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| Steepled fingers of the actual boy |
A few days ago, I went to meet one of my close relatives. As I was entering in their house, I saw an entirely unexpected scene. A 10 year old boy was sitting in a chair with steepled fingers. I wondered exactly why subconscious mind of the boy have led him to adapt the particular pose, by excluding all other poses that most 10 year old Indian school-going boys or girls do adapt in the sitting (or standing) position. Wasn't it worth investigating?
When adapted subconsciously, the steeple pose may convey different nonverbal or unspoken messages. However, it's broadly signified as authority, confidence or expertise. While considering the age of the boy, having authority, confidence or expertise is extremely unlikely. Also, nobody was challenging, questioning, judging or asking him for/about anything at the moment. He was just sitting in the chair very silently.
I entered the house and simply asked the boy that if his was father at home. He called out his father while maintaining the steeple pose. After a few moments passed, his father arrived on the spot and asked him to drop the pose. Was the boy doing some kind of exercise, according to his father's instructions? What is exactly was going on? I simply couldn't stop myself from asking the boy's father about.
What exactly I came to know from the father was equally interesting and enlightening. Although being an Indian and living in India for 45 years, I never knew this ever before. This is a game-changing fact in body language and especially while reading the way the fingers of hands are held in steepled position. It's worth sharing with whole world and that's why I chose to write this article.
The body wasn't steepling his fingers subconsciously but he was deliberately asked by his father to sit steady at one place in Hākini Mudrā (हाकिनी मुद्रा) or Hākini pose for 10 minutes daily. This is the exact same boy I've written about, in the beginning of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and body language article. (If you've not read the article, I highly recommend you do so.)
No matter if you're a body language reader, analyst or even expert; you should always ask question to yourself while observing a gesture. A same hand gesture can have different or opposite meanings in different cultural contexts. Steeple pose is one of the best examples of it. This article is my sincere attempt to spread the mass awareness about it.
Let's try to put feet in the shoes of a person having a great amount of knowledge or expertise in a certain field. The person faces a tricky challenge during a serious debate or conversation. If the person really wants to prove her expertise then aggression, arrogance, screaming, shouting, crying or bumping feasts doesn't work. It's totally un-expert.
A serious debate or conversation can turn into a physical fight if disagreeing goes out of rational control. Hence, an expert needs to stay calm, focused and in control while carefully listening to others, registering details, presenting facts, counter-arguing, setting record straight, sharing balanced opinions or issuing warnings if needed.
Next time, if you observe a person steepling her fingers then the person may not be conveying or exerting her authority, confidence or expertise. The person just may be using Hākini Mudrā for mental and psychological benefits. Especially, if the person is of Indian/Asian origin and/or a Yoga practitioner then it could be Hākini Mudrā.
Sometimes, I really wonder if steeple pose that is widely seen in north-western hemisphere (as an indicator of authority, confidence or expertise) has roots in Hākini Mudrā (हाकिनी मुद्रा). Is it actually Hākini Mudrā, propagated from India to north-western hemisphere through some channels of knowledge, centuries ago?
Although Hākini Mudrā looks exactly like steeple pose, former has an entirely different meaning, purpose and benefits in the context of Yoga. If you really want to know more about Hākini Mudrā or Hākini pose, please watch the below video till the end. Also, you'll find a lot of literature about the same on the internet.
While I'm trying to connect the dots and hypothesizing a possible connection between steepled fingers and Hākini Mudrā, some Indian newspapers and Yoga trainers have created a convincing theory of "gaining success and wealth through Hākini Mudrā" by showing steepled fingers of influential personalities.
I'm quite sure that you'd think twice before choosing the stereotypical meaning of the steeple while watching steepled fingers. Also, I doubt that you hardly could ever stop yourself from using Hākini Mudrā to reap the benefits of it, on the way of becoming an expert.
By the way, is steeple pose being misinterpreted too, only as an indication of authority, confidence or expertise? Yes! Absolutely. Is there any good example of it? Yes! Absolutely. There's one best example of it, to share with you.
