Viparita Karani Mudra

Viparita karani mudra is a full-body gesture in yoga that is also an energizing inversion. The name comes from the Sanskrit viparita, meaning “inverted” or “reversed”; karani, meaning “doing” (referring to a particular type of yoga practice); and mudra, meaning “seal” or “gesture.”

Viparita karani can refer to any inverted practice, such as headstand and shoulder stand asanas, but as a mudra, its purpose is to direct kundalini energy upward through the body. In most traditional Hatha yoga texts, including the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, viparita karani is listed as a mudra. Mudras are usually associated with hand gestures, but can involve other parts of the body or the entire body.