Yoni Mudra: Benefits, How to Make and When to Avoid it

Hands in yoni mudra. Image Source: Instagram/Bumba Bee

Yoni Mudra is a symbolic gesture of the female genital organ or more precisely a ‘womb’. In this hasta mudra, hand fingers make a diamond-like shape that represents a womb. Womb here shows that state of mind when we exist in this world physically but cut from the issues and tensions of the mundane world just like an unborn baby or developing fetus.

On practicing yoni mudra, you will feel like an unborn baby within a mother’s womb enjoying its own company 🙂

Meaning & Philosophy

Anatomically, yoni describes female genital organs, including vagina, womb, & ovaries and Mudra means the gesture or ‘seal of hand’. Yoni mudra invokes ‘female creative power’ that takes place in the womb and gives birth to a baby.

As the womb is a dark place from where unborn baby seeks to come out, Yoni mudra brings you out from the darkness of negativity and fills a light within you. Thus this mudra also called Jyoti mudra, the gesture of light. Yoni mudra in kriya yoga is practiced as a closing relaxation exercise.

Since this mudra helps you to be internalized, which is an important aspect of meditation, it’s used in Kundalini yoga. In Kundalini yoga, yoni mudra along with root lock (mula bandha) is considered an effective exercise to awaken the kundalini shakti.

Variation of Yoni Mudra

Shanmukhi mudra. Image Source: Instagram/nishi4yoga

The feminine power of ‘Yoni Mudra’ can be used to bring the mind in a tranquil state by placing fingers in a specific pattern on the face. This technique is called Shanmukhi mudra, an advanced variant of Yoni mudra.

In sunmukhi mudra, 6 sense organs 2 ears, 2 eyes, nose, and mouth are closed using 5 fingers.

Ears using thumbEyes using the index fingerNose using the middle fingerUpper and lower lips using the ring and little finger

This mudra is also used in Bhramari Pranayama, where on exhalation, a humming bee sound of “OMMMMM” is produced through the throat.

Yoni Mudra Benefits

Practicing this mudra is considered a very good exercise for men and women with fertility problems.This mudra removes all tiredness and stress when practiced at night before going to sleep.Shanmukhi mudra, an advance variant of yoni mudra directs ‘Prana flow’ from other body organs to face and eyes. It soothes the heaviness of eyes and stimulates the face muscles to glow the skin.When Shanmukhi mudra is regularly performed, it let one to listen subtle sounds of the internal body (mystical sounds) and thus increase concentration power. Yoni mudra is an easy preparatory technique to calm your mind before sitting in a long hour meditation.It increases the Prana capacity by preventing the dissipation of energy that commonly happens through our sense organs (ears, nose, eyes, and mouth).Any imbalance caused by an imbalance of 5 elements in the body can be cured by yoni mudra as this mudra unites all five fingers – all 5 elements. If one is feeling instability or insecurity in life, then this mudra keeps the person to be confident about themselves as it works on ‘earth element’. Yoni mudra also helps in the regulation of hormonal imbalance which causes menopause issues in women.

How to Do Yoni Mudra

Image source: ShutterstockSit on a flat surface, preferably take a meditative pose like padmasana, vajrasana, or sukhasana. Erect your spine or one also can sit against the wall for straightening of the spine.Bring the backside of both hands against each other. It will look like the downward Namaste.Now bend your hand in such a way that only middle phalanx of both hand fingers remains in contact, rest part of hand comes in front of each other.Extend your both index fingers above the other three fingers and touch its tip to each other to make an ‘A’ like shape. The same way, extend the thumb in the downward direction and touch both thumb’s tip together (‘V’ like shape).Invert the shape of this whole arrangement i.e. joining of thumb points up and joining of index finger points down.This shape of fingers will look like a womb now. The opening of the womb is made up of thumb and index finger whereas rest 3 fingers clearly show through this opening. Press the thumb joining tip at the navel so that index finger joining tip points towards the pelvis. Now at this point, feel free to incorporate pranayama like ‘three-part breathing – breathing fully into your abdomen, the rib cage, and chest’ in this mudra practice.

Release

To come out of this mudra, simply extend your bend fingers straight. Touch all fingers tip against each other and bring hands in Namaste mudra in front of the chest. End this mudra practice with OM Chant.

Time and Duration

Yoni mudra can be done anytime when you feel anxious, nervous, or just want to come out from the daily chaos ?. Just find a serene place around you and you can do it even in standing position for 5 to 10 minutes.

Morning or the night before sleeping is a good time to do yoni mudra as peace comes easily either in a calm mind (in the morning) or a tired mind (in the night). Preferably in a yoga session, it should be done for at least 15 to 20 minutes for better results. In a day, it can be done 3 times and try to complete a duration of 45 minutes a day.

Final Words

Yoni mudra is an easy technique to invoke the tremendous feminine, creative energy within us. Concentrating on this mudra will help you see your inner power and infinite opportunity you have even in a crucial time.

Avoid this mudra if you’re going through some serious psychological disorder. If you’re doing this mudra for the purpose of nadis purification, prefer shatkarmas practice before it.