Padma Mudra (Lotus Mudra)
Padma Mudrā
PUHD-mah moo-DRAH • Lotus Gesture
A heart-opening mudra that cultivates love, compassion, and emotional openness
About This Mudra
Padma Mudra, the Lotus Mudra, represents the purity and beauty of the lotus flower that blooms from muddy waters. This mudra opens and activates the Heart Chakra, promoting unconditional love, compassion, and emotional healing. Like a lotus opening its petals, this gesture symbolizes the unfolding of the heart. It's particularly effective for releasing grief, healing emotional wounds, and cultivating the ability to give and receive love freely. Regular practice helps develop forgiveness, empathy, and connection with others.
How to Practice
- 1Sit comfortably with spine straight
- 2Bring your hands to heart center (chest)
- 3Touch the base of your palms together
- 4Touch tips of pinky fingers and thumbs together
- 5Spread out other three fingers on each hand like lotus petals
- 6Keep the mudra at heart center
- 7Close eyes and breathe into your heart
- 8Visualize a green or pink lotus blossoming in your heart
- 9Hold for 5-15 minutes
- 10Feel your heart opening with love and compassion
Breathing Pattern
Breathe gently into your heart center. Inhale love and compassion, exhale pain and resentment. Feel your heart expanding like a lotus.
Benefits
Physical
- Opens chest and improves breathing
- Supports heart health
- Balances blood pressure
- Strengthens immune system
- Promotes circulation
Mental
- Releases grief and emotional pain
- Cultivates love and compassion
- Reduces loneliness and isolation
- Promotes forgiveness
- Enhances empathy and connection
Energetic
- Opens and activates Heart Chakra (Anahata)
- Promotes unconditional love
- Balances giving and receiving
- Heals emotional wounds
- Connects to universal love
When to Use
- When feeling heartbroken or grieving
- To cultivate self-love and acceptance
- Before acts of forgiveness
- When seeking deeper connections
- During loving-kindness meditation
Contraindications
- None known - safe for all practitioners