How to do Pushan Mudra
- Sit upright after your meal, on a chair or in Vajrasana, and rest the backs of your hands on your thighs.
- Right hand: bring the tips of your index and middle fingers to the tip of your thumb; keep the ring and little fingers straight.
- Left hand: bring the tips of your middle and ring fingers to the tip of your thumb; keep the index and little fingers straight.
- Breathe slowly and evenly through your nose, letting the belly move gently with each breath.
- Stay for 5–15 minutes, then release both hands and sit or walk quietly for a moment.
The hands differ: right hand joins thumb, index and middle tips; left hand joins thumb, middle and ring tips. The drawing shows the right hand.
Traditional benefits
- Traditionally used after meals to support comfortable digestion
- Traditionally used for a heavy, full or sluggish feeling in the stomach
- Traditionally used as a gesture of taking in (right hand) and letting go (left hand)
- Traditionally used to ease tension around eating and give a calm pause after food
Keep in mind
- Pushan mudra does not treat high blood pressure, acid reflux or any bowel disease. Keep your medicine and see a doctor for ongoing symptoms.
- Blood in the stool, weight loss without trying, or pain that wakes you at night need a doctor soon.
- Keep the fingertips touching lightly if your hands are stiff or sore.
Pushan mudra is a hand gesture for nourishment. The right hand joins the thumb with the index and middle fingertips, while the left hand joins the thumb with the middle and ring fingertips. It is traditionally held for a few minutes after food, as a calm pause that helps the body settle into digestion.
Pushan mudra meaning
Pushan (Pūṣan) is a Vedic sun god who guards roads, travellers and cattle, and who brings food and nourishment. So the pushan mudra meaning is "gesture of the nourisher". It is sometimes called the give to gain gesture, because one hand takes in and the other lets go.
A mudra is a seal or gesture, usually of the hands, held during slow breathing. In Ayurvedic mudra theory each finger stands for an element: index for air, middle for space, ring for earth. The right hand is said to receive (air and space), and the left hand to release (space and earth). This is a symbolic model rather than proven physiology.
Pushan mudra: how to do it (pushan mudra kaise kare)
The steps above give the full method. Use this quick check so the two hands are not mixed up:
| Hand | Fingertips joined to the thumb tip | Fingers left straight | Traditional idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right | Index and middle | Ring and little | Taking in, receiving |
| Left | Middle and ring | Index and little | Letting go, releasing |
The drawing at the top of the page shows the right hand, which is clearer than most pushan mudra image results. If you are unsure which mudra is this in a pushan mudra digestion photo online, count the fingers: three tips together on the right hand, a different three on the left.
Pushan mudra after food: best time
Sit for 5–15 minutes right after lunch or dinner. Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose) is the classic after-meal seat, and pushan mudra fits it well; if your knees do not like kneeling, use a chair. Avoid lying down straight after a big meal.
Pushan mudra variation
Some books give a simpler pushan mudra variation: both hands in the right-hand shape (thumb, index and middle tips joined). This is easier to remember and is still used after meals.
Pushan mudra benefits
The pushan mudra benefits in the mudra tradition relate to digestion and letting go:
- Digestion after meals: a quiet, upright pause after food. Our yoga for digestion page adds gentle poses and an after-meal session.
- A sluggish belly: it is listed as a mudra for bowel movement; for regular trouble see yoga for constipation.
- Mind: some teachers call it a mudra for positive thoughts and mind power, because it pairs taking in with letting go.
There is no clinical research on pushan mudra. The calm, slow breathing that goes with it is the part most likely to help, since stress can upset digestion. In that sense it also works as a gentle mudra for stress relief.
Is pushan mudra a mudra for high blood pressure?
Many people search for a mudra for high BP or mudras to control high BP, and pushan mudra is sometimes suggested. No mudra has been shown to reduce blood pressure (or reduce high BP) by itself. Slow breathing and regular yoga can support treatment, so read yoga for high blood pressure and keep taking your prescribed medicine.
Pushan mudra side effects
No harmful pushan mudra side effects are known. Holding three fingertips together can tire the hand; relax it and shorten the time if it cramps. If you feel bloated or sick after meals often, talk to a doctor instead of relying on a mudra.
Pushan mudra and other mudras
There is no one mudra for all problems and no best mudra for overall health. Each hand mudra and its benefits suit a specific need. For digestion, the benefits of vayu mudra (gas) and apana mudra (elimination) are closest to pushan. The benefits of prana mudra are energy (pran mudra benefits in Hindi books stress this too): to do prana mudra, join the ring and little fingertips to the thumb. The benefits of gyan mudra and chin mudra are calm and focus, the benefits of kubera mudra are clear goals, and the benefits of mukula mudra are focused attention on one tired area. To do varuna mudra, touch the little fingertip to the thumb. Vishnu mudra is the hand position for alternate nostril breathing. Lists of powerful mudras of the hand often promise "power" or quick cures; treat them with care. How to practice mudras well is simple: sit upright, touch lightly, breathe slowly and be regular. See all hand mudras and their benefits, a list of mudras with pictures (including images of apan mudra), on our mudras page.
Pushan mudra benefits in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada are the same as in English; our guided sessions speak those languages too.
पूषन मुद्रा (Pushan Mudra) — हिंदी में: भोजन के बाद वज्रासन या कुर्सी पर सीधे बैठें। दाएँ हाथ में अंगूठे के सिरे से तर्जनी और मध्यमा के सिरे मिलाएँ; बाएँ हाथ में अंगूठे से मध्यमा और अनामिका के सिरे मिलाएँ। 5–15 मिनट धीरे-धीरे साँस लें। पूषन मुद्रा के फायदे: पारंपरिक रूप से पाचन में सहायक और मन को शांत करने वाली। यह दवा का विकल्प नहीं है।
More mudras
Frequently asked questions
What is pushan mudra?
Pushan mudra is a two-hand gesture of nourishment. The right hand joins the thumb with the index and middle fingertips; the left hand joins the thumb with the middle and ring fingertips. It is traditionally used after meals.
Pushan mudra kaise kare?
Sit straight after food. Right hand: thumb, index and middle fingertips together. Left hand: thumb, middle and ring fingertips together. Keep the other fingers straight and breathe slowly for 5–15 minutes.
When is the best time to do pushan mudra?
Right after a meal, for 5–15 minutes, sitting upright. You can also use it at any time when your stomach feels heavy.
Why are the two hands different in pushan mudra?
In the tradition the right hand stands for receiving and the left hand for releasing. Together they express taking in what nourishes you and letting go of what you do not need.
Can pushan mudra lower blood pressure?
There is no evidence that it does. Keep your medicine and follow your doctor. Slow breathing and regular gentle yoga can support treatment.
Pushan mudra ke fayde kya hain?
Pushan mudra ke fayde (benefits) in tradition are better comfort after meals, a calmer belly and a calm, letting-go feeling. They are traditional, not proven medical effects.
Are there pushan mudra side effects?
No harmful side effects are known. The fingers may tire at first; relax the hands and shorten the time.
Mudras are a traditional practice for focus and relaxation. Research on specific health effects is limited; use them alongside, not instead of, medical care.