How to do Chinmaya Mudra
- Sit upright on the floor or a chair, and rest your hands on your thighs with the palms facing down.
- On each hand, bring the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb so they form a small circle.
- Curl your middle, ring and little fingers into the palm, so the hand makes a loose, soft fist around the circle.
- Breathe slowly through your nose and feel your ribs widen to the sides with each in-breath.
- Stay for 5–15 minutes, or for about ten slow breaths as part of a breathing sequence, then release and rest.
Traditional benefits
- Traditionally used to guide the breath into the ribs and the middle of the chest
- Traditionally used for steady, calm awareness during pranayama and meditation
- Traditionally used as one step in a four-mudra breathing series (chin, chinmaya, adi and brahma mudra)
- Traditionally used to open the chest area and ease a shallow, held breath
Keep in mind
- Chinmaya mudra is not a treatment for asthma, COPD or any lung or heart problem. Keep your inhaler and medicine and follow your doctor.
- Breathe gently. Stop if you feel dizzy, tight in the chest or short of breath.
- Keep the curled fingers soft if you have arthritis or stiff hands.
Chinmaya mudra is a hand gesture in which the tip of the index finger touches the tip of the thumb and the other three fingers curl into the palm. In yoga it is used during slow breathing to draw the breath into the ribs and middle chest, and to keep a steady, clear awareness.
What is chinmaya mudra? Meaning
Chit means consciousness and maya means "made of" or "full of". So the chinmaya mudra meaning is "gesture of awareness" or "gesture filled with consciousness". Chinmaya mudra in Hindi is written चिन्मय मुद्रा.
What is the significance of the gesture? As in chin mudra, the index finger stands for the individual self and the thumb for universal consciousness; their circle shows the two joined. In chinmaya mudra the other three fingers, which stand for the three qualities of nature, fold inward, so the mind turns in.
If you see a picture of a hand with an index-thumb circle and the other fingers curled, and ask "which mudra is this?", it is chinmaya mudra. The diagram above is clearer than most chinmaya mudra images; use it as your reference picture.
Chinmaya mudra in yoga and pranayama
Chinmaya mudra is best known from a four-step breathing series taught in Satyananda (Bihar School) and related yoga. Each hand shape is said to guide the breath to a different part of the lungs:
| Mudra | Hand shape | Where you feel the breath |
|---|---|---|
| Chin mudra | Index to thumb, other fingers straight | Lower belly and lower lungs |
| Chinmaya mudra | Index to thumb, other fingers curled in | Ribs and middle chest |
| Adi mudra | Thumb tucked into a soft fist | Upper chest and collarbones |
| Brahma mudra | Adi fists placed together at the navel | Full breath, belly to collarbones |
To practise, take about ten slow breaths in each mudra, palms down on the thighs. Notice where the breath moves; do not force it. This series is a gentle lead-in to Dirga pranayama (three-part breath). Our breathing exercise timer can pace the breaths for you.
Chinmaya mudra palms down or up?
Most teachers use chinmaya mudra palms down for breathing practice, because it feels grounding. Palms up is also fine in meditation.
Chinmaya mudra benefits
The chinmaya mudra benefits in the yoga tradition are about breath and awareness:
- Breathing into the ribs: many people breathe only into the upper chest. Placing attention on the ribs helps the breath move sideways and slow down.
- Steady awareness: the curled fingers give a clear, quiet feeling in the hand. How to improve awareness, or how to increase awareness? Practise noticing one thing, such as the breath, again and again. That is also how to practice awareness in daily life.
- Stress: slow breathing with the mudra is a simple mudra to reduce stress; see yoga for anxiety.
There is no research on chinmaya mudra by itself. Studies on slow breathing do suggest calming effects, and the mudra is a helpful guide for that. If you have a lung condition, see yoga for asthma and keep your treatment.
In chakra teaching the chinmaya mudra chakra link is usually the heart (anahata), because the breath fills the middle chest.
Chinmaya mudra vs chin mudra and gyan mudra
What is chin mudra? It is the index-to-thumb circle with the other fingers straight and palms down. Gyan mudra (jnana mudra) is the same with palms up; that is the chin mudra and gyan mudra difference (chin mudra vs jnana mudra). Chinmaya mudra keeps the circle but curls the other fingers in. The benefits of chin mudra are grounding and calm, and the benefits of gyan mudra are focus; chinmaya mudra adds a stronger inward feeling and a wider rib breath.
Chinmaya mudra side effects
No harmful chinmaya mudra side effects are known. If breathing into the ribs makes you light-headed, breathe more gently and shorten the practice.
Brahma mudra and other mudras
Brahma mudra benefits are a full, even breath; to do brahma mudra, make two soft fists with the thumbs inside, turn the knuckles down and rest them together at the navel. Brahma mudra benefits for skin or weight loss, often listed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi posts, are not proven. (In some Indian yoga classes "brahma mudra" also means a slow neck exercise.) To do dhyana mudra, rest the right hand in the left, thumbs touching. Abhaya mudra is the raised, open palm meaning "fear not". The benefits of prana mudra are energy, the benefits of vayu mudra are traditionally for gas, and the benefits of kubera mudra are clear goals. There is no best mudra for overall health; each mudra and its benefits are traditional aids, not treatments. See all hand mudras and their benefits on our mudras page.
Chinmaya mudra benefits in English are the same as chinmaya mudra benefits in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu or Kannada.
चिन्मय मुद्रा (Chinmaya Mudra) — हिंदी में: सीधे बैठें और हथेलियाँ नीचे की ओर जाँघों पर रखें। तर्जनी के सिरे को अंगूठे के सिरे से मिलाएँ और बाकी तीन उंगलियाँ हथेली में मोड़ लें। धीरे साँस लें और पसलियों को दोनों ओर फैलता महसूस करें। 5–15 मिनट करें। चिन्मय मुद्रा के फायदे: छाती के बीच तक गहरी साँस, शांत मन और स्थिर जागरूकता।
More mudras
Frequently asked questions
What is chinmaya mudra?
Chinmaya mudra is a hand gesture in which the index fingertip touches the thumb tip and the middle, ring and little fingers curl into the palm. It is used in pranayama to guide the breath into the ribs and middle chest.
What is the difference between chin mudra and chinmaya mudra?
Both join the index finger and thumb. In chin mudra the other three fingers stay straight; in chinmaya mudra they curl into the palm. Tradition links chin mudra with the lower breath and chinmaya with the middle chest.
How long should I hold chinmaya mudra?
For about ten slow breaths as part of the chin–chinmaya–adi–brahma series, or 5–15 minutes on its own.
Chinmaya mudra ke fayde kya hain?
Chinmaya mudra ke fayde (benefits) in tradition are a deeper breath into the ribs and chest, a calmer mind and steady awareness.
Is chinmaya mudra used in Buddhism?
Chinmaya mudra comes from Hindu yoga traditions, not from Buddhism. Buddhist art uses other hand gestures, such as dhyana, abhaya and bhumisparsha mudra.
Can chinmaya mudra help asthma?
It is not a treatment. Gentle breathing practice may help some people feel calmer, but keep your inhaler and follow your doctor.
Mudras are a traditional practice for focus and relaxation. Research on specific health effects is limited; use them alongside, not instead of, medical care.