Mudrás are almost the same thing as ásanas but incorporate more ideation. The rules for mudrás are similar to those for ásanas, but there is no restriction regarding the nostrils. The number of mudrás is also large. A list of a few necessary mudrás is given here.

(1) Ud́d́ayana mudrá: Standing, place the hands above the knees and bend forward a little. Gradually breathe out, to a state of complete exhalation. Keeping the breath out, draw the abdomen and lower abdomen inward as hard as possible, to touch the spine. Maintain this position for eight seconds. Then gradually inhale fully. Practise eight times.

Upaviśt́a Ud́d́ayana mudrá is Ud́d́ayana mudrá done kneeling, with the buttocks on the soles of the feet, and hands on the knees.

(2) Bandhatraya Yoga –

(i) Mahámudrá: Sitting down, press the múládhára cakra with the left heel and extend the right leg forward. Breathe in deeply, and at the same time contract the urinary sphincter muscles. Grasp the sole of the extended foot firmly with both hands, and maintaining jálandhara Bandha (clamping the chin against the chest), hold the breath. Retain this position for half a minute. Then relax the hands and also jálandhara bandha, and, sitting erect, breathe out.

(ii) Mahábandha: Press the múládhára cakra with the left heel and press the svádhiśt́hána with the right. Breathe in and simultaneously imagine that the urinary sphincter muscles are being raised. Apply jálandhara bandha, and after placing the thumbs over the waist, press the sides of the genitary organ with the eight remaining fingers. Maintain this position for half a minute, and then, releasing the hands and relaxing jálandhara bandha, breathe out.

(iii) Mahávedha: Press the múládhára with the left heel and the svádhiśt́hána with the right. Contract both the anal and the urinary sphincter muscles hard while breathing out. Both the thumbs will rest over the waist. With the remaining eight fingers, try to raise the anal and the urinary sphincters. Jálandhara bandha should be held in the meantime. Retain this posture for half a minute. Release the hands and jálandhara bandha, breathe in, and at the same time relax the anal and urinary sphincters.

Pressing the right heel to the múládhára in a like manner, practise mahámudrá, mahábandha and mahávedha.

(3) Párthivii mudrá: Lie on the back. Spread the arms on the floor beside the body. Close the eyes, and, concentrating the mind on the múládhára cakra, breathe in, and, without pausing, breathe out. Practise seven times.

(4) Ámbhasii mudrá: As in párthivii mudrá, but concentrate on the svádhiśt́hána cakra. Practise seven times.

(5) Ágneyii mudrá: As in parthivii or ámbhasii mudrá. Concentrate on the mańipura cakra. Practise seven times.

(9) Agnisára mudrá: Sitting in siddhásana, hold the waist on both sides with the hands. While breathing out, press the navel region with the middle fingers and contract it till it touches the spine. Stay in this position for a little while. Gradually resume original position. This constitutes one time. Initially practise three times and gradually increase to ten times.

(10) Kákacaiṋcu mudrá: Sit in the open air, preferably on the bank of a pond, facing it. Projecting the mouth like a beak, draw in air, producing a hissing sound, and swallow the air, imagining that the air is whirling around inside the stomach. Be sure that the hissing sound is produced during the act of inhalation. Now the air will escape from the stomach, but take no notice of it. Practise this seven times.