Our Palms

As I sit to write this, my topic in mind, I think of the line from Romeo and Juliet that says, "For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." The palm of the hand is a fascinating spot—however flat or rough or small it seems—and carries with it immense meaning, despite its size. Being palm to palm with someone you like, or love, makes you feel like you're plugged into an electrical outlet; the palm is used in handshakes to show our strength and trust; it is also used as the most universal gesture of need, as someone reaches out their hand in hopes we'll put something in it.

In yoga last night, my instructor asked us to do many things that required our "palms to face upward." His words created a dimple in my mind, and I mulled over the idea as I transitioned from pose to pose. An open palm; an upward facing hand. I asked myself whether or not my hand facing down instead would really compromise the move and make it incorrect, and decided that no, neither direction really affected how I held my posture. And yet, if you believe yoga is as much for the mind as it is for the body, then perhaps the open palm is the pose for the brain just as warrior one is a pose for the legs. Perhaps it signifies, to yourself and to others, that you are more apt to receive than to decline. By keeping our palms facing up instead of down, we are telling our brain and our body that we are ready to accept, and connect with, others.

So, yes, maybe this is a grand idea taken from a simple gesture. But maybe this one simple gesture makes a big difference in what experiences find their way into our hands.