This, of course, is not a post about the middle finger. Excuse the lack of sources, I am too lazy to cite them.
Yoga practices usually end with the "Namaste" - a Sanskrit word that is a traditional Hindu greeting and salutation that means "I bow to you" and recognizes the divine light in another person. It is said with palms pressed together at the chest and a slight bow of the head.
Another source mentions the following, "When you place your palms together in front of your heart and bow slightly, you are practicing Gassho (合掌). In Japan, this gesture is far more than a greeting — it is a symbol of respect, gratitude, and spiritual connection. Rooted in Buddhism and seen in temples, meditation halls, and even modern wellness practices, Gassho carries centuries of meaning. It is this depth and timelessness that inspired the name of our meditation and mindfulness app: Gassho". But we should note that the roots of Gassho trace back to India.
The gesture of pressing the palms together (often called añjali mudrā, prayer hands, or namaste gesture) is one of the most widespread symbolic acts across human cultures. It has deep spiritual, social, and emotional meanings depending on the context. The origin point is, as you may have guessed it, India. This gesture has spread across so many cultures and religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. It shows humility, unity of body and spirit, reverence. The gesture dates back to Vedic times, which was over 3000 years ago and carries deep symbolic meaning, interpreted as the union of left and right, self and other, human and divine.
As the gesture spread in South, East and Southeast Asia, the name had changed from añjali mudrā to Gasshō in Japan, Wai in Thailand, Namo in China, Chhap in Tibet. The meaning remained more or less the same – devotion, gratitude, acknowledgment of Buddha-nature in others, and was used when bowing before statues, during chanting, and in monastic greetings. The gesture was then spread with Buddhist monks along trade routes, mainly alng the Silk Road.
Interestingly, in Christianity the gesture name is simply "prayer hands", and most likely the gesture was adapted from older Roman gestures of submission and devotion (folded hands presented to a superior). The meaning here reflects Christian dogma – supplication, humility, surrender to god. Two hands joined as one symbolizes the merging of human will with divine will. The spread happened through medieval Europe and Christian art, most famously popularized by Albrecht Dürer’s Praying Hands (1508).
In Southeast Asia the gesture has both secular and religious uses. In countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia the gesture is a greeting, a way to express gratitude, apology, or respect. It is deeply integrated into everyday etiquette, not only religion. As a matter of interest, the
height of the hands (chest vs. forehead) indicates the degree of respect – higher for monks, elders, or royalty.
Nowadays, the gesture is adopted globally through yoga and mindfulness traditions. It represents the balance of left/right hemispheres, masculine/feminine energies, and inner unity. Additionally, the getsure became a universal “peaceful greeting” emoji, further globalizing its meaning.
The gesture appears across so many cultures and religions all across the globe, it appeared in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia through depictions of worshippers with joined or raised hands toward deities, possibly a proto-form of the gesture. The gesture appears in Korean Confucian and Shinto rituals, as well as it carries a modern secular use – a sign of thanks, prayer, or “please/thank you” in global communication.
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