Hansi Mudra (Gesture of Laughter): how to do it and benefits

Also called: hamsi mudra.

How to do Hansi Mudra

1. Sit upright, on a chair or cross-legged, and rest your hands on your thighs, palms facing up.
2. On each hand, bring the tips of your index, middle and ring fingers to the tip of your thumb, so four fingertips meet.
3. Keep your little finger straight and relaxed, pointing outward.
4. Let a small smile come to your face, and breathe slowly and easily through your nose.
5. Stay for 5–15 minutes, then release the fingers, stretch your hands wide and open your eyes.

Hansi mudra (also spelled hamsi mudra) is a hand gesture in which the tips of the index, middle and ring fingers touch the tip of the thumb, while the little finger stays straight. Its name means "laughter" or "smile", and in yoga it is used on days when you feel heavy, flat or low, to bring back a little lightness.

Hansi mudra meaning

Hansi (हँसी) is the Hindi word for laughter or a smile. So hansi mudra is the "gesture of laughter" or "smiling mudra". Some teachers link the spelling hamsi with hamsa, the swan, a symbol of grace and lightness in Indian art. Both ideas point the same way: an easy, light feeling.

Indian mudras are hand gestures with a meaning. They use the five fingers as the five elements: thumb fire, index air, middle space, ring earth and little finger water. In hansi mudra four fingers meet, and only the water finger stays free, which is said to bring a flowing, lighter state of mind. This is a traditional model, not a medical one.

Hansi mudra: how to do it well

If you look at a hand with four fingertips together and only the little finger out and ask "which mudra is this?", it is hansi mudra. The diagram above shows it more clearly than most hansi mudra image results. A few tips:

• Let the tips meet softly. The ring finger is shorter, so bend the index and middle fingers a little more to bring all four tips together.
• Add a smile. Hansi mudra yoga is often done with a small, real smile. It sounds simple, but a relaxed face helps the rest of the body relax.
• Time: 5–15 minutes, once or twice a day. Morning, or the moment you notice a heavy mood, is a good time.
• Seat: Easy Pose, a chair, or even standing at a window.

Hansi mudra benefits

The traditional hansi mudra benefits are about mood and ease:

• Lightness: it is used to lift a flat, heavy feeling. Pair it with laughter yoga for a playful practice.
• Stress: with slow breathing it works as a simple mudra to reduce stress. See yoga for stress relief.
• Focus: four fingertips in one point give the mind a clear place to rest, so some use it as a hand mudra for concentration.

There is no research on this mudra itself. Studies on yoga and slow breathing do suggest they can ease stress and low mood. If low mood lasts, read yoga for depression and talk to a professional; yoga supports treatment, it does not replace it.

Some lists call hansi mudra a mudra for heart health or for a heart problem. There is no evidence for that; see yoga for heart health and follow your doctor.

Hansi mudra side effects

No harmful hansi mudra side effects are known. The ring finger may feel strained at first, so keep the touch soft. If forcing a smile feels false on a hard day, skip it; the mudra is enough.

Hansi mudra and other mudras

There is no one mudra for all problems and no best mudra for overall health. Each mudra and its benefits suit a different need:

• Gyan and chin mudra: the benefits of gyan mudra and the benefits of chin mudra are calm and focus. The difference between chin mudra and gyan mudra (also called jnana mudra) is the palm: up for gyan, down for chin. Gyan mudra is the most common hand gesture in meditation; see gyan mudra.
• Vayu and kubera mudra: the benefits of vayu mudra are traditionally for gas and stiffness, and the benefits of kubera mudra are clear goals. Vayu mudra benefits in Hindi books and kuber mudra benefits in Hindi (or kubera mudra benefits in Telugu) guides say the same.
• Yoni and vajrapradama mudra: the benefits of yoni mudra are inward calm; vajrapradama mudra benefits are said to be self-trust, with the fingers interlaced in front of the chest.
• Agochari mudra: this is a gaze at the nose tip rather than a hand shape. Agochari mudra benefits are said to be steady attention. Ashwini mudra is also not a hand shape but a gentle squeeze of the pelvic floor; the benefits of ashwini mudra are said to be pelvic strength.

Which mudra is best for acidity? No mudra treats acid reflux. Tradition suggests calm breathing after meals; for practical help see yoga for acidity. All hand mudras and their benefits, including their traditional healing properties, are on our mudras page, and our guided sessions speak Hindi, Telugu and Tamil too.

More mudras

Mudras are a traditional practice for focus and relaxation. Research on specific health effects is limited; use them alongside, not instead of, medical care.