Recall yourself to be sacredly made: Why I use praying hands

Yesterday I taught a Belly Dance class to a group of Seniors at a church. They probably have not taken a Yoga class or looked at exercise as a refined practice as in Tai Chi.

A woman came to me after the class asking what I was doing when I guided the class to put their hands together and close their eyes. I thank her because it prompted me to articulate this practice. I have used it for nearly 20 years and don't recall anyone else asking.

Belly Dance is a sensual practice that helps me honor my body as divine and sacred.  This concept is really significant for me because for many years, I felt the opposite.  In American culture, sacredness is not commonly expressed in Belly Dance.

When I teach Belly Dance, I consider it a sacred honor to share this ancient dance.  Most of the time, I don’t say it, but I embody this philosophy.

My intention for having women join their hands together at the end of my Belly Dance cool down is for them to acknowledge their own divinity.  I say a few lines; “Recall yourself to be wonderfully and sacredly made.  You are wonderfully and sacredly made.  Recall yourself to be balanced in body, mind and spirit. You are balanced; giving and receiving in equal measure.  You are now aware of the loving energy moving through your body.”  This is my affirmation or prayer for them and for myself.

The act of putting hands together at the heart center has many meanings and is used in spiritual practices in Indian, Japanese  and other Asian

cultures.  Christians and Jews also place the palms of the hands together as an indication of prayer and supplication.

When I ask women to place their hands together, this is my intention:

• Union of Polarities - Bringing the hands together, is an act of balance. Merging the polarities present in the act of being in this class.

  • Joining the right and the left hemispheres of the brain - thinking and dancing

  • Acknowledging the masculine and feminine aspects inherent within

  • Giving and receiving - Women often give of themselves.  Putting the palms together in this woman only community is opening to the shared energy of the space

• Integration of the spirit, body and mind - The body has been actively dancing and endorphins are firing and she feels alive.  I want the women to take a minute to feel that aliveness in their bodies.  When you close your eyes, inner vision.

• Heart Connection - Placing the touching palms near the heart reminds women to have compassion and divine connection for themselves

• Gratitude and Intention: Joining the palms can serve as a physical reminder to cultivate gratitude and set intentions, reinforcing positive mental states.

• Calming the Nervous System: The act of bringing the hands together can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.

This closing action help women in my Belly Dance classes take a sense of connected, embodied peace with them as they go.