Higher Consciousness…

A state of consciousness we all naturally possess. Accessing it however, can be tricky. Meditation is one of the many ways that allows us to enter different levels of consciousness. I frequently get the question: 

‘Am I doing this right?’ Yes, you sure are, and here is why.

A common concern among newcomers to meditation is generally the positioning of their hands. What looks like a simple, elegant, design and architecture of fingers, can actually feel like a strain on your hands in the beginning. That’s why as a kid, I never quite understood why it was important to position your hands a certain way during meditation, until my brother (who was 13 at the time), explained to me that my fingers act as antennae for attuning to higher frequencies “ You know, just like a radio…” he said. I remember him explaining that changing the gesture, would change the frequency, unlocking a different ‘super power’. Sounded very cool, and in fact, he wasn’t that far off…

Mudras, as we call them, are gestures that are performed with the hands as a bridge for awakening the body, mind and soul, to connect with your higher self. We use them to propel our consciousness to super consciousness. These gestures have been passed down through Indian tradition for at least four millennia, and reflect the experiences of great spiritual masters.

So how does it work?

Well, each mudra serves a unique function in creating a healthy balanced system, so that all layers of the body are in perfect harmony. 

According to Ayurveda and Yoga, each of our fingers is related to one of the five elements, being: physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Also referred to as ‘koshas’. Certain combinations of finger positions enable us to affect these elements within ourselves to influence (im)balance and health directly.

Because of their extensive constructs of motor and sensory nerve endings but of course also equally important, our energy channels, I would say mudras are powerful instruments to amplify communication and transfer information to the brain and energy centers. However, keep in mind that the instant you change the position of you fingers and hands, you will alter the flow of energy in your body as well.

So the fingers indeed act as antennae for attuning to universal energy for us to experience more harmony, abundance, peace, love, and other desired energies we like to connect with. 

But can we do without them in meditation?

Definitely. Especially in the beginning. Since there are many mudras, all serving different purposes, it can take up quite some time to get the hang of them. When you are just starting to meditate, you want to go easy on yourself. If you are a beginner or have never meditated before, I would recommend to position your hands any way you like to. Most important is to feel comfortable and at ease. As good as any hand gesture that comes natural to you, will at least partly correspond with an existing traditional mudra. There is no question that you will reap the benefits of meditation, even without the use of mudras. So not to worry, after a while your body itself will tell you when it’s time to take it up a notch and implement mudras into your practice.

With love,

Norma