Mantras and Mudras for Chakras

In the yoga world, you may have heard of mantras, mudras, and chakras. Do you know you can use all of them specifically for chakras?

Mantras and mudras for chakras are powerful tools to bring balance and health to your body, mind, and spirit. Mudras can enhance a mantra’s power by redirecting the energy and vibrations generated during the chanting back to the body. Hence bringing balance to the chakras.

What is so special about making a mudra while chanting a mantra? Chanting a mantra while doing a mudra enhances each other’s effect and helps to redirect the energy back to the body to cleanse and balance each of your chakras.

What Are Mantras and Mudras

Mudras and mantras are not specific to yoga. Throughout centuries mudras and mantras have been in use by different religions, cultures, and traditions.  You can find mudras in Hinduism and Buddhism in India, Tibet, China, and Japan. Mudras form a big part in Indian dance, spiritual practices, and iconography. 

Let’s have a brief look at what mudras and mantras are. 

What Are Mudras? 

Mudras are physical gestures made with the hands and fingers. The word mudra comes from Sanskrit, which means gesture, mark, or seal. Mudras are gestures to create or bring joy. 

Mudras are an ancient mystical science that can help you balance the energy flow in your body. You can use mudras as tools to bring balance in your energetic field by re-directing the prana. 

You can use mudras and mantras to deepen your meditation practice. 

There are hundreds of mudras and mantras to choose from, depending on your intention. You can find specific mudras according to your intention. Some practices like Kundalini yoga and Tantra use their own mudras.

A mudra may involve the whole body in a combination of asana, pranayama, bandha, and visualisation techniques, or it may be only a hand position. You can also combine mudras with other yoga practices.

It is common to use mudras during meditation. Kundalini yoga uses mudras during meditation, chanting of mantras and a combination of asanas while applying bandhas. 

What Are Mantras? 

Mantras are sounds considered sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Yoga. You can find mantras formed by one syllable or a combination of syllables. The original mantras are in Sanskrit, but today you can find them in various languages. 

The word mantra in Sanskrit means “the thought that liberates and protects.” Mantras in yoga help to focus the mind. The sound and repetition of the mantra calms the mind and stop it from wandering around. A mantra affects your body, mind, and spirit, bringing harmony to all your being. 

The power of the mantra comes from the sound vibration itself. When you chant, the vibration of the mantras come from different parts of your body. It can come from the abdomen, the diaphragm, or the throat. These are pure vibrations that tune you with the mantra so that you become one with the mantra.

A mantra can activate and speed up your creative spiritual force. It will help you to direct this energy to your benefit or the benefit of others. By practising mantras, you can get rid of overwhelming recurring thoughts. Mantras will help you stay calm, reducing stress and anxiety.

Why Do People Touch Their Fingers When Meditating?

You have probably wonder why people touch the tip of their fingers while doing meditation. It is likely to be because they are using mudras during their meditation. 

Mudras are like an electrical circuit that gets to be closed when the fingers touch. So, energy circulates throughout the body. The theory behind mudras is that the fingers are the endings of the Nadis (channels of energy throughout the body). 

Keeping the fingers in specific positions in a mudra creates an electromagnetic current. This electromagnetic field brings balance to the whole body. Mudras provide a means to access and influence the unconscious reflexes and habitual patterns.

Each finger connects to one of the five elements:  Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Ether. So, when we made a mudra, the fingers will connect with one or more of the elements.

• Thumb -fire (Agni)
• Index finger – air (Vayu)
• Middle finger – ether (Akash)
• Ring finger – earth (Prithvi)
• Little finger – water (Jal)

If there is an imbalance in these elements, the immune system weakens, and it can lead to disease. By doing mudras, you can bring balance back to the body. 

In general, mudras are performed either in combination with or after asana and pranayama.

What Are Chakras?

Chakras are like wheels of energy or vortexes in your body. They are part of the energy body, and each chakra has a frequency. You can bring your chakras into balance with that same frequency. Chakras locate at specific points where energy channels called Nadis. There are 72 000 Nadis in they connect at the 7 major centres. These 7 centres are the chakras.

Each of your 7 chakras has a particular colour, mantra, situation, and range of experiences. These 7 chakras are Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar plexus chakra, Heart Chakra, Throat Chakra, Third eye Chakra, and Crown Chakra. 

The mantras for chakras are known as Bija, Beeja, or Seed mantras. The Beeja mantras are in the Sanskrit language, each of them invokes specific energies from the Universe. Seed mantras are one-syllable words. They are the core sounds of creative energy.

Beeja chakra mantras are among the most powerful mantras you can come across. They have incredible power to unlocking growth and healing. Bring balance to each of your chakras by working one of them at a time. 

Mantras for Chakras

When you chant a mantra, the sound resonates with your chakra. The mantra and the chakra have the same frequency. So, when a chakra is out of balance, it means its frequency is out of tune. 

Like a musical instrument that needs tuning, the mantra chanting helps to bring the chakra to its frequency tune. So, you will feel more at ease physically and mentally when your chakras are in balance. Your life will flow without effort. 

