OFFERING HANDS – ACTIVATING THE ARM LINES AND CULTIVATING GENEROSITY

Activating the fascial lines of the body is a wonderful way to engage and develop a whole body feeling. We can activate foot to core and hand to core and then hand to foot and visa versa. This Circleworkshop will explore whole body somatic movement in a yoga context and specifically how to activate the arm lines and develop a generalized hand to core and hand to foot connection during asana and vinyasa practice.

Cost. The event fees are by dana. Dana is often taken to simply mean donation or gift. Each participant arrives at the amount of dana voluntarily. We will be training outside.

 A hand to core connection is established via the shoulder and the upper chest and back. The feeling can be induced in open and closed chain kinetics. Activating the arm lines can have a subtle positive effect on your stability.

For example, starting a standing meditation in Tadasana by activating the arm lines in the hands and drawing that feeling back into the core and down to the feet is a beautiful sensation. We can create a sensation of opening the joints by pulling or pushing the fascia, we can let gravity pull us down and then rise up by filling the fascial lines, I call this tuning up the body to feel the vital life force.

Offering hands as Yoga mudra

Mudra (hand gesture) is a method of citta-bhavana, which translates to cultivating a specific state of mind. There are hundreds of mudras, and each represents a different quality – such as compassion, courage, or wisdom. It is believed that by practicing mudras, you awaken the seeds of these qualities within you.  https://seattleyoganews.com/mudra-madness-lotus-or-padma-mudra/

In Yoga asana the gesture of offering hands is called Hasta or Hasaphula Mudra, a gesture of balancing giving and receiving. If you touch your little fingers together and lift your hands the gesture activates the heart. In Buddhism the lower hand of Tara is held in a Varada Mudra, a gesture of generosity. Generosity is part of the first Paramita referencing Dana or fair exchange.

You can activate your lines in specific yoga asana such as Bhavasana.

The arms hang off of the structural column of our torso. Human shoulders and arms are designed for mobility. The popular training drill of spinning hands uses the bio mechanical action of circumduction at the shoulder in the three planes. The shoulder can also externally and internally rotate, dropping the elbows and externally rotating the shoulder in asana will improve your strength and stability.

Learn how to activate your shoulders in plank, Kumbhakasana, watch this clip. Use this approach in Chaturanga to improve shoulder stability and function. Watch this clip to see how to safely practice this challenging asana.

You can activate and organise your arms via the facial lines. There are 4 distinct myofascial arm lines that run from the axial skeleton via the 4 quadrants of the arm to the 4 ‘sides’ of the hand; thumb, little finger palm and back of the hand (Anatomy Trains, Thomas W. Myers).

Offering tea is a popular Qi Gong practice that essentially revolves around the gesture of offering hands and keeping the palm horizontal during practice. 

Yang lines travel down the back of the arm and yin lines travel up the inside of the arms. The both share the Lao gong point on the palm, part of the heart master channel. Anna Brooke discusses the Lao Gong point and easing anxiety

"The Lao Gong point, a heart constrictor (ie pericardium) meridian point located in the middle of the palm, is a great tool to use to help ease anxiety and to calm inflammation in the body. A very handy point to use whenever needed! Please note in the video I say heart, but mean heart constrictor! To learn more about Anna Brooke or the practice of Wu Tao Dance, please visit www.annabrookehealing.com."

 Please take time to read my Safety Page for some useful context to my approach to training.