Palms Up. Palms down.

In yoga class last week. My teacher, Reanna, mentioned that when sitting with crossed legs, we should sit with hands on knees and with palms up and open.  

When she said this I was resting my hands palms down so I switched to palms up. I felt more open and also more vulnerable with my palms up. It was not a sizable difference but it was noticeable. I felt closed with my palms down and more open, soft and vulnerable with them up and open. I was able to receive more from the sitting and from my own breathing with palms up.

Sit cross legged on the floor or on a yoga mat on the floor and alternate between these two hand positions.

With palms up I am opening a current that brings energy from the surrounding area into my palms, up my arms, to the center of my chest at my Heart Chakra - this is enlivening and calming and feels great.

With the palms down I notice no such energy flow. The current does not flow and I notice almost no effect.

Interesting. Just a simple rotation of the wrists and I am able to open the channels to the power of the world around me. I do not have to be in the yoga room or somewhere special to try this. I do it any time during the day - especially when I am feeling like I would like to bring in some of the calming and grounding energy of nature. I just simply open my hands and rotate my palms heavenward.  Nobody has to know that I am doing this. I can do it in a board meeting or at my workstation, at the post office - anywhere, anytime.

Try it. See what you notice.