Hand and Feet Connection
What is the way to the self? This path appears so often muffled with rubbish. In this dream-life, between space and time, between breaths, how do you decide the options that are best to grow you where you want to go? Not unlike a flower, how do we lean toward the sun? Do we follow the voice in our heads or the voice in our hearts? Do we follow one voice one minute and then in the next the other, moving between the two alternately?
So where does God fit in to this listening? Where does he rest or sound off? One might immediately think: where else would he be but the heart? But in questioning that thinking, for even a moment, I am left with thoughts of God everywhere and in everything. I am left with the “good” things that come into my mind amidst the garbage and the “bad” things that come out of my heart, the desires that lead to passionate, hurtful expressions, to myself and others.
The Divine must be everywhere, true. Find Him, we must, and heal from that awareness. Heal from listening and responding to the higher calling within every aspect of ourselves, our feet if that is where it is to be found. And there it is, as it always is.
It is the feet and hands, just to name a fundamental couple, in yoga, that through deep awareness, connect us to God. Every asana has a base. This base most often consists of the hands and feet; though, the midsections, belly or back, head… could be foundational as well, most often it is the hands and feet. This is no coincidence. Like animals, on the physical plane, we hold our place in the world with our feet and as a specific type of animal, procure with our hands, receive and give. On the spiritual plane, we reach into the earth and sky with both feet and with hands grasp energetic currents. Through Mudra yoga, we send prayers or choose a focus, all with the hands. With our toes spread, we create a more profound grasp on this focus. These ideas travel through more than two planes. These ideas travels through our essence. It is, without option, more in depth than I can get in words, and unavoidably a piece of the way, an avenue of the path. Our extremities are the physical show of the heart and head. They are often forgotten characters in our show that reveal what we are standing on and for, as well as, display our giving and receiving in and to the world.
This month and along this life journey, it is incessant that we view it all. Expose the “troubles” and deal with them. We must use our connection to meter our responses and refine. The more sensitive we become to our connection to Source the better our responses will be. Here are some relatively, quick refocusing and connecting techniques using the hands and feet.
The bigger questions will still remain. But with the switch always on, the questions and choices that follow will represent you and your Divine seamlessly. With time and space….
Technique #1 for the feet
Standing or sitting look down at your feet. Focus your attention on your feet, how they turn in or out. Focus on the weight distribution and how the outer and inner edges of your feet respond to your weight.
(If you are sitting, the weight of your legs is more than enough to allow you a keen sense.) Observe.
Next, roll forward on your toes and back on your heels, feel. Roll your feet onto their outer edges and then inner edges, feel. Lift your toes and attempt (this is not easy) to place one toe at a time back down on the ground. This should spread your toes and place then firmly with intention into the ground. This is essentially a vinyasa, which means moving with intention.
Close your eyes now. Balance your weight evenly between the four corners of your feet. Big toe to pinky toe, inner edge of your heal to the outer. Breathe here and recognize the grounding effect of your vinyasa.
Technique #2 for the hands
Sit cross legged on the floor placing your hands on your knees, palms down. Close your eyes. Feel your hands on your knees, their weight and placement. Breathe 8-10 slow, focused breaths with your focus on your hands.
Then, keeping your eyes closed, place your hands on your heart, one on top of the other. Feel the connection between your hands and heart. Feel your heart beat against your hands. Take 8-10 breaths here focusing intently on your hands and heart.
Finally and slowly, place your hands in Anjali mudra, (prayer position) and let your head fall down to meet the tips of your middle fingers at your third eye chakra, (the space between your eyebrows). Inhale and exhale , 8-10 breaths, focusing on your head, heart and hand connection. Locate gratitude for God’s presence in all.
It is most important, I have read and believe, that all the options in each moment leave us inclined to listen to the heart and head and yield to the one that makes us most like ourselves. The choice to not or to do, however, does not define us but rather, refine us. It is in the culmination of our life choices, the seemingly good and bad choices, that we glimpse, in our responses and reactions, how each situation changes us. And in that, is there ever a good or bad choice? These are not new revelations or questions, I know. These are the thoughts of many, of many eras, from conscious and subconscious thinkers-- human being perceptions.
So where does God fit in to this listening? Where does he rest or sound off? One might immediately think: where else would he be but the heart? But in questioning that thinking, for even a moment, I am left with thoughts of God everywhere and in everything. I am left with the “good” things that come into my mind amidst the garbage and the “bad” things that come out of my heart, the desires that lead to passionate, hurtful expressions, to myself and others.
The Divine must be everywhere, true. Find Him, we must, and heal from that awareness. Heal from listening and responding to the higher calling within every aspect of ourselves, our feet if that is where it is to be found. And there it is, as it always is.
It is the feet and hands, just to name a fundamental couple, in yoga, that through deep awareness, connect us to God. Every asana has a base. This base most often consists of the hands and feet; though, the midsections, belly or back, head… could be foundational as well, most often it is the hands and feet. This is no coincidence. Like animals, on the physical plane, we hold our place in the world with our feet and as a specific type of animal, procure with our hands, receive and give. On the spiritual plane, we reach into the earth and sky with both feet and with hands grasp energetic currents. Through Mudra yoga, we send prayers or choose a focus, all with the hands. With our toes spread, we create a more profound grasp on this focus. These ideas travel through more than two planes. These ideas travels through our essence. It is, without option, more in depth than I can get in words, and unavoidably a piece of the way, an avenue of the path. Our extremities are the physical show of the heart and head. They are often forgotten characters in our show that reveal what we are standing on and for, as well as, display our giving and receiving in and to the world.
This month and along this life journey, it is incessant that we view it all. Expose the “troubles” and deal with them. We must use our connection to meter our responses and refine. The more sensitive we become to our connection to Source the better our responses will be. Here are some relatively, quick refocusing and connecting techniques using the hands and feet.
The bigger questions will still remain. But with the switch always on, the questions and choices that follow will represent you and your Divine seamlessly. With time and space….
Technique #1 for the feet
Standing or sitting look down at your feet. Focus your attention on your feet, how they turn in or out. Focus on the weight distribution and how the outer and inner edges of your feet respond to your weight.
(If you are sitting, the weight of your legs is more than enough to allow you a keen sense.) Observe.
Next, roll forward on your toes and back on your heels, feel. Roll your feet onto their outer edges and then inner edges, feel. Lift your toes and attempt (this is not easy) to place one toe at a time back down on the ground. This should spread your toes and place then firmly with intention into the ground. This is essentially a vinyasa, which means moving with intention.
Close your eyes now. Balance your weight evenly between the four corners of your feet. Big toe to pinky toe, inner edge of your heal to the outer. Breathe here and recognize the grounding effect of your vinyasa.
Technique #2 for the hands
Sit cross legged on the floor placing your hands on your knees, palms down. Close your eyes. Feel your hands on your knees, their weight and placement. Breathe 8-10 slow, focused breaths with your focus on your hands.
Then, keeping your eyes closed, place your hands on your heart, one on top of the other. Feel the connection between your hands and heart. Feel your heart beat against your hands. Take 8-10 breaths here focusing intently on your hands and heart.
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