While cleaning up the Spring gardens, I became acutely aware of the look, feel and strength of my hands. I suppose when one is crawling under and over things to get those last few weeds, then dumping and spreading 18 bags of manure, compost and soil to bump up the gardens, it becomes crystal clear that none of this could be done without working hands. And as is my habit, once I get a revealing thought, I take it an extra mile!
Hands. In Chakra energy theory, the hands are an extension of the Heart Chakra. They will either push away or pull towards using the energy of the Heart. The hands have their own chakras – the palms of our hands are powerful transmitters of Heart Chakra loving energy. Think of hugs, caresses and any activity that brings you joy. Those same hand chakras in an unbalanced state may shut down and refuse to send out loving energy. Think of slaps, fists and anything that brings you grief, anger or hate.
In her book, A Gift for Healing, Deborah Cowens writes:
“The hands are themselves great works of art. They possess beauty, power and utility. In the hands, raw strength, miraculous precision and musical dexterity become one. The hands can build bridges, sculpt stone, type, tie flies and perform surgery. All the power of our minds, hearts and souls are concentrated in our hands, which is why they are capable of reshaping the world. Who can deny that they possess a unique and even awesome power? That power flows from your hands and you can use it to heal.”
Hands help us learn about our world, participate in our world, connect with that which offers us pleasure, joy, pain, sorrow and more. Create, destroy, nurture, ignore, discover or retreat – hands help us do all this and much more. Young hands in search of new adventures. Older hands understanding how it all comes together. A place for everyone and every hand.
It is quite common to hear of people having issues with arthritis in their hands. Arthritis is an inflammatory process with stiffness of the joints which can, over time, create permanent damage. It can also be a result of the wear and tear of everyday life on specific joints in the body that eventually wear out. There are many types of arthritis – some are easier to manage than others. In mind-body connection theory, arthritis is connected with our innermost feelings about the movement we are taking, what we are doing within that movement or the direction we are going in. According to Debbie Shapiro in her book, The Bodymind Workbook, she describes arthritis in more detail:
“There may be a sensation of the energy pulling back from moving forward, maybe out of fear of the movement or because we would really rather be doing something or going somewhere different. This state also indicates self-criticism (stiffness), lack of self-worth, fear, anger (inflammation) and bitterness (pain). There can be a sense of being tied down, restricted, restrained and confined. There can be also a developing inability to bend, to be mentally flexible or to be able to surrender. This can reflect a lack of self-trust as well as a hardening attitude toward life. These feelings are usually about ourselves but rather than being acknowledged inwardly, they are usually projected outwardly towards others.”
If our hands are expressions of Heart Chakra energy and connections to our world, then the arthritic condition may be indicating our true inner wish for a different direction or different situation to help us feel more joyful in this world. The longer we deny our true feelings and wishes, the more prevalent the arthritis can become. What would it take to decide that our own feelings and dreams deserve to be heard and respected? What would it take to surrender into our own inner sanctum – our inner heart – for self love and acceptance? Or surrender into the arms of the Divine to just be and know that we are Enough? Answer these questions and you open up opportunities for growth, love and joy. Always your choice and under your control.
In the book, Earth Prayers from Around the World, Dianne Neu wrote a poem/prayer entitled, “Blessed Be the Work of Your Hands”. It is a fitting ending.
Blessed be the work of your hands, O Holy One
Blessed be the hands that have touched life
Blessed be the hands that have nurtured and created
Blessed be the hands that have held pain
Blessed be the hands that have embraced with passion
Blessed be the hands that have tended gardens
Blessed be the hands that have closed in anger
Blessed be the hands that have planted new seeds
Blessed be the hands that have harvested ripe fields
Blessed be the hands that have cleaned, washed, mopped and scrubbed
Blessed be the hands that have become knotty with age
Blessed be the hands that have wrinkled and scarred from doing justice
Blessed be the hands that have reached out and been received
Blessed be the hands that have held the promise of the future
Blessed be the work of your hands, O Holy One.