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Yoga Mudrasana

Yogic Seal Pose

mudra = seal

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026

A forward fold from a cross-legged or lotus seat with the hands clasped behind the back.

Family
Seated
Level
intermediate
Lineage
classical — GS ch.3
Works on
hips · shoulders · spine

The yogic view

The Gheranda Samhita lists yoga mudra among its mudras rather than its postures, which is worth noting: in the classical framing this is a sealing practice, not a stretch. It is done from a stable lotus, with the forehead brought towards the floor.

How to practise

  1. Sit in lotus, half lotus or a simple cross-legged seat on a folded blanket.
  2. Clasp the hands behind the back and roll the shoulders open.
  3. Inhale and lengthen the spine upwards.
  4. Exhale and fold forward from the hips, bringing the forehead towards the floor.
  5. Let the clasped hands lift only as far as the shoulders allow without strain.
  6. Hold five breaths, then rise slowly and change the leg cross.

For seated or floor-based work, use a clean, stable surface. Our natural cork yoga mat offers a grounded 5 mm surface for regular practice.

What research shows

The fold comes from the hip joints, not the lumbar spine, and the clasped hands lengthen the front of the shoulders as the chest draws away from them. Rounding the lower back to get the head down is the common error and puts the load exactly where it is least useful. A folded blanket under the sitting bones tilts the pelvis forward and makes the hip-led version available to most people.

Questions about Yoga Mudrasana

+ How long should you hold Yoga Mudrasana?
Five to ten slow breaths — about thirty to sixty seconds — works well for most practitioners, and one to two minutes if you are working specifically on range. Where the posture is one-sided, practise both sides for the same length of time. Let the breath decide: if it becomes short, held or noisy, you have stayed too long or gone too deep.
+ Is Yoga Mudrasana suitable for beginners?
Not as a first posture. Yoga Mudrasana is an intermediate seated shape: it assumes you can already hold the foundational postures for around eight calm breaths and move in and out of them with control. Most people are ready after a few months of regular practice, and the preparatory postures listed on this page are the honest route in.
+ What are the modifications for Yoga Mudrasana?
Work with the shape rather than around it: reduce the range, shorten the lever by bending the nearest joint, and raise the floor toward you. Three adjustments apply to almost any posture: raise the hips on a folded blanket or cushion in seated work, bend the knees in anything that loads the back of the legs, and use a wall, chair or block to take weight and remove the fear of falling. A supported version practised often produces more change than a deep version practised rarely.
+ Who should avoid or modify Yoga Mudrasana?
For Yoga Mudrasana specifically: knee injury; shoulder injury; pregnancy. More generally, modify or skip it if you have an acute injury or recent surgery in the area it loads, if you are pregnant and have not been given individual guidance, or if the shape produces sharp, pinching, radiating or electric sensation. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down a limb is a nerve signal to stop and be assessed, not to breathe through. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
+ What should you practise before and after Yoga Mudrasana?
Prepare with Padmasana (Lotus Pose), Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose). Release afterwards with Dandasana (Staff Pose), Matsyasana (Fish Pose). Both lists are links on this page, and either can be shortened when time is limited — but do not skip preparation for a posture that loads a joint at end range.
+ What does Yoga Mudrasana mean in Sanskrit?
Yoga Mudrasana translates as yogic seal pose — mudra = seal The posture is named in the classical literature — GS ch.3 — rather than being a modern addition.

Prepare with

Release with

Cautions

  • knee injury
  • shoulder injury
  • pregnancy

More seated

Keep reading

Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.