In today’s western society, sometimes eating with hands is considered as being unhygienic, primitive, and bad mannered. Whereas eating with spoons, knives, and forks is considered more modern, hygienic, and convenient. Direct interaction of food with the hands and mouth, basically, provides a strong signal to the brain that helps our stomach to get prepared for receiving the food for digestion. The ancient native tradition of eating food with the hands, basically, is derived from the ‘Mudra’ practice that is very common in various aspects of Hinduism. Mudras are generally used during the meditation along with many classical forms of dance including Bharatnatyam.
According to the Ayurveda, hands are considered as one of the most important body part for action. This is also connected to the Vedic prayer of;
“Karagre vasate Laksmih Karamule Sarasvati
Karamadhye tu Govindah prabhate karadarsanam”
The above verse suggests that the divinity lies in our hands.
According to the old saying of Indian culture;
“Eating food with the Hands not only feeds the body but also the mind and the spirit”.
According to the Vedas, each finger, thumb and toe represents the five different elements that are also known as Panchamahabhutas in fingers. These five elements of Panchamahabhutas in fingers include thumb for fire, index finger for air, middle finger for space, ring finger for the earth, and little finger for water. It is believed that these five elements are considered as a type of Ayurveda Treatment, which works on food in most favorable manner, as these elements are used for cleansing it of any negative vibes and finally preparing it for us to eat.
Gathering all the fingers altogether while eating helps to bring forth the digestive juices along with the improvised digestion that makes people more conscious of tastes, smells, and the textures of the food. When we eat with our hands, we get to know about the temperature of the food. If you eat food with a spoon directly, there are possibilities to burn oral cavity of your buccal mucosa. Using your hands to eat is a well known fact and established tradition that none of us are ashamed of. Everyone in our Ayurveda Hospital whether a millionaire or a pauper both eats in the same way. While eating with hands means you, basically, eat with conviction and passion. Eating with hands is not only healthier for your body but it can also be a lot of fun. So, next time you have a meal with your family try eating with hands as it can make the conversation lively including with a lot of laughter.
You may also get to know about the vast knowledge hidden in it. With the help of our Best Ayurveda specialist Dr.Mini Nair present in our Ayurveda and Siddha Hospital – Ayurhealing.
Dr. Mini Nair, the founder and the chief physician of Ayurveda and Siddha Hospital, is popularly known as ‘Kaiguna Doctor’ and is working in the field of Ayurveda for the last 23 years. Visit our Ayurveda Hospital in Bangalore at Koramangala to know more.