Actress Anjali

The Anjali mudra is a sacred hand posture in which one draws together the palms over the centre of the chest. This hand posture is widely used in the East as a greeting and as a powerful tool for meditation, and in the West it is closely associated with prayer. It is a universal sign synonymous with our images of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism and is widely used by all of these traditions.

A mudra is a certain hand or body posture which is used to illicit a particular feeling or inner state of being. Mudra is a Sanskrit word meaning "seal" or "sign". Mudras are used widely in meditation, yoga, Hindu rituals and dances. There are literally hundreds of mudras, and each one is assigned it's own particular name and meaning depending the specific quality it invokes. Anjali is a Sanskrit word meaning reverence, benediction, and salutation. In India the Anjali mudra is used to greet people accompanied by the word "Namaste" - this sacred greeting is often translated as "I bow to the divinity within you from the divinity with me". In this way this salutation is used to acknowledge not only people, but places, statues, rivers and trees, reinforcing the deep spiritual truth that all things in the universe are part and parcel of one and the same God. The Anjali mudra is a gesture of respect and reverence - reverence of the highest reality which is at the heart of all creation.

The Anjali mudra is a powerful mudra for meditation, particularly heart meditation because it shifts the focus of attention away from the chatter of the mind and into the silence of the heart. It is a very centering posture, it connects us to the heart chakra which is a powerful centre of energy located in the middle of the chest. Represented by a lotus flower, the heart chakra is the place where our highest self resides, it is the place where we instinctively point to when we say "me" and it is the place where all the divine qualities of peace, joy and light abide. These qualities are encouraged to grow and blossom when we practice "heart-meditation". Sri Chinmoy encourages seekers to use this mudra for meditation because it connects us to the heart. "Inside the chest is the heart, inside is the heartbeat. You will do far better meditation if you put your hands here. Make it a point to touch your chest if you want the best result. Spirituality is heart. Heart and spirituality are inseparable. Inside the heart is the living presence of God" he says.

Through the unification of the body by pressing the hands together the Anjali mudra symbolizes the spiritual principle of oneness. This oneness lies at the heart of yogic practice. In Sri Chinmoy's words "Yoga is a Sanskrit word. It means union with God. This union is a conscious union. We are all united with God but we are not aware of it. When we practise Yoga, we become conscious of our union with God."