Union with God through Finger Postures

 

 

Reference - “Hand Book on Union with God through Finger Postures”  - Aparna Choudhuri

Mudra is the science of union with God through finger postures. It helps unite the individual Soul (You) with the Supreme Soul (God). This is our purpose for taking this human birth, to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Our five fingers represent five elements - earth, water, fire, air and space. Through Mudra practise, we attune to our inner Self, which is a spark of the Divine. Our hands become His instruments of love and light. God has the whole world in His hands; You have God in your hands.

Upon waking in the morning - look at your hands, open and be ready to receive what the Cosmos has to offer you. Lightly touch finger tips of each hand together. This gesture activates both sides of our brain.

Human body is made up of five element principles

Element                  Sensory Organ                                     Characteristic

Space                                                      Ear                                                                          Sound

Air                                                           Skin                                                                         Touch

Fire                                                          Eye                                                                          Sight

Water                                                      Tongue                                                                     Taste

Earth                                                       Nose                                                                        Smell

Become aware of the five elements and their representations in our life and you will appreciate the “Love” principle that transgresses through these. Always be grateful of the opportunity of being part of this unique and wonderful creation.

The Hands

Our hands contain natural and Creator given energy. Only our awareness of its presence is necessary to activate it. The nerve root endings in our palms and fingers emit energy and flows throughout our body in the blood system

Each finger has a unique skill and is associated with a special quality. There are different interpretations of their symbolism.

The Thumb - represents the “I am” or Self

Index finger - symbolises the little “Ego”

Ring finger - symbolises union or marriage

The right hand is the giver of positive powers and represents the outgoing male side of one’s nature whilst the left hand is the receiver and represents the intuitive female aspect. It is human nature to use hand gestures to communicate. If we can practise Mudras in silence with all our attention, the hand gestures act on the body’s subtle energy to re-balance energy systems and re-program impulses.

                                                                                                                                                                                    

Mudras heal physical complaints as well as mental and emotional disturbances. It leads to spiritual awakening and is for everyone; can be practised anytime, anywhere. It is most effective when body posture is symmetrical and centred, with the back straight and relaxed.

Modern lifestyles can easily cause our five elements to become depleted or out of balance, resulting in disease. Through Mudra practice, these elements can be restored and balanced, leading to renewed health and well-being. Mudras have the power of awakening the atomic energies of the human body. By joining the tip of the thumb to the base of any finger, the element continues to increase but does not stabilise. By joining the pad (fleshy part below the tip) of the thumb to the base of any finger, the element then decreases.

The purpose of these exercises is to activate dormant nerve cells and to bring the individual’s mind and body into harmony, leading to optimal health.

The Yoga (action) Mudras can be classified as follows:

Hand Mudra - use of hand and finger postures

Head Mudra - use of five sensory organs

Postural Mudra - use of physical postures, combining breathing with concentration.

                                          

                                           Hands in Prayer

Our hands, when joined together in prayer, produce the most powerful Mudra. Energy currents flow touching all zones of the body. This Mudra symbolises a “bond”; we are sealing something with our inner form. It marks a time of self-communion.

The act of putting the hands together in prayer is a universal symbol of supplication. The world teacher, Swami Sathya Sai Baba of India, explains the significance of the “folded palms kept upright at the chest” thus:

All our actions and experiences, all means of knowledge and awareness are thus offered at the feet of the Master, before whom one bows. This posture is also used as a greeting, to offer respect from your own inner Divinity to the Divine in another and also negates the transfer of + and - energies between individuals.

Awaken the Powers within …

** Power of God within

** Power of the Smile

** Power of Prayer

** Power of Life Breath

** Power of Nature’s balance

** Power of healthy, wholesome Food                                                                                                

Power of God within

The awakening of man begins when he discovers his own identity and at the same time recognises the identity of all around him, for all are One, all are Divine, all are part of the whole.

Realise your Divinity now and recognise the same Divinity in others, regardless of colour, caste or creed.

Power of the Smile

Smiles and laughter are your birth right. A smile enriches those who receive it, without making the giver any poorer. A smile creates happiness and is a sure sign of friendship.

Mother Teresa offered this peace exercise. “Peace starts with a smile. Therefore, five times a day, give a smile to someone you really do not feel like smiling at. Make this gesture and radiate Peace”.

Power of Prayer

Prayer is the very breath of life and puts us in communion with Divinity. Between 3am to 6am is the best times to pray - recite and meditate on the name of God. There are various prayers that can be recited. You can choose any that you are comfortable with.

Power Prana

Prana is energy. All forms of energy in the universe are only different manifestations of Prana, which is one and indivisible.

It is by Prana that the sun burns, the clouds rain, and the wind blows. Hindu scriptures reveal that “Prana is born of the Self”. As a man casts a shadow, the Self casts Prana into the body at the time of birth.

One access point to Prana is through the fingers, which is why Mudras are so important.

Power of the Breath

Be aware of the breath. Breath is energy and is the very essence of life. Correct breathing is paramount for good physical and mental health. There are various breathing techniques to enhance life energy (prana) and evoke consciousness.

By becoming aware of breath, you can change its patterns. Deep and slow breathing is only possible through awareness and lengthens the space between thoughts; this space is consciousness. Through this, communication with the source of life and the deep peace that resides within you is established. Consciousness is now Pure Presence - it is beyond the mind and is the place of all inner transformation, awareness of the Divine within.

Power of Nature’s Balance

When you behold the various elements of Nature, you experience joy and bliss; you derive no other benefit other than to love God in this same selfless spirit.

Because of our utter selfishness, Mother Earth is being robbed of her resources like coal, petroleum, iron etc. As a result, we experience earthquakes, floods and other catastrophic disasters. Balance in human life and balance in nature are of equal importance.

We receive all our nutrients from Mother Earth; oxygen, water, food etc. We pollute the atmosphere that our very existence depends upon. Huge quantities of carbon dioxide are emitted daily and have already created a hole in the ozone layer above the Earth. This very same ozone layer helps protects us from the harmful radiation from the Sun.

                                                                                            

Power of Healthy, Wholesome Food

“As is the food, so the mind” - this is another of Swami Sathya Sai Baba’s teachings.

Food can help maintain good health. What, how and when - food intake can regulate or disturb our body-mind system; and can prevent and cure diseases. The type of food you consume determines the degree of concentration you can command.

Human beings were originally vegetarians and Swami Sai Baba states that “eating meat has simply become a bad habit”. For someone who aspires on a dedicated spiritual journey - you need to be a vegetarian, refrain from alcohol and smoking, and also other vices that will impede your progress.