thought for the day- pg 66- ASHTALAKSHMI STOTRAM - Page 32

There is no piece of creation without the hand of the creator operating in it. The source of creation is operating within every cell and atom. This is why in Indian culture, if you look up at the sky, the culture taught you to bow down. If you look down at the earth, you bow down. If you see a man, a woman, a child, a cow, a tree or whatever, you bow down. And it is a constant reminder that the source of creation is within you too. If you recognize this, you are paving the way towards your ultimate nature every time you do namaskaram.

There is another aspect to this. Your palms have a lot of nerve endings - something that medical science has also discovered today. Actually, your hands speak more than your tongue and your voice. There is a whole science of mudra  in yoga. Just by holding your hand in certain ways, you can make your whole system function in different ways. The moment you place your hands together, your dualities, your likes and dislikes, your cravings and aversions, all these things are leveled out. There is a certain oneness to the expression of who you are. The energies are functioning as one.

Five fingers of our hands represent 5 elements of our body. Thumb represents fire elements, Index finger air, Middle finger ether, Ring finger earth and little finger water element. By touching both the hands face to face balances the five elemental imbalances in the body and protects it from external energy imbalance.