You have probably seen yogis holding their thumb and pointer finger together and extending their remaining 3 fingers out. This is chin mudra. Chin means consciousness in Sanskrit, and the purpose of this mudra is to remind the practitioner of the goal of yoga, the union of the individual soul with the supreme soul. Mudra means seal, and it is essentially an energetic and spiritual gesture that controls the flow of energy within the body. The fingers each have representations:

• Thumb: Supreme Soul
• Pointer: Individual Soul
• Middle: Ego
• Ring: Illusion
• Pinky: Karma

Ego, illusion and karma are the 3 impurities that the yogi is trying to remove from his life in order to unite their Individual Soul with the Supreme Soul and experience that divine, blissful state of union they strive for. Doing chin mudra is a physical representation and reminder of this goal and serves to refocus and re-energize the practitioner. Try it and see how it makes you feel. Sit cross-legged, straighten your spine, close your eyes, bring both hands into chin mudra and rest your hands on your knees. Think pure thoughts and feel connected to the entire planet.