Wednesday 25 January 2017

Hand Gestures and Their Meanings




I received this statue from my brother and his wife at Christmas, and my immediate thought was "I'm OK".

I looked at it, and continue to look at it throughout the day and remind myself that I am in fact, doing OK, relatively speaking. Those of us who suffer from a chronic illness, have good days and bad, and that becomes our way of life.

I remind myself, often, that for people with my disease, Multiple Sclerosis, I am fortunate to still be ambulatory, though that can be a struggle some days, still live at home and independent.

So, I was surprised to learn that my ceramic hand has a specific meaning in yoga language.

In yoga, this gesture is the GYAN MUDRA, the mudra of knowledge.

It is used to increase our knowledge, and improve memory and concentration. It stimulates the pituitary gland and helps with insomnia.

I have never practiced yoga but it is said to be beneficial to mental well being for such concerns such as anxiety, depression, concentration and memory issues, and the list goes on.

Yoga is not just about posing and twisting the body into impossible shapes. Above all, it's about meditation, and using simple hand gestures can increase your awareness.

The specific hand and finger gestures are called Mudras and are used during meditation or breathing exercises. They direct the flow of energy to the body and stimulate certain areas of the brain. They are used to maintain health and improve certain ailments.

Each finger corresponds to a natural element...air, water, earth, fire and ether (space).

Here's the link to the article I took this information from...  http://theheartysoul.com/yoga-healing/?t=THS&W=CON


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