Hands as the Eagles of Heaven

"All my bones shall say, 'Lord, who is like You?'"

Every day, we go through thousands of movements unconsciously. Yet, how often do we pause and reflect on how our body as a whole, and its parts in particular, is expressing our spiritual intentions?

When we talk about spiritual practice, almost invariably the word that pops into conversation is "meditation." In many respects, it has come to symbolize the spirituality movement that has grown steadily since the 1970s. But perhaps we have got stuck thinking that that's all spirituality is. Knowing what we're doing with our body is one way to complement sitting in silence and stillness.

Religious traditions around the world ascribe meaning to and create rituals with the most versatile members of the human body--the hands. Take a moment to look at yours. Hold them out in front of you. Turn them around. Clasp them. Cup them. Raise them high. Bring them to your heart. Rest them in your lap.

Think of the many kinds of gestures you make with your hands to manifest qualities you consider spiritual or religious. How do you use them to worship on your path? Do you put your palms together to bow down in honor of the Buddha? Do you cross yourself with your fingers to imitate the crucifixion of Jesus? Do you beat your chest with your right hand in contrition on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? Do you wash your hands to purify yourself before praying to Allah? Do you lift them wide to welcome the energy of the Moon Goddess? Do you slowly finger the beads of a mala or rosary in devotion? Do your hands set a Tibetan prayer wheel spinning?

Whether we embrace the Dharma, the Tao, a creator God, the Great Spirit, the Great Mother, Confucius, or Brahma, we can all take to heart what 16th-century Kabbalist Moses Cordovero recommended: "Imitate your creator. Then you will enter the mystery of the supernal form, the divine image in which you were created." In other words, the way we can become reflections of God, the Goddess, or the Buddha is by imitating their gestures.

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