Mudras: hand gestures for meditation

Crystal Quintero and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wikipedia edit; pinterest.com

Hand and finger positioning can be very helpful in the practice of meditation.

Yoga (bodily poses) and mudras (gestures) are so easy, even kids can do them (pinterest)

 

The Buddha, vajra mudra

What is a mudrā? It is a Sanskrit (मुद्रा) word for "seal," "mark," or "gesture" (Tibetan ཕྱག་རྒྱ་ or chakgya).

It is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Vedic Brahmanism (the ancient tradition inherited and preserved by Hinduism) and Buddhism.

Some mudras involve the entire body, as when the Buddha is sitting in full lotus pose holding one hand close to his heart with fingers signifying absorption (jhana).

Will they help me sit and focus the mind?

But most are performed with the hands and fingers. A mudrā is a spiritual gesture and an energetic seal of authenticity employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian [Dharmic] religions. One hundred and eight mudrās are used in regular Tantric rituals.

 

In yoga, mudrās are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), generally while seated in lotus pose, easy pose, or vajra pose to stimulate different parts of the body involved in breathing and to affect the flow of energy/chi/prana in the body. More