18/08/2020
The Anjali Mudra is the practice of meeting the hands together by the sternum in a “prayer position”. This hand gesture is used frequently during the practice of yoga. It is not only used at the opening and closing of yoga classes, but also during some of the other yoga asanas. Anjali is Sanskrit term which means, “to offer” or “to salutate”, and the term Mudra means “seal”. So basically, it symbolizes that we are “honoring and celebrating this moment”.
It is important when we do our yoga practice to understand the reasons why we are doing what we are doing. That way, we can do it mindfully and with intention, so we are not just following a procedure.
The explanation given by Krishnamacharya is my favorite:
“This gesture signifies the potential for an intention to progress to greatest spiritual awakening. When done properly the palms are not flat against each other; the knuckles at the base of the fingers are bent a little, creating space between the palms and fingers of the two hands resembling a flower yet to open, symbolizing the opening of our hearts.”
Once we truly understand what Anjali Mudra means and we embrace the reasons for it. This can help us ensure the position is based on humility rather than an ego expression, or to achieve perfection on a physical level.
📸 guess by whome....
Ofcourse ❤
