The Yoni and the Yoni Mudra
- Melissa Finn
- Jul 31, 2024
- 3 min read
The Yoni
Should you ever want to describe women's genitalia without using the clinical terms, vulva and vagina, one word that has widespread public acceptance is the Sanskrit word, ‘yoni’ which means source, womb, or female genitals. The term invokes the ideas of joining or uniting. In Hinduism, the yoni is a symbol of divine procreative energy that is often represented by a circular stone (The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 2005; Leeming, 2005). The yoni is typically worshipped with the lingam in Hinduism through abstract representations such as statues and through iconography of the Goddesses Shakti or Devi which represent female power. The abstract yoni is portrayed as a pedestal (pitha) into which the God Shiva’s lingam is usually set. These yoni pedestals are often shaped as spout, thereby allowing water and other substances to flow away. When the lingam and the yoni are depicted together, they represent Shiva and Shakti in undifferentiated union of spirit (male) and matter (female), “unlimited and continuously dynamic potency…simultaneously creative and destructive energy” (Johnson, 2009).
The Yoni Mudra
The yoni inspires a gesture in yoga and meditation called mudra that is used to increase energetic flows. The purpose of the mudra is to focus subtle energy, teach through symbols, heal illness, and channel the practitioner’s psychic abilities. Mudras are a form of non-verbal communication that express inner resolve. For the gesture, the fingers are extended or folded to create greater balance in the body (Tomlinson, 2024). The yoni mudra position creates electric circuits that invoke “the primal energy inherent in the womb or source of energy” (Ayurveda Journal, 2024), while helping the practitioner connect more deeply to the feminine energy within and activate kundalini energy, which is believed to lie dormant at the base of the spine. To perform the yoni mudra, find comfortable seated position, hold the gesture so that your fingers make an upside down triangle with pointer fingers facing down, last 3 fingers folded in. Hold the gesture for as long as you like, visualizing the energy of the universe flowing through your body or the energy of the yoni and its creative power, while focusing your attention on your breath and the sensation of your hands on your stomach.
There are great spiritual and energetic benefits to the yoni mudra including awaking the practitioner’s creative power, helping them to connect to their true selves, activating their sacral chakra which helps improve relationships, boost self-confidence, and enhance a sense of well-being, cultivating the practitioner’s sense of inner peace, while quieting their minds and easing their nervous system, and honoring the divine feminine within. The physical benefits of practicing the yoni mudra include improving posture, strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, reducing tension and stress and improve circulation. The mental and emotional benefits of the yoni mudra including calming the mind, promoting feelings of joy, pleasure, and creativity, increasing self-awareness, boosting confidence and self-esteem, and enhancing intuition (Liferetailers, 2024).
The yoni mudra is a great position to hold whenever you are sitting to increase your self-awareness while honoring the precious yoni.
Works Cited:
__________ (2024). Yoni Mudra: Unveiling the Spiritual Significance and Health Benefits. Retrieved from: https://liferetailers.com/yoni-mudra/.
__________ (2024). Yoni Mudra: Attitude of the Womb or Source. Retrieved from: https://www.ayurvedajournals.com/article/yoni-mudra.
__________ (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press.
W.J. Johnson. Yoni (2009). A Dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford University Press.
David Leeming. Yoni (2005). The Oxford Companion to World Mythology. Oxford University Press.
Tomlinson, Kirsty (2024). An introduction to mudras. Retrieved from: https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/an-introduction-to-mudras.
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