The Bhutanese Buddhist tradition professes many kinds of gestures which are either symbols of spiritual principles and actions or physical expressions of inner awareness of enlightenment. The basic gestures include the Buddha's earth touching, teaching, meditating, protecting and wish granting gestures. In tantric practices, there are numerous gestures including those of offerings, subjugation, liaison and liberation. The cham dances are considered to elaborate extention of enlightening gestures.