First published in 2014
by Singing Dragon
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Copyright © Revital Carroll with Cain Carroll 2014
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ISBN 978 1 84819 175 4
eISBN 978 0 85701 142 8
Introduction
For millennia, hand mudras (hastas) have been explored and utilized as an integral part of Indian spiritual culture. In the tradition of Classical Indian Dance, hand mudras are extensively used as essential tools of expression. By learning the hand gestures of Indian dance, we tap into a vast body of knowledge that invites deeper meaning, beauty, and awareness into all of our creative endeavors.
Mudras are much more than tools of expression; they stimulate the flow of Shakti (“primal force”) in the organs, glands, and nerve channels of the body. While the feet form a stable foundation and set the rhythm of the dance, the hands—being at the ends of the creative channels (nadis)—are the most potent body part to convey feeling and subtle expression.
The 52 mudras included in this deck are the fundamental hand gestures used in Classical Indian Dance as illustrated in the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara, the first practical text devoted solely to dance. This is the most influential text in the field of dance technique and extensively deals with the use of hand gestures for communication and expression. These 52 mudras are divided into two sets: 28 Asamyuka Hastas (“single-hand gestures”), and 24 Samyukta Hastas (“joint-hand gestures”). They are included here in their traditional order, divided into two color-coded sets:
Classical Indian Dance technique views the joints as the initiators of movement and shapers of form. In Indian dance, every mudra is articulated and initiated from the wrist, rather than the muscles of the hands or arms. This focus on the wrist imbues each mudra with a connectivity that carries the impact of the gesture deeper into the dancer’s core and the spectator’s heart. Mudras in dance are the focal point around which everything else revolves. The verse below, from the Abhinaya Darpana, poetically describes the importance of mudras:
Yato hastas tato drishtih
Yato drishitis tato manah
Yato manas tato bhavo
Yato bhavas tato rasah.
“Where the hand goes, the eyes follow.
Where the eyes go, the mind follows.
Where the mind (awareness) is, emotion (bhava) is created.
Once bhava is created, sentiment (rasa) arises.”
This verse also illustrates the central role of emotional expression in Indian dance. The intention of evoking sentiment in the viewer, largely through the use of mudras and facial expression, is seen as a path to spiritual awakening.
The importance of the subtle inner workings of mudras, not only their outward appearance, is a value shared by yoga and Indian dance alike. If you are a practitioner of yoga and meditation, you could greatly enhance your sadhana (“practice”) by learning the art of emotional expression implicit in the use of dance mudras. The emphasis placed on rousing the sentiments of the heart is a central theme in both dance and Bhakti Yoga (“path of devotion”). We have found that this important component of spiritual life is greatly enriched by working with the theatrical mudras and rasas (“moods”) used in dance. For dancers, incorporating yoga mudras into your daily training will help you connect with the spiritual power inherent in the ancient roots of dance (for more information, see the Mudras of Yoga card deck by Cain Carroll with Revital Carroll). The meditative practice of yoga mudras will improve a dancer’s overall health, increase mental clarity, and develop superior concentration for learning complex choreography. The creative capacity contained in the hands is accessible to anyone. Whether you are a dancer, yogi/yogini, spiritual seeker, or simply feel drawn to explore something new, the realm of hand mudras has much to offer. We hope you will enjoy this simple and powerful way to access your core being, harmonize your emotions, and bring an added element of beauty and devotion to your life!
How to Use This Deck
The hands in their basic resting form—open and relaxed—represent the realm of pure potential. This potential is neutral. You can select what you want to manifest by performing any number of mudras after taking a moment of stillness with the hands in their natural position.
Since performing mudras is like a yoga session for your hands, it is good idea to take a little time to warm up the fingers and wrists before beginning to work with the mudras.
Warming Up
Take a deep breath in and hold your breath. Clap the hands together firmly three times, hard enough so that they sting a little bit. Exhale slowly through the mouth and resume natural breathing. Then, rub the hands together vigorously for about one minute, or until they feel very warm. Make sure to rub the palms and tops of the hands and fingers, warming the hands on all sides, even between the fingers. This easy warm-up will improve blood circulation to the hands and fingers, make the joints feel more supple and strong, and increase your sensitivity to the energy generated through your mudra practice.
Wrist Rotations
Hold your hands comfortably in front of your chest and rotate the wrists 16 or more times in one direction and 16 or more times in the opposite direction. This will lubricate your wrist joints and open the flow of energy to the hands and fingers, facilitating ease of articulation.
Tips for Practicing Dance Mudras
1.Awareness: Use your mind to send energy into your hands. Become aware of each finger and part of your hands, wrists, and your entire body. Activating the energy in your hands will in turn activate the corresponding energy in your body and will make your entire being feel more alive and awake.
2.Form: While practicing the various hand gestures, articulate the precise form as described to the best of your ability. Bear in mind that we all have slightly different body proportions, and our anatomical differences will reflect in the unique variations of our hand gestures.
3.Essence: You will notice each mudra has a single word attributed to it on the