Asana, Pranayama, Mudra and Bandha.: 1

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In hatha yoga, mudras are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), generally while in a seated posture, to stimulate different parts of the body involved with breathing and to affect the flow of prana. According to scholar Sir Monier Monier-Williams it means "seal" or "any other instrument used for sealing". In addition, many of the Buddhist mudras are used outside South Asia, and have developed different local forms elsewhere. According to Jamgön Kongtrül in his commentary on the Hevajra Tantra, the ornaments of wrathful deities and witches made of human bones (Skt: aṣṭhimudrā; Wylie: rus pa'i rgyan phyag rgya) are also known as mudra "seals".

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In general, only Gautama Buddha is shown making this mudrā except Maitreya as the dispenser of the Law.The mida no jōin (弥陀定印) is the Japanese name of a variation of the dhyāna mudra, where the index fingers are brought together with the thumbs. The Vitarka mudrā "mudra of discussion" is the gesture of discussion and transmission of Buddhist teaching.

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This mudra was probably used before the onset of Buddhism as a symbol of good intentions proposing friendship when approaching strangers. As well as being spiritual gestures employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian religions, mudras have meaning in many forms of Indian dance, and yoga. Tendai and Shingon Buddhism derived the supposedly powerful gestures from Mikkyo Buddhism, still to be found in many Ko-ryū ("old") martial arts Ryū (schools) founded before the 17th century. The main mudras used represent specific moments in the life of the Buddha, and are shorthand depictions of these.

Khecarī mudrā, the Khechari Seal, consists of turning back the tongue "into the hollow of the skull", [23] sealing in the bindu fluid so that it stops dripping down from the head and being lost, even when the yogi "embraces a passionate woman". In all their forms of Indian classical dance, the mudras are similar, though the names and uses vary. It is done by joining the tips of the thumb and the index together, and keeping the other fingers straight very much like the abhaya and varada mudrās but with the thumbs touching the index fingers. There are several variants such as in the Ajanta Caves frescoes, where the two hands are separated and the fingers do not touch.

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Dhiren Gala: Health at Your Fingertips: Mudra Therapy, a Part of Ayurveda Is Very Effective Yet Costs Nothing. This was predominantly used in Japan in an effort to distinguish Amitābha (hence "mida" from Amida) from the Vairocana Buddha, [11] and was rarely used elsewhere. The Abhayamudra "gesture of fearlessness" [5] represents protection, peace, benevolence and the dispelling of fear.The two hands are placed on the lap, right hand on left with fingers fully stretched (four fingers resting on each other and the thumbs facing upwards towards one another diagonally), palms facing upwards; in this manner, the hands and fingers form the shape of a triangle, which is symbolic of the spiritual fire or the Three Jewels. For example the "knife hand" or shuto gesture is subtly concealed in some Koryu kata, and in Buddhist statues, representing the sword of enlightenment. It follows the traditional path to meditation as laid out in Classical Yoga texts such as the Hath Yoga Pradipika. The yoga mudras are diverse in the parts of the body involved and in the procedures required, as in Mula Bandha, [20] Mahamudra, [21] Viparita Karani, [22] Khecarī mudrā, [23] and Vajroli mudra.