Yoni Mudra: What Does It Mean and What Are Its Benefits?

Yoga is a practice involving physical exercise, spiritual growth, and helps with maintaining a healthy mind and body connection. In yoga, yoni mudra is a simple yoga pose that is meditative and when practiced, helps to calm the mind and promotes inner peace.

For women, this yoga posture is extremely beneficial to help deal with stress that happens in everyday life. The yoni mudra is a technique that facilitates training in the practice of abstraction or Pratyahara. It aims to withhold the conscious mind from sensory perceptions.

Breaking Down the Meaning of Yoni Mudra

The word yoni in Sanskrit translates to “womb” or “source” while mudra refers to “hand gesture”, “seal”, or “hand posture”. Mudras are practiced to restore balance to the body with respect to major elements in the body. The major elements include:

• Earth
• Water
• Air
• Fire
• Space

Like most yoga postures, yoni mudra is also a pose that emphasizes on hand movement. This position is thought to achieve the tranquil mind of an unborn child inside a womb. This is significant as the fetus in the womb is detached from the chaos of the outer world. 

This mudra invokes the natural and primal energy of creation and helps you feel safe and travel to your inner self.

In Hinduism, the yoni mudra is a symbol of the feminine power connected to the Goddess, Kundalini Shakti, represented by the goddess Kali. Kali represents:

• Time and space
• Darkness and mystery
• The womb

Kundalini energy can be located at the base of the spine (root chakra). With the practices of meditation, mudra, yoga, and chakra visualization, this energy can be brought to the crown chakra where it may result in a kundalini awakening. 

This mudra enables you to become more internal or to “go within”. It is therefore thought of as more “feminine” and can be used to escape the chaos occurring in daily life. 

What are The Benefits of Yoni Mudra?

The practice of yoni mudra is thought to help calm the mind and help you find inner peace by silencing the worries that constantly occur in your head. It helps lead you to the state of Pratyahara where you withdraw and detach yourself from the world, basically functioning like a pause button. These silent moments enable you to find harmony and gain clarity. It is a good remedy for depression and stress.

Since this mudra is related to the yoni, some practitioners believe that it can help with menopause and increasing fertility. In general, it benefits the female reproductive system.

Besides helping you to achieve a meditative state, there are also physical advantages from yoni mudra. It is thought to stimulate the nerves and seal energy as pranic energy is believed to exist in the hands. 

Spiritually, according to Gheranda Samhita, yoni mudra is believed to destroy all sins.

Yoni mudra is also used in Kundalini yoga to awaken kundalini, the energy located at the base of the spine. In this practice, the internal holding of breath helps with the rotation of consciousness. 

Yoni mudra is also used in Nada yoga to help you become aware of subtle sounds and concentrate on inner sounds that you hear with your ears closed. It is thought to help you achieve a higher level of consciousness.

Once you are able to master yoni mudra, you may start hearing your inner conscience that has been subdued due to the continuous pressure and influence of the external world. 

How to Do Yoni Mudra?

There are several variations of yoni mudra:

Yoni Mudra Variation 1

• Begin by sitting in Padmasana, a cross-legged posture on a firm surface. 
• Hold your body erect and straight.
• Close your eyes.
• Bring your hands together in the Namaste posture with the thumbs pointing up.
• Open your palms with the tips of the fingers still together.
• With the tips of the thumbs and index fingers still together, loosely interlace the middle, ring, and little fingers.
• Form a closed ring with the two thumbs and index fingers.
• Press the pointed thumbs on your navel and hold this position. 
• The index fingers should point downwards to create an inverted triangle-like shape.
• Focus on your womb space and allow your attention and energy to flow downwards.
• Take slow and deep breaths to release stagnant energy. 
• To release, remove your fingers gradually and bring your hands to your things.
• Breathe freely and relax.

During your practice, you may become more aware of how you feel. If you notice any blockages, focus on sending your breath to the blockage. Due to the increase in pranic energy, it is normal to feel tingling sensations and vibrations. 

Yoni Mudra Variation 2

• Begin by sitting in Siddhasana 
  • Siddhasana is accomplished by folding the leg and placing the left heel under the perineum with the right leg on top of the left leg or in front. 
  • Women can also opt for Siddhayoni. 
  • Sit with your body straight.
• Close your ears with your thumbs.
• Close your eyes with your index fingers.
• Close your nose with your middle fingers.
• Close your mouth by placing the ring finger above the upper lips and the little finger under the lower lips.
• This is also known as Shanmukhi mudra – with “shad” translating to six, and “mukha” as mouth or opening. This refers to the closing of the six openings; the two ears, two eyes, nose, and mouth. 
• Form your lips into a crow’s beak and inhale through the mouth. Remember the nose is closed with the middle fingers. This is known as Kaki Mudra. 
• To merge the Prana and Apana, perform the Root lock (Moola Bandha). 
• Ensure that your elbows are at the level of your shoulder, parallel to the ground.
• To exhale, close the mouth and breath out through the nose. You can also hold the breath inside for some time before exhaling it. 
• If you are comfortable with holding your breath, practice the rotation of consciousness along the chakras.
• Observe your breathing. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to focus on your breathing.
• This is one round. Repeat as many rounds as desired. 

Conclusion 

If possible, practice the yoni mudra for 20 to 30 minutes every morning. If you are a beginner, you can start with 5 minutes and gradually lengthening your practice time. Maintain the mental state as long as possible. You can incorporate Yoni Mudra into your regular yoni yoga practice. If possible, the Yoni Mudra should be practiced with the guidance of a yoga teacher.  

Individuals with psychological disorders such as depression should avoid practicing the yoni mudra. The yoni mudra is a good way to calm your mind and to find inner peace. Try taking some time for yourself and find a quiet place to enjoy some self-reflection and self-love.