This post on symbolic hand meaning and gestures comes from a meditative sitting last week in which hands and hand prints were a recurring theme. This prompted me to think more deeply on the symbolic meaning of hands and how these meanings might add clarity to other perspectives too.
Some symbolic keywords pertaining to hands that come to mind:
- Skill
- Power
- Action
- Purpose
- Blessing
- Expression
- Humanitarianism
Specifically, the idea of hand meaning in the form of gestures came to mind. Like mudras, which are symbolic hand/finger shapes; an intricate language born from the Hindu and Buddhist culture to more deeply express concepts of spirituality, creativity and wisdom. A neat page depicting these hand formations can be found here.
This post isn’t as intricate (there are 100’s of specific mudras).
I just noticed how various common hand positions could beautifully convey deeper meaning. For example:
- Hands Clasped: Unification, Partnership, Allegiance
- Hands Clenched: Tension, Withholding, Suppression
- Hands Raised (above head): Supplication, Invocation, Surrender
- Hands Raised (out to the side): Inclusion, Acceptance, Openness
- Hands on the Chest: Devotion, Sincerity, Awareness
- Hands Folded: Contemplation, Passivity, Contentment
These are just some ideas. I’ve written a full post on hand meaning and various cultural symbolism here. On this page I also include some interesting exercises that may broaden awareness about hand symbolism.
I invite you become more aware of hands in your experience and explore various symbolic representations they may hold for you.