Let’s have a look at each of the seed sounds, their mudra, and their chakra. The mantras for chakras are one-syllable mantras chant during meditation to bring your chakras into balance.

These are the Beeja sounds for each chakra: 

• Root chakra or Mooladhara – Lam – Prithvi mudra
• Sacral chakra or Swadhistana – Vam – Varuna mudra
• Solar plexus chakra or Manipura – Ram – Rudra mudra
• Heart Chakra or Anahata – Yam – Vayu mudra
• Throat chakra or Vishuddi – Ham – Aakash mudra
• Third eye chakra or Ajna – Aum – Gyan mudra
• Crown chakra or Sahasrara – Aum – Thousand petals mudra

Chanting seed mantras can help you bring balance and harmony to your body, mind, and spirit. The use of a mantra will help you focus your attention. But more importantly, its vibration will affect your body at a subtle level to connect you with your true self and the universe. 

Mantras for the chakras can raise your vibration with that of the universe. You will feel at ease with life. Your body will be healthy, and your mind will be free of stress and worries. You will be able to relate to others with love and compassion. You will be able to support yourself and enjoy the pleasures of life. 

Mantra Mudra Meditation for the Chakras

The first and most important part before you start your mantra mudra meditation practice is to ensure you are ready and set up for it.  Here is some general guidance on how to prepare for your meditation practice: 

• Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. 
• Keep a shawl over your shoulders to avoid getting cold. 
• Don’t eat heavy meals for one hour and a half before meditating. 
• Sit down cross-legged on a yoga mat or a chair. 
• Make sure you are relaxed and keep your back straight. 
• Place your hands in the mudra position. 
• Remember to apply gentle but firm pressure to the tips of the fingers during the mudra. 
• Chant the Beeja mantra for the chakra you want to balance. 
• Inhale and on the exhale, chant the mantra. 
• Meditate for  5 to 45 minutes. 
• Practice daily and be patient to obtain results. 
• Once you gain the results you wanted, start meditating for another chakra. 

The mudra meditation for chakras can have one or more mudras that can help bring the chakra in balance. Choose one and stick to it. 

Mudra and Mantra for Mooladhara Chakra

The mudra for Mooladhara chakra is Prithvi mudra. 

Prithvi mudra increases the element Earth in your body and decreases fire. This mudra is also known as Agni-shaamak mudra. 

The element Earth is associated with the body with tendons, skin, internal organs, hair, bones, muscles, cartilage, joints, and nails.  

• You can practice Prithvi mudra sitting down or standing up
• straight in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
• You make Prithvi mudra by joining the tip of the thumb and the tip of the ring finger together. 
• The rest of the fingers should point straight.
• Do it with both hands. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant LAM. 
• Meditate for 5 to 45 minutes each day. 

Another mudra for the Root Chakra is Mooladhara chakra mudra. 

Join both palms together like in prayer position. Interlace and bend the ring and little fingers. Join the tip of your index fingers with that of your thumbs, forming an interlocking circle. Middle fingers remain joined and straight. Hold this mudra at the height of your pubic bone. Contract your perineal muscle while holding the mudra. 

Inhale and on your exhale, chant LAM. 

Practice it twice a day, morning and evening. 

Mudra and Mantra for Swadhistana

The mudra for the sacral chakra is Varuna. The element of this chakra is water.  There are several mudras to help bring balance to this chakra. Here are three of them. 

The Varuna mudra lubricates dehydrated cells, tissues, and ligaments. Improves digestion, purify the blood, cure skin and eye dryness, helps anaemia and cramps. To practice Varuna mudra: 

• Sit crossed-legged or on a chair. 
• Join the thumb with the tip of the little finger. 
• Apply slight pressure on the tips.
• Keep the remaining fingers straight. 
• You make Varuna mudra with both hands.
• Rest your hands on your lap or knees with palms facing up. 
• Inhale and chant VAM on the exhale. 
• Practice it for 15 to 45 minutes per day. 
• Do this mudra anytime, anywhere. 

Mudra for the Pelvic Centre Chakra

• You can practice this mudra seated or lying down.
• Join your palms together in a prayer pose. 
• Interlace ring and little fingers 
• Cross your middle fingers over the index fingers
• Touch the tip of the middle fingers to the tip of the thumbs and press gently.
• Hold this mudra in front of your chest. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant LAM. 
• Perform the sacral chakra mudra for 5 to 40 minutes twice a day.
• Do it in the morning and evening. 

Shaktimudra or Mudra of the Divine Feminine

This mudra helps with sleeping disorders, provides relaxation in the pelvic area, and calms the nervous system. 

• Sit down to perform this mudra. 
• Touch the ring and little finger together, with a gap between them.
• Fold your thumbs and place them at the centre of the palm. 
• Fold your index and middle fingers on top of your thumbs. 
• Hold this mudra in front of your chest. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant LAM. 
• Practice shakti mudra for 5 to 40 minutes twice a day. 
• You can do it anywhere, anytime.
• Do it in the morning and evening. 

Once you achieve results, stop this mudra, as it can cause lethargic tendencies. 

Mudra and Mantra for Manipura

There are a couple of mudras for the Manipura chakra. 

