Anuloma/Viloma Finger Selection

Meditationtime Forum Post

Date:  Posted 5 years before Mar 21, 2018

MiBeloved 5 years ago

From LinkedIn:

Anita wrote:

Does anyone know why we use Nasika Mudra with Anulom Vilom？Is there a specific explanation? Also, in Anulom Vilom why is always recommended to start from the left?

MiBeloved's Response:

A word of Advice:

In doing yoga do not always try to find a reason for particular techniques. Many events of yoga which come down the tube of time from a major lineage teacher, came down only because that teacher introduced those techniques spontaneously.

In our social life, there is emotional intelligence, where we find that women are the experts at this. This comes about naturally without our formation of a particular reason. A mother has an attachment for a child. Is there is a reason for it?

Does there have to be? Even if there is a reason, it does not matter that there is one. The satisfaction we may get from find a reason for this or that, is mostly whimsical and is encouraged by our sense of feeling that we are rational beings. But are we really?

Is existence really a rational phenomenon? Does it make sense that we are aware of ourselves as material bodies some 13 billion plus years after the universe supposedly began, and we have no idea how long this awareness of ourselves will continue?

Existence happens and that is the beginning and end of it. Rationalizations might be needed to prop up our self-esteem but this is not about reasons. This is about eventuality, happenings. Most all of this is causeless, meaning that there is no rational mind behind it, planning it. It is spontaneous. It does not have to make sense. And if it does, that does not prove anything because long after my rational satisfaction fizzes out, this will keep on going, having left me as nothing, as being non-substantial.

=========================

Anuloma practice begins from the left side because the rishi who began the exercise was a right hander and the control, the switching of the nostril, is done by the thumb. The thumb is the finger which applies the first pressure and the natural side which the right thumb may compress is the right side, which leaves the left side open for the first in-breath.

For those who are left handed, the practice should begin with the left hand in which case the in-breath will begin on the right side.

Special note:

Previously many of these practices were done by trained brahmins only. These brahmins were extracted the three higher caste of the brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaishyas. One of the trainings for brahmins which they were oriented to from birth is the use of the right hand for sacred activity and the left hand for profane activities.

All sacred activities were controlled by the right hand. For instance, when using the rest room, the brahmin uses the left hand, while when doing puja religious ceremonies and while eating the right hand does most of the chores.

This also implies that most of the brahmin were right handed essentially because of the training given from birth by their parents and teachers. Thus most of them would have used the right hand beginning with the thumb compressing the right nostril to begin anuloma and viloma practice.

=========================

It really does not matter for us Westerners because we are not trained like this from birth, as to which hand to use for sacred acts and which for profane acts. What this really means is that we should begin with which hand naturally wants to initiate the practice. If you pick up a bag which hand will usually reach for it?

So there is a predominant hand for doing certain things, and to find out which hand that is, one just needs to reach out for something spontaneously. We may assume the brahmin way of the right hand but for us it is an imposition because we are already trained from birth that it does not matter which hand we use when we go to use the toilet.

unlimitedsun 5 years ago

So true, this is the case in many traditional societies. Consider the anecdotes below:

I know in Mali for sure, as well as other places that left handed kids were to be trained to be right handed or considered cursed.

People eat with their right hand in such societies and in a common large plate, and they used (and many still do use) water to wash after evacuation with their left hand exclusively. It goes without saying that you will not put your left hand in no one's food!

I was also made aware that a woman who steps in the hut (dwelling) with her left foot first is cursed because her first husband will die! So, leftie get it right.