Anjali Mudra

“I am the Self, dwelling in the heart of all beings, and the beginning, the middle, and the end of all that lives as well.” - The Bhagavad Gita

A beautiful ritual in yoga is holding the hands over heart center.  This is called Anjali Mudra. (AHN-jah-lee) meaning “offering” and mudra (MOO-dra) meaning “seal.”  In many Eastern cultures, people greet one another, and acknowledge respect and a heart connection by bowing their heads and bringing their palms together at their heart center.

Yogis depict the heart as the seat of human feeling, the seat of the highest Self. When we speak of ourselves, we gesture to our heart.

Anjali Mudra is often accompanied by the word “namaste,” which is a common greeting in India. Much like the word ‘Aloha’ in Hawaii represents more than just ‘hello’.  It means love, peace and respect.  Kia ora, in New Zealand is a lovely greeting that bequeaths one to have life, and to be healthy. 

 What does Anjali Mudra represent?

 Hands held at heart center represents Initiation & Completion.  It is often used to begin or end a practice, ritual, or action. Often returning to Anjali mudra during a yoga practice to pause and reflect.  When used as a greeting, it signifies welcoming the light of an individual into your light. It also offers a well-wishing when an individual departs. It marks the initiation of something with intention and presence, as well as sealing or completing it in a reverent way.

 Bringing the hands together over heart center symbolizes the two sides of the body meeting together at the center of the heart.  This represents bringing harmony and balance between the different aspects of our being – physical , mental, and emotional.  Yoga seeks to join all opposites and dissolve any illusion of separateness that may exist. The concept of duality, the sun and the moon, right side and left side, ego and soul, the hands joining together symbolizes union and oneness.

In the subtle yogic energetic system know as the Chakras, the word for the heart center is “Anahata” or un-struck. This speaks to the resiliency of the heart and its potential for unbounded kindness, love and compassion. It also elicits the belief that it is the heart, not the mind or ego, in which we see ourselves most truly.

Rumi says:

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

 How to do Anjali Mudra

 1.    Bring your two hands together in front of your chest, resting the palms together.

2.    Bow your head and close your eyes.

Variations:

-Press the tips of the middle fingers together, and you may notice a  feeling of grounding and intimacy to your heart.

- create an opening with your middle fingers on each hand, like a lotus flower, and appreciate the feeling of invitation, and awareness.   

 Is this gesture like praying in Christianity?

There is no reference in the bible of ‘prayer hands’ or hands coming together.  In feudal Europe, there are depictions in paintings of hands folded and outstretched, as a symbol of obedience, submission, or repentance.

Throughout the Old Testament, in Psalms, there are references of ‘believers reaching out their hands to God.’  When Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray, He made no reference to any physical gestures.  

The next time you bring your hands together in Anjali Mudra, reflect on its capacity to express pure love.

Namaste