If I Could Recommend Just One Mudra a Day…

BY Indu Arora4 min read • October 2, 2026

It is one of my favorite mudras for travel, when the body-mind-breath need extra support.⁠

If I could recommend just one hand mudra for supporting well-being and doshic balance, it would be apāna vāyu mudra.

This tri-doshic mudra pacifies vata, pitta, and kapha. It also supports circadian rhythm, including healthy sleep-wake cycles, hunger-satiation cycles, and hormonal balance. It is one of my favorite mudras for travel, when the body-mind-breath need extra support.⁠

How to practice apāna vāyu mudra:

Hold apāna vāyu mudra in one or both hands as shown here. Bring awareness to the spine, and gently move your attention up and down the spine, as if the gaze were ascending and descending along it. Let the breath be natural. There is no need to force a special breath pattern. The mudra helps guide the breath into a smooth, easy, quiet, and unbroken flow.⁠

Hold for 2–5 minutes at a time. You may also combine it with pranayama and meditation to deepen the effects.⁠

There are so many benefits associated with this mudra, including: 

• Pacifies vata dosha⁠
• Supports the upward movement of prana⁠
• Supports the downward flow of apana⁠
• Helps establish healthy digestive fire⁠
• Facilitates deep breathing⁠
• Recalibrates the circadian clock⁠
• Deepens meditation⁠

You can practice it while reading, watching a movie, walking, traveling or resting, though an upright seated posture is best.⁠

Learn more about the power of mudras in my 30-hour online training. Start today! 

(This content originally appeared on Instagram as part of a Yoga International collaboration.)