Gassho literally means “two hands coming together”. A meditation exercise, sitting on the floor or a chair – to strengthen and develop your life energy. You keep your hands folded together in a relaxed manner for your heart* in prayer position. Preferably every morning and evening for 20 to 30 minutes. Close your eyes, wherever you are and concentrate fully on the point where your two middle fingers start and finish. Forget about the world around you and allow thoughts to come to you, but let them also go back to your focus on that point where the two middle fingers meet. It is quite normal that during this meditation, thoughts or images come to you and distract you. That’s okay. Let them come, but let them loose again, and then come back to that point where the two middle fingers meet. If you succeed in this meditation for three months every morning and evening to do, you will gain a great inner peace, and thereby increase your energy.

*in our classes we often practice gassho with the hands at the height of the eyes: this moves the focus to the sixth chakra (anja chakra) situated behind the root of your nose. also it works more directly on the upper ribs and ribcage and directly helps to let go of tension from the head and neck region.

Gassho has a lot to offer to the modern western person: it brings the focus of the divided mind back to one point and allows the energy to ‘come down’. In my experience its effect is enhanced by first stretching both arms above the head:

1. bring your hands together above your head in gassho and focus on the forearms and the opening of the heart area.
2. during the exhalation allow your hands to come (and stop)  at the height of your eyes and hold this position for a couple of breathing cycles. You could daily build up this exercise and hold it for 20-30 minutes daily