Examine Your Breath

Gautam the Buddha had discovered during his meditations the Vipashyana method about 2500 years ago. This is an unfailing remedy to quieten your mind and to go into a state of meditation. If one wants to enter the state of deep meditation one has to stay in camps organised by Vipashyana Vidyapeeth, Igatpuri, Maharashtra, but everybody does not have time enough to enter a camp or an ashram to practise this method of watching your breath.

The early stage of Vipashyana method, if exercised properly, can rid a person of all his tensions. Preliminary exercises are easy to do and one can undertake them at home, during travel, in one's office or shop and anywhere else which is convenient to one.

But you must understand the method before you start practising it.

Breath is the basis of our life because you live only so long as you breathe. But hardly anyone pays any attention to the process of breathing.

Close your eyes and concentrate your attention on the breath that comes through your nostrils. Experience the intake of air through the breath; also the air which leaves your lungs through your nose. You have only to take notice of the air that is entering your body and is leaving it after having oxygenated your blood. One does not have to stop the breath like Pranayama and not quicken the process or to make the breath deep. Just experience the speed with which breath conies and goes out of your nostrils.

When you start practising this method your attention would wander. But do not be disappointed. When you feel that your mind is wandering to other subjects like your business, your job, your friends and enemies and your past and future, pull back your attention to the process of breathing which your body is undergoing.

A person with a highly developed Mount of Luna has a rich imagination. The moment he closes his eyes his mind wanders to other subjects because his imagination has full play. This interferes with the process of concentrating on your breath. Such persons can practise watching their breath even when their eyes are open. This process gives peace to the mind; it is diverted from the problem which reduces the tensions.

This should be practised for fifteen minutes in the morning and for an equal time in the evening. It gives you peace of mind. If you feel tense or worried during the day you can repeat this process several times. It would remove the anxieties and you would be able to find a solution to the problem causing tensions.

But everybody is not able to undertake all kinds of practices. Some other remedies are, therefore, suggested here.

Digital Postures

If you look at statues of the sages of old, you would notice that they sat in meditation with their fingers in certain peculiar positions. Why they did it, dawned on me while I was studying physiology. Before suggesting digital postures as remedies let us take some physiological facts into consideration.

The somatosensory area of the brain controls the various functions of the bodily organs. A major part of this area is responsible for the movement of hands and fingers. About 25% of this region is concerned with the movement of the thumbs and the fingers and the rest of the 75% area controls the movement of the other organs of the body. This fact has been commented upon in detail in my book. ALL THE SECRETS OF PALMISTRY.

I have studied the subject of digital postures and their beneficial effects and have also sat at the feet of scholars who are experts in this field, As a palmist I have experimented on my clients the use of digital postures to remove the evil influence of defects in the lines and the Mounts. I have seen that such postures do give relief and would recommend the following to my readers.

Digital Posture Designed to Strength the Heart

This posture consists in joining the tips of first three fingers with the tip of the thumb, leaving the little finger away from them. If the Heart Line is defective, the Mount of Apollo is over-developed and the Mount of Luna under-developed, this posture definitely helps.

Persons suffering from hypertension and those who have had a heart attack should practise this every day to find relief from their troubles.

Digital Posture to Strengthen the Brain

This posture consists in joining the tips of the index finger and tip of the thumb. In Yoga it is called the Chinmudra (digital posture for the mind). If the Head Line is defective or the Mount of Jupiter either over-developed or under-developed, this posture helps.

Digital Posture to Bolster the Vital Force

This posture consists in joining the tips of the third and the little finger with that of the thumb. It removes the defects of the Line of Life and the Line of Mercury. If your Mount of Venus is under-developed or the Aggressive Mars is not fully developed this posture should be practised both in the morning and the evening.

Digital Posture to Remove the Defects of the Line of Saturn

Bend your index finger so that its tip touches the Mount of Venus and press the base of the finger with the tip of your thumb. The other Fingers must be kept apart from this combination. If the Line of Saturn or the Mount of Saturn have defects this posture definitely helps. It should be practised for fifteen minutes in the morning and an equal time in the evening. If you are suffering from paralysis or gout or any disorder caused by the Vata Dosha this posture should be used for more time than indicated above.

Digital Posture to Remove the Defects of the Mercury

This posture consists in the touching of tip of the index finger of the left hand with the joined tips of the index and the middle finger of the right hard. If both the Line of Mercury and the Mount of Mercury are defective, this posture should be tried with both the hands turn by turn. If there is flatulence this posture can be used as a part of the curative process.

A Digital Posture Popular in Ancient China

In ancient China, it was a common practice to rotate a small copper ball with the tips of fingers. It is supposed to strengthen the brain. Looking at it from the point of view of modern physiology there is some truth in this belief because a large part of the somatosensory area of the brain is concerned with the movement of fingers. It is axiomatic to state that a wrong decision taken by your brain could mar your future and a good decision make your luck or fortune. I generally advise my clients to rotate a walnut with the tips of their fingers. This tends to activate the areas of the brain concerned with the movement of the fingers. As a consequence of that, a major part of the brain is strengthened.

How to Use Digital Postures?

All these postures should be tried with both the hands for fifteen minutes with each of them turn by turn. Even if there is no defect in any of the lines of the palm, if these postures are tried for two minutes at a stretch, the possibility of any of the defects arising or diseases striking a person is reduced. Indirectly it exercises the various centres of the brain.

If at the time of exercising these digital postures you remember your favourite or family deity, the beneficial effects are enhanced.