When you fold your hands into namaste, you are offering to the divinity that resides in the other...
Two hands folded with palms together is a salutation that not just Indians, but the globe recognises as a welcome greet and a gesture to offer prayers but these seemingly simple “namaste hands” has some therapeutic and spiritual benefits too!
Anjali - is a Sanskrit word that means divine offering or salutation and Mudra means a gesture we make with our hands so, how does this explain why we greet people with this gesture? It’s because, in our culture, we believe that divinity is the unity of all the universal forces, which we are all a part of. So, when you fold your hands into namaste, you are offering to the divinity that resides in the other, by activating the divinity that resides in you and therefore, keeping this faith going forward.
Your palms and fingertips have a mesh of nerve endings, so when they’re brought together there’s a neural communication from the brain to the rest of the body to balance and focus, which is why Anjali Mudra is held in certain yoga asanas. The Mudra slows down your breathing by guiding you to internalise what’s going on within & relax. Since Mudra creates energy circuits between several parts of the brain, it’s said to enhance cognitive functioning and emotional health too.
There’s so much more to the namaste hands in your yoga session, right?
