Mudras for Calm: No Mat Needed — How Simple Hand Gestures Can Ground You with Swami Saradananda
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How Swami Saradananda Uses Mudras to Bring Calm — and How You Can Too
When you think about managing stress through yoga, you might picture flowing movements, deep breathing, or even quiet meditation. But in this conversation, Swami Saradananda shows us how something as simple as your hands can help calm your mind — even if you’re on a train or stuck at your desk.
Swami Saradananda has taught yoga for over 50 years across New York, London, New Delhi and the Himalayas. She’s directed ashrams, written books on mudras, chakras, pranayama and kriyas, and taken vows as a swami — dedicating her life to yoga’s deeper path.
Yet, her approach is anything but intimidating. It’s practical, human, and refreshingly gentle. In this conversation, she shares her remarkable journey, what being a swami truly means, and simple mudras anyone can use to find more steadiness in daily life.
From Polio to Yoga: Swami Saradananda’s Remarkable Journey
Swami Saradananda didn’t come to yoga through trendy studios or glossy Instagram images. As a young child, she was diagnosed with polio and told by doctors she might never walk again.
“My mother used to say I could walk because I was too young to understand the doctors. So I just kept trying,” she told me.
Because of her illness, she was kept out of all physical activity growing up. But at university, a required year of gym changed everything. She discovered that moving her body felt not only possible but powerful.
Later, living in Florida, she saw a small newspaper ad for a yoga class. She had no idea what yoga was but decided to try it. That one class opened a door that changed her life.
“I found it helped me so much more than any exercise I had ever done. From then on, I just kept practising.”
What It Means to Be a Swami — and Why It’s About Intention, Not Perfection
Most of us have heard the title “swami”, but might not fully know what it means. Swami Saradananda has been a swami for nearly 50 years. She described it beautifully:
“It’s a bit like monks and nuns in the West — we take vows. But our vows aren’t about poverty or obedience. They’re about renouncing the desire for name, fame, riches, and having attachment only to our individual family. We take the whole world as our family.”
What struck me most was her perspective on vows. They aren’t things you do because you’re already perfect at them.
“You don’t take a vow for something you can already do. You take a vow because it’s something you can’t yet do, but want to. It’s an intention — a statement of what you’re growing toward.”
Isn’t that a reassuring way to think about any commitment we make to ourselves?
Mudras: More Than Hand Gestures — How They Redirect Your Energy
Mudras are often dismissed as simple hand gestures. But Swami Saradananda explained that they’re far more than that — they’re like changing the tracks for your energy flow.
“Think of the hands like wires. If you join the thumb and index finger, you’re connecting two wires. If you join the thumb and middle finger, you’re directing the energy somewhere else. It’s like switching a train onto a different track.”
She pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine says most major healing meridians start or end in the hands and feet. In yoga, we’d call these channels nadis — rivers through which prana flows.
That’s why bringing specific fingers together can redirect subtle energy, helping calm the mind or focus your attention.
Simple Mudras for Stress, Overthinking, and Even Listening at Work
Swami Saradananda shared a few mudras that are remarkably easy to use — no mat, studio or quiet room required.
1. For grounding and calming anxious thoughts
Try Jnana Mudra — the classic index finger to thumb gesture. But instead of turning the palms up (to receive inspiration), turn the palms down on your thighs.
“It’s very grounding. We all need grounding — whether you’ve lost a job, are moving house, or simply feel scattered by modern life.”
2. For instant reset at your desk
“Every half hour or so, take your hands off the keyboard, close your eyes, and rub your thumbs against the fingertips for 30 seconds. It relaxes your hands, your eyes, your brain. Even the strictest boss won’t mind a 30-second pause.”
3. To encourage deep listening in meetings
Place your thumb over the nail of your middle finger and apply gentle pressure.
“It’s very subtle, but it encourages deep listening. You can do it with hands resting in your lap during any meeting.”
Why Your Hands Might Be the Missing Link in Your Practice
If you’re someone who struggles to slow down, or finds traditional yoga classes too physically demanding right now, mudras are a beautiful way to deepen your practice.
Swami even pointed out that hand flexibility itself is often overlooked. In her book Mudras for Modern Life, the first chapter is entirely about regaining mobility in your hands — especially important when so much of our day is spent curled over keyboards or phones.
Remember: There’s Always Something You Can Do
Near the end of our conversation, Swami Saradananda shared something that’s stayed with me all week.
“Never think there’s nothing you can do. Even someone completely bedridden can practice mudras. There’s always something — physically, mentally — that helps.”
And when we take time for even the smallest practices, that steadiness ripples outward. We become a little more calm, a little more clear. Our families, friends, and colleagues feel that too.
Connect with Swami Saradananda
You can find more of Swami Saradananda’s teachings and upcoming online courses (including Mudras for Modern Life starting this September) on her website:
She also writes beautifully on Substack, offering monthly satsangs that explore yoga philosophy through the power of stories.
