Yoga Evangelist
Debby Siegel, MSA, 500 ERYT, BYT
  • Home
  • About
  • Yoga
    • Yoga Classes
      • Sunset SUP Yoga
      • FLOW SUN 4:30
      • FLOW YOGA TUE 9:15a
      • YOGA TUE 6:30p
      • YOGA THU 12N
      • SURRENDER Yin Yoga SAT 10:30a
      • ROOT SAT 12:15p
    • Yoga Retreats & Festivals
      • YOGA OUTSIDE THE LINES JAN 27
      • SOUTHERN AZ RETREAT & GEM SHOW FEB 9-13
      • M.A.Y. FEST MAY 12-14
      • ARKANSAS GRAND CANYON RETREAT MAY 26-29
    • Workshops
      • Accomplice Yoga
      • The Art of Asana
      • Athletes Who Yoga Together
      • Create Your Narrative: Yoga + Journaling
      • DATE NIGHT YOGA
      • EXPAND Your Asana
      • Earthing Yoga
      • Living Libido Yoga
      • Mystic Den – Traveling Teas
      • Pajama Yoga SEP 29 Y6
      • Partner Yoga + Massage
      • Slit Weave Design Workshop
      • Yoga for Desk Jockeys and Drivers
      • Yoga Outside the Lines
    • Yoga Liability Waiver
  • Blog
    • Mindful Metamorphosis
    • The Gift of Presence
    • Yoga for Your Soles
    • Global Savasana
    • 2020 Vision
    • The Nose Knows
    • Therapeutic Crafting
    • Ogayay: Yoga Etymology
    • Neophiliac Yoga
    • Who Needs Sex?
    • Kripalu Rules!
    • Why Sanskrit?
    • Plant-Based Yoga
    • Yoga for Beginners – We’re All Beginners
    • TURMERIC TEA – LIQUID GOLD
    • Upward Facing Dog Yoga Pose
    • Why do we Namaste with Prayer Hands?
    • Fight the Flight Mode with Plane Old Yoga
    • Wanderlust
  • TUCSON RETREAT & GEM SHOW FEB 9-13
    • Southern AZ Retreat Schedule
    • Southern Arizona Retreat Sample Menu
    • Book a Massage at Southern AZ Retreat
  • ARKANSAS GRAND CANYON RETREAT
  • DATE NIGHT YOGA
  • YOGA OUTSIDE THE LINES
  • M.A.Y. FEST
Brianna Owens St. Louis yoga teacher

Why do we Namaste with Prayer Hands?

debby

In America, we tend to end yoga classes with our hands placed palms together over our hearts. But why?

Why do we Namaste with Prayer Hands?

Seemed only apropos that someone calling herself a Yoga Evangelist could start with the subject of prayer hands in yoga. It has many reasons, and is as ancient as the practice itself. Here’s some of what resonates with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Biologically speaking, an enormous area of your brain’s cerebral cortex is dedicated to your fingers and hands. Your hands’ touch receptors give you the ability to physically feel and comprehend what you are sensing, thus stimulating your brain. Your brain’s right hand activating the left, more analytical hemisphere of the brain and your left hand the right side, the creative, intuitive hemisphere. Yoking your hands together, touching palms to each other, switches on both brain hemispheres simultaneously and integrates them so that they function as a whole. This in turn enhances concentration, focuses intention and aids in assimilation – the perfect mind space for sealing a yoga practice!

Prayer positioning of the hands is universally understood as a gesture of peace and good intent. Prayer is a time when we focus inward and commune with our source. This positioning of hands in sanskrit is called Anjali Mudra (pronounced UHN-juh-lee muhd-RAAH). Anjali means “offering,” and mudra meaning “seal” or “sign.”  By completing our practice with hands in Anjali Mudra and sealing it with “Namaste” we are bringing an awareness of our centered state from our yoga practice and taking it out into our day.

Photo: Stephanie Kinney,  E-RYT with over 3000 teaching hours, and the Regional Programming Manager for Yoga Six, guides yoga classes for students in St. Louis and seals each class with a hand mudra and a Namaste.

Stephanie’s God-dess ring and hand-knotted, pink gold plated Ahimsa pendant necklace by Jen Stock. Jen is a New York based jewelry designer known for spiritually inspired jewelry. Find her jewelry around the necks and fingers of on Rihanna, Usher, Heidi Klum, George Lopez and The Black Crowes! 

Why do we Namaste with Prayer Hands?
Fight the Flight Mode with Plane Old Yoga St. Louis VegFest

Related Posts

Mindful Metamorphosis

beginner yoga, Inner Child Yoga, intro yoga, Mandala Yoga, mindfulness, mother nature, outdoor, outdoor yoga, prana, pranic healing, savasana, SUP yoga, take flight, wellness, yoga, yoga asana, Yoga Retreat, yoga teacher

Mindful Metamorphosis

The Gift of Presence

beginner yoga, mindfulness, St. Louis, Uncategorized, yoga, yoga asana, yoga inquiry, yoga workshop

The Gift of Presence

yoga for your feet

acro yoga, athlete, beginner yoga, feet, feet yoga, foot yoga, mindfulness, sport climbing, yoga toes

Yoga is Good for Your Sole

search site

Be Enlightened.

Yoga Events:

Click here to buy tickets
Sell tickets online with Ticket Tailor

Recent Posts

  • Mindful Metamorphosis
  • The Gift of Presence
  • Yoga is Good for Your Sole
  • TURMERIC TEA – LIQUID GOLD
  • Global Savasana
Yoga Evangelist
  • Yoga Evangelist
  • Debby Siegel, MSA, 500 ERYT
  • Yoga Offerings
  • Workshops
  • Yoga Retreats & Festivals
    • Manifest Station: Music & Yoga Festival Sept 24-26
    • Adhirohati Costa Rica Yoga Retreat 12/28-1/3
Website by Debby Siegel
Powered by WordPress • Themify WordPress Themes
Debby Siegel completed training in yoga for auto immune disease.