Origin of Yoga mudras

The origin of the mudras is a mystery. Mudras are not only found
in Asia, but they are also used throughout the entire world. In
their rituals, our European ancestors certainly were familiar with
specific gestures, which they used to underline and seal what they thought
and wanted to say. During the Christianization of the Nordic peoples,
many gestures were initially prohibited, such as invoking the gods with
raised arms. Later, these gestures were partially integrated into the
Christian teachings. If we observe the various gestures made by a priest
saying the Mass, we can perhaps sense how these ancient peoples expressed
themselves. But our everyday life is also characterized by gestures, the origins
of which hardly anyone knows today: crossing our fingers for someone,
clapping our hands as applause, the handshake, holding hands, or
"giving someone the finger" to display our low opinion of them.
In India, mudras are an established component of all religious activities.
The various mudras and hastas (arm poses) are significant in the
depiction of Hindu gods. In addition to body postures and attributes, they
also represent the distinguishing characteristics of various deities. The person
at prayer sees a special power, capability, and strength of character in
these mystical hand poses. The best-known mudras of the major gods
Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver), and Shiva (Destroyer) are numbers
41, 42, 43, 46, 47, and 48.
The mudras are just as familiar in Indian dance, where the hands,
eyes, and body movements act and/or dance the entire drama without words. Mudra specialist Ingrid Ramm-Bonwitt describes this beautifully,
"The hands are the bearers of important symbols, which are still universally
understood in the East today. With his or her hands, the Indian dancer
expresses the life of the universe. Through its variety of interpretive possibilities,
the rich symbolism of the dance's language of gestures gains a
greater significance for the mind than words could express. . . . The spiritual
meaning of the mudras found its perfect expression in Indian art. The
gestures of the deities depicted in Hindu and Buddhist art . . . symbolize
their functions or evoke specific mythological occurrences."4
Mudras are also practiced in Tantric rituals.5 They play a large role
in Buddhism, where six mudras are very familiar in the pictorial depictions
of Gautama Buddha. These are very closely related to his teachings
and his life (see mudra numbers 41, 43, 46, 47, 48, and 49).
Hatha Yoga also expresses the many states of mind, such as mourning,
joy, anger, and serenity, through gestures and body positions. They
realize that the reverse also applies—certain gestures can positively influence
the psyche.