Hello August,

I’m an educator, helping people feel good in their body, with the help of their mind. Feeling good in your body opens your mind, and when your mind is unburdened, you can feel better in your body. This doesn’t mean your physical injuries or life issues disappear, but rather your perception of them changes. A recent NY Times article reported that hands-on activities such as writing, knitting, or gardening aid our brains because using fine motor skills stimulates the brain regions devoted to movement.

Practicing yoga asanas engages your hands similarly. As I prepared to teach backbends, I realized how crucial each finger is in lifting, holding, and awakening the body. Furthermore, scientists suggest that awareness of the connection between fingers and their support of the body can counteract feelings of helplessness associated with depression. Even if some fingers are less capable of lifting or holding, awareness can still awaken.

Consider, for instance, the Straight Leg Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana). In this seated pose, legs extend straight on the floor, hands ideally grasp the feet, or perhaps the shins or a strap. It’s ideal to hold each foot because each finger grasps and connects. When each finger is involved, your mind expands to sensations and visualizations not only of what each finger touches but also of other parts of your body that feel connected to each finger.

Matthew Sanford, founder of Mind Body Solutions, paralyzed from the chest down since age thirteen, writes in his book 'Waking' that in his first yoga class, he could sense his legs in Seated Wide Legged Pose (Upavista Konasana) because the pose involved his legs. It demanded that he consider his legs as integral to the pose.

Each part of your body has a function. Next time you have to work with your hands, consider that hands can indeed heal.