Letting go with Ksepana Hastha Mudra

Learning Yoga Mudras is the perfect way to deepen your Yoga or Meditation practice. Mudras can be safely used at any stage of your Yoga journey. Ksepana hastha mudra is particularly popular, being an easy to practise mudra that resonates with most. It is used to let go of anything not serving you well in this moment.

We all have stuff we know we should let go of and sometimes we hold on to things longer than is healthy. If you find yourself easily irritated, Ksepana might be the mudra you need to meet.

Ksepana gave me one of my first ‘aha’ moments which triggered decades of learning and experimentation with the subtler aspects of Yoga. I use it often still and love to share with others and hear stories of how people weave mudras into their life, deepening their spiritual practice.

When first exposed to Yoga mudras, I had already worked with positive affirmations, as part of my personal development, so the concept of intention setting was familiar. What I couldn’t have known is how much an intention can be strengthened by combining with Yoga hastha mudras. Ksepana has helped me change unhealthy habits of body and mind and release emotional upset. It’s not the only tool in my Yogic bag of ‘letting go’ tricks, but it is a significant component.

How to practise Ksepana Hastha Mudra

The gesture itself is simple. Interlace all of your fingers, leaving both index fingers free. Extend those two fingers so they point together in the same direction — downward, toward the earth. Your thumbs will cross gently over each other.

Press gently along the inner length of your index fingers to bring them into contact, relax your shoulders, and breathe.

Before you settle into stillness, set your intention. Name — silently, or in a whisper — what it is you’re releasing. A feeling. A habit. A thought that keeps returning. Then simply breathe, and allow the mudra to do its quiet work.