Abhay Mudra: How this simple hand sign can bring in protection, peace, and fearlessness

Mudras, in the simplest terms, are hand gestures and symbols that find place and have meaning in yogic traditions. The word ‘mudra’ is often translated to ‘gesture’, and these gestures help people channel a certain energy into them. This energy could be of love, of acceptance, of courage and confidence, and much more, and overtime helps people build a kind of spiritual balance within.
People have been practicing mudras for ages! For increasing focus, for meditating, for calming the mind, for developing courage, and more, and each of these mudras are believed to activate a certain energy channel, or ‘Nadis’ within the body, which helps the person.

In Hindi, ‘Bhay’ means fear, and ‘Abhay’ thus comes to fearlessness. And so, the Abhay Mudra is the symbol and gesture of fearlessness, and can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and across other cultures as well. There have been Gods, sages, saints, spiritual leaders, and many accomplished humans who have practiced and forwarded the skill of the Abhay mudra, and have helped people achieve a sense of courage in life.

Abhay mudra is one of the simplest mudras out there, and one would need no variation to perform it. To perform the Abhay mudra, simply just sit on the floor or on a chair or sofa, and cross your legs if possible. Then, bring your right hand to the height of your shoulder, and the palm should face outwards. Your hand should be free and loose, not rigid, and should stretch nicely with all the fingers pointing above. Then, keep your left hand on your knee or thighs, preferably in the Dhyan mudra, and close your eyes to visualise the fear and tensions leaving your body through this hand.

The Abhay mudra has forever been the go-to of people to eliminate fear from life. Many now joke that when you point your palm outwards in Abhay mudra, you tell your fears to leave you and ‘talk to your hand’, leaving you unbothered! In spiritual practice, the Abhay mudra is like a ladder towards the courage that people hold within, and when they let out the fears and doubts from their mind, they feel a sense of protection all over.

Along with fearlessness and courage, many saints and yogis have also used Abhay mudra to attain peace in life. If you notice, Lord Ganesha sits in the Abhay mudra, with his hand raised and palm pointing towards the people and devotees. And this simple gesture of his hand makes us feel protected, as if he is blessing us and sending good energies our way. And so, when humans do it, they too feel a similar sense of hope and assurance from within.

The Abhay mudra is also linked to Buddha, and many believe that he was one of the first people to be depicted in this gesture. According to tradition, the Buddha first used this gesture after attaining enlightenment, to calm a charging elephant that was sent to attack him. And as this raised hand became a symbol of fearlessness, his ability and strength in blessing people with peace and calm during the chaos of life also increased.

To perform the Abhay mudra and get its most benefits, it is best to meditate while doing this hand sign. It is believed that when people sit in a calm environment and raise their hand in the Abhay mudra, they feel a sense of achievement and empowerment, and have a wave of confidence rush through them. Many people also perform the Abhay mudra along with saying affirmations and visualising that the fear is leaving their body from the palm. So, next time you feel scared or afraid of a certain situation, sit down, raise your hand in the Abhay mudra, and say things like ‘I am fearless’, ‘The fear leaves my body through the hand’, and the likes.