Rudra mudra can balance Manipura chakra. It can improve eyesight, reduce blood pressure, dizziness, fatigue and improves concentration. 

• Practice Rudra mudra sitting down. 
• Bring the tips of your thumb, index finger, and ring finger together. 
• Keep the middle and little fingers straight.
• You can do it with both hands. 
• Place your hands on your knees with palms facing up. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant RAM.
• Meditate for 15 to 45 minutes. 
• You can do it with both hands anywhere, anytime. 

Another mudra for Solar plexus is Agni mudra. It acts by decreasing Earth. It regulates body temperature and metabolism and helps to maintain a healthy digestive system. 

• You can practice Agni mudra sitting down. 
• Make Agni by bending your ring finger and applying pressure to hold it with your thumb. 
• The rest of your fingers are straight.
• You can do it with both hands. 
• Inhale and on your exhale chant RAM. 
• Meditate for 5 to 45 minutes every day. 

Mudra and Mantra for Anahata

The mudra for the Heart chakra is Vayu. Its element is air. Vayu mudra regulates imbalances of air, such as Parkinson’s, arthritis, and rheumatism.

• Practice Vayu mudra sitting down.
• Fold your index finger onto the base of the thumb and press it down gently with the thumb. 
• Keep the remaining fingers straight. 
• Do it with two hands. 
• Place your hands facing up onto your lap or knees.
• Keep your body relax and back straight. 
• Concentrate on your breathing. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant YAM. 
• Practice this mudra for 15-45 minutes every day.
• You can do this mudra anytime, everywhere. 

Stop doing this mudra once you achieve the desired results. 

Mudra and Mantra for Vishuddi

The mudra for the throat chakra is Aakash mudra.

Aakash mudra increases the ether element in your body. It can help you connect with the collective consciousness and overcome negative emotions.  This mudra helps to detoxify, strengthen the bones, and eases nerves, ear and tooth problems. 

• Practice Aakash mudra sitting down. 
• Close your eyes. 
• Join the tip of your thumb and middle finger together.
• Apply gentle pressure at the fingertips. 
• Keep the remaining fingers straight.
• You can use both hands.
• Place your hands on your lap or your knees with palms facing up. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant HAM. 
• Do it every day for 10 to 45 minutes. This mudra is best done between 2-6 am or between 2-6 pm. 

Another mudra for the throat chakra

• Practice mudra for the throat chakra sitting down.
• Put your hands in prayer pose. 
• Interlace your middle, ring, and little fingers. 
• Interlock index and thumb fingers, forming a ring. 
• Hold the mudra at your throat height. 
• Close your eyes. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant HAM. 
• Perform this mudra for 5 to 40 minutes twice a day, morning and evening. 

Mudra and Mantra for Ajna

Gyan Mudra is the mudra for the Third eye chakra. It is the most common mudra used in yoga. Gyan mudra is the mudra of knowledge.

Gyan mudra brings wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. Gyan mudra relaxes the body and focuses the mind during meditation. It relieves stress and depression. It helps you restore emotional stability and regular sleep. 

• Practice Gyan mudra sitting down
• Join the tip of your index finger and the tip of your thumb together.
• Keep the remaining fingers straight. 
• You can do it with both hands. 
• Rest your hands on your lap or your knees with palms facing up.
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant AUM. 
• Practice Gyan mudra for 15 to 45 minutes per day. 
• You can practice this mudra anytime, anywhere. 

Another mudra for the Ajna chakra is the Nirvana mudra. 

Nirvana mudra is known as the mudra for liberation. 

• Practice Nirvana mudra sitting down. 
• Cross your left hand over your right hand at your wrists in front of your face. 
• Fold the little, ring, and middle fingers of both hands. 
• Touch the tips of both index fingers together while keeping the thumbs parallel to each other and touching. 
• Bow and touch your third eye point with your index fingers. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant AUM.
• Hold for 1 to 2 minutes. 
• Practice every day.

Mudra and Mantra for Sahasrara

The mudra for the crown chakra is the mudra of the thousand petals. 

This mudra is said to open the gateway to universal consciousness and transcendence. 

• Practice this mudra sitting down.
• Raise your hands at chest height with your palms facing down. 
• Join the tips of both index fingers together. 
• Join the tips of the thumbs together, forming a triangle. 
• Extend all the other fingers
• Raise the mudra 6 inches above your head. 
• Close your eyes and visualise light showering down from the triangle formed by the mudra into the top of your head. 
• Inhale and on your exhale, chant AUM. 
• Meditate for 5 to 20 minutes twice a day in the morning and evening. 

Conclusion

Through the practice of meditation, mantra chanting, asana, and bandha, there is the intention of balancing the energy flow in your body. These practices can bring better health, reduce stress, influence positive thinking, reduce pain, boost the immune system, among many other ailments.

The benefits of mudras are due to the balancing of the energy flow in your body. Mantras work together with mudras to bring balance to your health faster than using them separately. 

The mantra will tune your chakras to the right frequency. While the mudra redirects the energy flow in your body to the right places, bringing the energy in your body into balance. 

Frequently Asked Questions