Hastas of Bharatanatyam presented by Sveta Barkun

The word "mudra" according to Tantric philosophy has a Sanskrit root "mud", which means “to give pleasure, to delight in”. These gestures beside denoting different objects and attitudes expressdeep feelings. The other ethimology is “seal” or "body stamp", a special gesture, which is employed in Classical Indian Dance and Hatha-Yoga.

Gestures play an important role in communication as well as in Vedic calendar rituals.

Moreover, since ancient times, people knew the healing power of emotional gestures and used them against various diseases and ailments.

The gestures are connected with the flow of energy and emotions. Consciously deploying them helps to communicate ideas and emotions and to control the energy and psychic strength.

The pure dance called "nritta" is accompanied by various combinations of gestures that have no meaning.

But in the highest lithurgical form of dance called Bharatanatyam, mudras were formerly used to indicate the motion and positions of the heavenly bodies in the sky.

According to Natyashastra, there are 24 gestures of asamyukta hastas. We can suppose that they were associated with the 24 Lunar half-months.

But the "Abhinaya Darpana" of Nandikeswara describes 28 asamyukta (single-hand) and 24 samyukta (joined-hands) mudras or gestures (fifty-two mudras in all).

28 asamyukta hastas can be interpreted as the symbols of Lunar nakshatras or asterisms marking the Moon's monthly path. 52 mudras can be associated with the number of weeks in a year of 364 days.

Every hand gesture has many Viniyogas (the traditional dance and theatre usages or meanings described in "Natya Shastra" and "Abhinaya Darpana").

There are various Yogic Mudras from the Buddhist, Hindu and Tantric traditions. Look at a collection of 60 Hand Yoga Mudras.

Keep in mind that in most occasions your hand gesture is held at least a hand distance away from your body to create an harmonious movement and spacious and graceful affect.