Definition – What does Mushti Mudra mean?

Mushti mudra is a yogic gesture designed to help release pent-up emotions. It is an hasta (hand) mudra and one of a series of therapeutic mudras thought to have healing properties.

To perform this mudra, each hand makes a fist and the thumb stretches over the first three fingers to touch the ring finger.

The term comes from the Sanskrit, mushti, meaning “closed hand” or “fist,” and mudra, meaning “gesture” or “seal.” This mudra, therefore, is also known as the fist mudra.

Mushti Mudra
Yogapedia explains Mushti Mudra

Hasta mudras can be done seated, prone, standing or even walking, as long as the posture is symmetrical and the body is relaxed. For the therapeutic benefits, mushti mudra should be practiced three times a day for 15 minutes. Practicing mushti mudra following a meal is believed to activate energy in the stomach and liver, thereby aiding digestion.

It is also thought to have the following benefits:

Relieves negative emotions such as anger, fear and frustration
Eases constipation
Releases tension in the body
Clears the mind of worry and unwanted thoughts
Lowers blood pressure

Fists are generally seen as a sign of aggression and one that forms naturally during times of extreme emotion, but the mudra is believed to release such emotions because they are balanced in the palm of the hands. The mudra, paired with yogic meditation, is a great stress-reducer.

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Mushti Mudra