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Anthem
1608 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 10:07:43 AM
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I guess we haven't talked much about hand positions so far in AYP but I was wondering what people's experiences have been.
I have recently been experimenting with different hand positions during pranayama and meditation. I have until now always rested 1 hand inside the other with my thumbs at the top. The hand on the inside was always set to correspond with the leg and foot which was folded under in Siddhasana.
Recently, I have switched to fingers interlaced and found it to have significantly more energy flow, although a bit distracting at first.
Any comments or expeience with this?
Anthem11 |
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NagoyaSea
424 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 11:55:13 AM
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Andrew, I also rest one hand inside the other, thumbs on top. It feels necessary in some way, as if to complete an energy circuit.. to have my hands touching. It just feels right for some reason. I tried interlacing fingers but didn't care for it. I also tried separating my hands, resting them on my thighs but didn't care for that either. It is as if energy flows better when they are connected, at least for me.
Peace,
Kathy |
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david_obsidian
USA
2602 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 1:18:18 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by NagoyaSea
Andrew, I also rest one hand inside the other, thumbs on top. It feels necessary in some way, as if to complete an energy circuit.. to have my hands touching. It just feels right for some reason. I tried interlacing fingers but didn't care for it. I also tried separating my hands, resting them on my thighs but didn't care for that either. It is as if energy flows better when they are connected, at least for me.
Peace,
Kathy
Ha, my experience is exactly the opposite, so I suppose it is an individual thing. I occasionally sit with a zen group and it drove me crazy in the beginning to have to sit with hands together. 
So I reckon, place your hands in the way you find best. |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 3:24:40 PM
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| I'll be the sloppy guy in the middle here. I find that my comfortable hand position varies with my practice. can vary day to day or even within one practice if stuff is being churned up. Sometimes one hand over the other on my lap palms up feels perfect, other times palms down on my knees. Other times they want to float a little. Yogani has been very clear that as far as hand position goes it is not good to have a rigid form but just to let them go where it is comfortable. At the moment for me it is palms down lightly resting on the outer part of my knees. This seems to have stabilized at this point as my Siddhasana has become more refined. In any case I would do what feels right and be aware of subtle changes in balance and energy and respond accordingly. |
Edited by - Victor on Jul 21 2005 3:25:43 PM |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 10:58:16 PM
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| Ok, so now I guess I do have a more well defined response. One thing that I have noticed is that while doing sitting practice it really is now helping me to have my palms UP while resting on the knees. I practiced palms down for some time and it caused a particular tension between the shoulderblades that went away by turning up the p[alms to a loose jnana mudra. It all seems to be falling into place now. Siddhasana, kechari, jnana mudra, chin pump, mantra, bastrika... |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2006 : 12:28:29 PM
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Alright, I haven't visited this topic in a long time. My experiment mentioned above about fingers being interlaced was a short one . Over the last year, I have rested one hand inside the other like Kathy, it was what I gravitated towards and it just felt right.
Recently, I have taken to having my hands resting on my legs close to my knees, palms up and thumb, index finger and the one beside it touching. Interestingly, this is what I used for most of the years of meditating prior to AYP.
The results of this recent change were surprising. Initially, I found myself going over despite using my usual practice times, so I had to self-pace. There was much increased flow of energy to the neck and head and this is where I felt a little prana-burn  from over-doing it. Overall, I feel more open with my hands in this position and have to admit to being a little shocked at the differences and intensity one can experience simply from changing hand positions.
Thought I would share this in case any one finds it interesting.
ps- just felt like using a bunch of smilies
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2006 : 06:54:51 AM
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Hi Anthem,
I couldn't figure if your initial position was deliberate or inadvertant, because that is the bhairav/bhairavi mudra you described which is an initial mudra, and the one you're holding now is a progression to chin mudra, the next step. However, when I asked about hand mudras, Shanti had advised that we don't try to hold any hand mudras here. Yogani, too, had suggested that it occurs as part of the auto symptoms during the practice rather than being deliberately held.
But lately, I've been wondering why, when we practise other mudras deliberately to regulate the progress, do we eschew the hand. I, too, feel at a loose end with the hands.
Though I must take note of what Victor has said about the stress in shoulder blades due to keeping palms closed on knees... think I've been going through that too. |
Edited by - sadhak on Aug 07 2006 06:55:25 AM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2006 : 10:58:01 AM
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Hi Sadhak,
I don't really know anything about formal mudras or progressions of them other than what I have read at AYP. I actually keep myself a little clear of getting too wrapped up in the culture of yoga, I am trying to keep expectations out of the equation.
The first hand-position I described above was just spontaneous and comfortable at the time, I like to let my body's natural wisdom do its thing. The same for the change that has occurred recently, my body just decided on its own, so I go with the flow (unless I go over, in which case I self-pace).
Maybe this was Yogani’s intention, not to micro-manage the things that the nervous system will naturally do at the right time to purify itself?
A
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2006 : 11:03:59 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Anthem11
Maybe this was Yogani’s intention, not to micro-manage the things that the nervous system will naturally do at the right time to purify itself?
Yep.
We take care of the essentials and the nervous system (inner guru) takes care of the rest.
Wonderful account of the process in action.
The guru is in you.
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hand positions
