Pashinee Mudra – Meaning, Procedure, Benefits, Precautions

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S

Pasha is a noose. Pashini means ‘bound by the noose’. This is an advanced level gesture which can be performed by yoga practitioner. It is supposed to be most powerful gesture. It produces vibrant subtle energy. Therefore this gesture should be performed with caution. It is also considered one of the complex gestures in Hatha Yoga practice. Therefore it demands utmost discipline in learning and performing these gestures. It takes long time to master this gesture and use it effectively. It is also called as folded psychic attitude.
Read – Mudra – The Science Of Gesture: Benefits, Types, How To Practice

Pashinee = noose / folded
Mudra = gesture / seal / mark / posture

Table of Contents

Procedure

Lie down comfortably on a yoga mat on your back.
First perform Halasana i.e. plough pose.
Bring the legs about one and half feet apart.
Bend both your legs at the knees. Bring the knees as close as possible towards the shoulders and ears. You can find the bent knees touching the floor, one on either side of your head.
Now cross your feet behind your neck.
Let the ankles of both feet rest against your neck. Now the neck rests on the ankles of the crossed feet.
Note that your legs / feet are locked behind your head while your body now reclines on the middle lower back.
Now brings your hands together and perform Namaskara Mudra at the chest.
Ensure that you breathe deeply and slowly.
Slowly breathe in and also stretch your arms forward into Agra Mudra
Hold in this gesture for few seconds and then bring it back to the chest
Now exhale gradually.
This completes one cycle of Pashinee Mudra.
Read – Tips To Enhance Effect Of Mudra, 5 Mudra Groups, Rules Of Hasta Mudra

Release –

Slowly release the bound legs from behind your head.
Come back to the supine position in which you have started the gesture.
Breathe easily. Or relax in shavasana i.e. corpse pose.
Repeat the whole process for 3-9 times.

Variant 1 –

Just like above, start from plough pose.
Place the legs as said above including the thigh positions.
Now fold the thighs closely against the chest.
The tops of the feet are placed on the mat.
Now bring the arms around the back of the knees and the head.
Relax as much as possible. Be in this position as long as you are comfortable. Breathe slowly and deeply.
Read – Jnana Mudra (Gyan or Dhyana Mudra) Posture, Benefits

Variant 2 –

Start from the plough pose
Keep the arms straight with fingers interlaced
Bring the legs about one and half feet apart. Place the knees as said above.
Thighs are folded closely against the chest.
The tops of the feet are placed on the mat.
Relax. Breathe slowly and deeply.

Time and Duration

This gesture should be done early in the morning on empty stomach.
It shall be followed by a back bending asana if possible.
While practicing this gesture, bring your awareness to the Muladhara i.e. root chakra or Vishuddha i.e. throat chakra.

Precautions

Those having the below mentioned conditions should not practice the noose gesture –

enlarged thyroid, liver or spleen
cervical spondylosis
slipped disc
high blood pressure
heat diseases
weak blood vessels in the eyes
spine related disorders

Benefits

Stretches and strengthens the muscles of the neck and back
Stimulates and tones up the nerves of the neck, energizes the entire nervous system
Stimulates all the spinal nerves in and around the spine
Loosens and relaxes the cervical vertebrae
Massages the thyroid and parathyroid glands
Enables release of fears from sub-conscious level, releases one from the unconscious animal conditioning that is being afraid of locked up or chained up (chained up in the noose of fears)
Helps in achieving pratyahara i.e. withdrawal from the senses
Will stimulate all the 5 chakras from root to throat chakra
Massages all the abdominal organs
Bestows all benefits of plough pose

Effect on chakras

The noose gesture helps in balancing the energies and also stimulating all the five chakras i.e. root chakra, sacral chakra, navel chakra / solar plexus, heart chakra and throat chakra.
Read – Chakra – Kundalini: Introduction, Meaning, Types, Location, Ayurveda View

Impact on doshas and tissues

Seeing the benefits of the gesture it can be inferred that the noose gesture balances prana vayu and udana vayu. It strengthens the mamsa dhatu and asthi dhatu i.e. muscle tissue and bone tissue.

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