You'll definitely read it in my first ever book on body language. I've shared the details of my observations and analysis of an old Indian lady's steepled fingers. You'll be surprised by the revelation.
When adapted subconsciously, the steeple pose may convey different nonverbal or unspoken messages. However, it's broadly signified as authority, confidence or expertise. While considering the age of the boy, having authority, confidence or expertise is extremely unlikely. Also, nobody was challenging, questioning, judging or asking him for/about anything at the moment. He was just sitting in the chair very silently.
I entered the house and simply asked the boy that if his was father at home. He called out his father while maintaining the steeple pose. After a few moments passed, his father arrived on the spot and asked him to drop the pose. Was the boy doing some kind of exercise, according to his father's instructions? What is exactly was going on? I simply couldn't stop myself from asking the boy's father about.
What exactly I came to know from the father was equally interesting and enlightening. Although being an Indian and living in India for 45 years, I never knew this ever before. This is a game-changing fact in body language and especially while reading the way the fingers of hands are held in steepled position. It's worth sharing with whole world and that's why I chose to write this article.
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| Hākini Mudrā (हाकिनी मुद्रा) |
The body wasn't steepling his fingers subconsciously but he was deliberately asked by his father to sit steady at one place in Hākini Mudrā (हाकिनी मुद्रा) or Hākini pose for 10 minutes daily. This is the exact same boy I've written about, in the beginning of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and body language article. (If you've not read the article, I highly recommend you do so.)
No matter if you're a body language reader, analyst or even expert; you should always ask question to yourself while observing a gesture. A same hand gesture can have different or opposite meanings in different cultural contexts. Steeple pose is one of the best examples of it. This article is my sincere attempt to spread the mass awareness about it.
Let's try to put feet in the shoes of a person having a great amount of knowledge or expertise in a certain field. The person faces a tricky challenge during a serious debate or conversation. If the person really wants to prove her expertise then aggression, arrogance, screaming, shouting, crying or bumping feasts doesn't work. It's totally un-expert.
A serious debate or conversation can turn into a physical fight if disagreeing goes out of rational control. Hence, an expert needs to stay calm, focused and in control while carefully listening to others, registering details, presenting facts, counter-arguing, setting record straight, sharing balanced opinions or issuing warnings if needed.
 |
| Trying to stay focused in a conversation? |
Next time, if you observe a person steepling her fingers then the person may not be conveying or exerting her authority, confidence or expertise. The person just may be using Hākini Mudrā for mental and psychological benefits. Especially, if the person is of Indian/Asian origin and/or a Yoga practitioner then it could be Hākini Mudrā.
Sometimes, I really wonder if steeple pose that is widely seen in north-western hemisphere (as an indicator of authority, confidence or expertise) has roots in Hākini Mudrā (हाकिनी मुद्रा). Is it actually Hākini Mudrā, propagated from India to north-western hemisphere through some channels of knowledge, centuries ago?
Although Hākini Mudrā looks exactly like steeple pose, former has an entirely different meaning, purpose and benefits in the context of Yoga. If you really want to know more about Hākini Mudrā or Hākini pose, please watch the below video till the end. Also, you'll find a lot of literature about the same on the internet.
While I'm trying to connect the dots and hypothesizing a possible connection between steepled fingers and Hākini Mudrā, some Indian newspapers and Yoga trainers have created a convincing theory of "gaining success and wealth through Hākini Mudrā" by showing steepled fingers of influential personalities.
I'm quite sure that you'd think twice before choosing the stereotypical meaning of the steeple while watching steepled fingers. Also, I doubt that you hardly could ever stop yourself from using Hākini Mudrā to reap the benefits of it, on the way of becoming an expert.
By the way, is steeple pose being misinterpreted too, only as an indication of authority, confidence or expertise? Yes! Absolutely. Is there any good example of it? Yes! Absolutely. There's one best example of it, to share with you.
You'll definitely read it in my first ever book on body language. I've shared the details of my observations and analysis of an old Indian lady's steepled fingers. You'll be surprised by the revelation.
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