Mudra (Mudhra) is a word in Sanskrit language that is used to signify a gesture, or a mystically significant position using the hands or body posture. The word Mudra is derived from the Sanskrit words Mu (as in Mudhaavaham or welcome) meaning bliss, and dhra meaning dissolving, Mudra is that which dissolves duality and brings together the divine and the devotee. Mudras are meaningful gestures with a specific attitude or frame of mind, performed with the hands, eyes and head position, body postures, with bhandans (locks as in hands or legs locked in a particular positon) and adhara (how they support their body in a particular position) and are used in a process of expansion of awareness. Mudras influence the mind through direct stimulation of the brain via the nervous system, and indirect stimulation through the brain via a manipulation of the prana (life force). Mudras in a spiritual context, are not a mere creation of an inventive mind of some Yoga teacher, but originally came spont