle, ring, and little fingers of both hands behind, with the palms facing the body.
Touch the tips of the two index fingers together, pointing down toward the floor.
Touch the tips of the two thumbs together, pointing up, so the thumbs and index fingers form a diamond.
Rest the hands against the lower belly and breathe slowly through the nose for 5 to 15 minutes, with the shoulders soft.
To release, unlace the fingers, shake out the hands, and rest them on the thighs.
Quick check: do you know this mudra?
Benefits
Traditionally used to draw attention inward and quiet outward distractions.
Said to connect practitioners with a sense of the source or origin, as in its name.
Said to combine earth and water, associated with steadiness and calm.
Practitioners use it as a hand position for inward-focused meditation.
The contact against the lower belly gives a physical cue for belly breathing.
When to use it
Use it in seated meditation, after Child's Pose, or during a quiet inward-focused breath practice.
Cautions
Keep the interlace loose; tight gripping can strain the fingers and wrists.
If you are pregnant or have lower abdominal discomfort, rest the hands lightly or lower in front of the thighs instead of pressing.
Stop if the elbows or shoulders tire; let the forearms rest on the thighs.
Yoni is Sanskrit for “source,” “womb,” or “origin.” The name also refers to the feminine creative principle in Hindu tradition, and the diamond shape of the hands is a symbol of it. There are two uses of the name. In classical hatha and tantric texts, Yoni Mudra often refers to a technique in which the fingers close the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth to turn attention inward. The diamond hand shape described here is the popular, modern version. Tradition associates it with the earth and water elements, steadiness and calm, because it is held low in the body, below the navel.
How to practice
Sit in Easy Pose or Butterfly Pose, or try it after resting in Child’s Pose. Bring the hands to the lower belly, interlace the middle, ring, and little fingers behind, touch the index fingertips pointing down, and touch the thumb tips pointing up to form a diamond. Breathe with Dirga Breath, a slow three-part breath, or with Chandra Bhedana, a left-nostril breath considered calming in tradition. Hold for 5 to 15 minutes, then unlace the fingers and rest the hands.
Tips and common mistakes
The distinctive feature is the diamond: index tips touch and point down, thumb tips touch and point up, and the other three fingers interlace behind. The hands are held low, below the navel, with the palms toward the body.
Unlike Hakini Mudra, where the fingertips of one hand touch their partners on the other hand, the hands are held at the brow or chest, and the fingers do not interlace, here the middle, ring, and little fingers interlace and the hands rest low.
Unlike Uttarabodhi Mudra, where the index fingers point up together, the thumbs point down or cross, and the hands are held at or above the chest, here the index fingers point down, the thumbs point up, and the hands are low.
Keep the diamond open so the tips touch lightly, and keep the shoulders down and the forearms supported.
Tradition vs. evidence
Mudras have little clinical research behind them, and none supports the claims about source or origin energy for this one. What is defensible is that the low, symmetrical hand position can anchor attention at the belly and support slow breathing. The symbolic meanings are traditional.
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.