“Twenty Claps a Day Keeps the Heart Physician Away.”
The English speaking people and Europeans greet each other with a warm handshake, partaking each other’s warmth in their hand. The Muslims usually greet each other with a Hearty Hug, while we Hindus greet each other with salutation in the form of folded hands which we call Nmeestai. It literally means – I bow to Thee in Salutation with all my mind and heart.
Every form of greeting has its own merits and since this chapter is devoted to Nmeestai, I will highlight its merits. In this, we press the palms and fingers of both right and left hands, finger to finger and palm to palm, pressing against each other affectionately. As it is well known now that the reflex points of total body/mind system are located on our both hands, these, thus, get pressed against each other. We, thus, inadvertently, press the bio-energy switches of our body/mind system, and thereby, activate all of them in self love, each time we say – Nmeestai. And simultaneously we also join the bio-energy circuit of both hands, thus conserving the body/mind energy.
Similarly, clapping with both hands with a devotional song also achieves the same purpose, besides giving an added benefit of prayer with a Bhakti Song-Yoking us with God, through the medium of devotional song. This is why, I have highlighted the importance of clapping by saying -“Twenty claps a day, keeps the heart physician away”.
I, myself, do these hand clappings while exhaling with the breathing Mantra – NMEESTAI and then pressing both hands firmly with each other without making a sound, so that other persons are not disturbed in the process. Then, I start inhaling, while out-stretching my hands to 180 degree angle, inhaling with the mantra “SDA-NMAN” which means – O God, I always (Sada) respectfully give my salutation to you. I do this clapping exercise as above by facing the early morning Sun while keeping my eyes closed. I do it as a prayer to the giver of Solar Energy, to make of me a warm hearted person.
An ex-Prime Minister of India – Indira Gandhi once quipped very aptly “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist”, that is very true but you can definitely humble (win) the other person with a warm Namaste because you need not shake hands. This mantra – Sda – Namah/Namaste makes the person humble and can turn politicians into statesmen to serve the people. So doing, the humanity can be uplifted to be hunger free. Then alone, no one will sleep without a square meal in this world.
PRAYER TO GOD WITH MANTRAS
Inhale with = O, God, Exhale with = A good day
Inhale with = O, God, Exhale with = A good food
Inhale with = O, God, Exhale with = A good deed
Inhale with = O, God, Exhale with = A good sleep
Inhale with = O, Lord, Exhale with = I AM GRATEFUL TO THEE