In short: yoga seal is a seated forward fold with the arms behind the back. In the Ashtanga version you sit in full lotus, cross the arms behind you to hold the big toes, and fold forward until the chin or forehead approaches the floor. Other schools teach a gentler version sitting on the heels. Despite the word “mudra” in its name, it is a posture (asana), not a hand gesture.
Yoga Mudrasana is one of the closing postures of the Ashtanga finishing sequence, and versions of “Yoga Mudra” appear in several Indian schools. Because the lotus version puts strong demands on the knees, it is an advanced pose; the kneeling version is much more accessible.
The name: an asana called a mudra
Yoga Mudrāsana joins yoga, mudrā (seal or sign) and āsana (posture): the posture of the yoga seal. In yoga, “mudra” usually means a gesture, often of the hands, or a sealing practice that directs attention or energy; we explain those on our mudras page. Here, though, the “seal” is a whole-body shape, and you practise it like any other posture. Some schools simply call it Yoga Mudra, and the name is also used for different seated folds, so check which version a teacher means.
Two versions
Ashtanga (in lotus). In the finishing sequence you first sit in bound lotus: full lotus with the arms crossed behind the back, each hand holding the big toe of the foot on the opposite thigh. Then, on an exhalation, you tip forward from the pelvis until the chin touches the floor in front of the shins, keep hold of the toes and stay for five breaths. AshtangaYoga.info describes it as an outward rotation of the hips combined with a long stretch through the shoulders.
Kneeling (Yoga in Daily Life system). The Yoga in Daily Life system teaches Yoga Mudra from thunderbolt pose: sit on the heels, take the arms behind the back and hold one wrist with the other hand, then exhale and fold forward with a straight back until the forehead touches the floor, buttocks staying on the heels. You stay as long as is comfortable and repeat three times. It cautions against this version with high blood pressure or dizziness. The same system also teaches the fold in lotus, called Padma Yoga Mudra (yoga mudra in lotus), holding a wrist behind the back instead of the toes, and advises against it in pregnancy, with high blood pressure or with hip pain.
In both, fold from the hips rather than collapsing the chest, keep the neck relaxed and breathe slowly.
Precautions in plain words
The lotus version is only for people with a comfortable, pain-free full lotus; never force the legs, and come out at any knee pain. The kneeling version presses the knees and ankles deeply; use a blanket under the shins or between calves and thighs if needed. Because the head goes down, avoid both with high blood pressure, dizziness, glaucoma or recent eye surgery, and avoid deep forward folds during pregnancy. With a shoulder injury, rest the hands on the lower back or floor instead of binding. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Preparation and what comes next
For the lotus version you need a comfortable lotus pose and bound lotus, and the hip work of half-bound lotus forward bend. For the kneeling version, thunderbolt pose and child’s pose are enough. In the Ashtanga finishing sequence, yoga seal is followed by lotus and the lifted lotus, then rest in corpse pose. The pose is often paired with quiet breathing; see our guide to diaphragmatic breathing.
Choosing a version. If you do not sit comfortably in full lotus, choose the kneeling version or a cross-legged version: they keep the essence of the pose, a quiet fold with the arms drawn behind the back, without strain on the knees. If kneeling is uncomfortable, a cushion between the calves and thighs often helps. Whatever the version, move into and out of the fold slowly, especially if you tend to feel light-headed when you sit up.
You will meet yoga seal in Ashtanga practice (lotus version) and in some hatha classes (kneeling or cross-legged versions).
