Chapter 8: Hands, Arms and the Work of the Day

Tonight's Lesson

Before you sit down tonight, take a moment to look at your hands. Turn them over, look at the palms and the backs, and then let them rest. In our last lesson we cared for the parts of the body that carry us: the hips, the legs and the feet. We marched the knees, circled the ankles, straightened each leg with the heel on the floor and finished with warm socks before bed. Tonight we turn to the parts of the body that do most of our work: the hands and the arms.

Think for a moment about everything your hands did today. They may have typed, written, held a phone, carried bags, opened doors, cooked a meal, washed dishes, held a child or cared for someone else. Our hands are busy from the moment we wake until the moment we turn out the light, and our arms and shoulders work with them all the time. Because the hands are always doing something, they are often the last part of us to stop working in the evening.

Tonight I would like to explain how the hands and arms hold the effort of the day, and why giving them a few minutes of slow care can help us leave the day's work behind before bed. Then we will practise wrist circles, finger stretches, opening and closing the hands, gentle arm reaches and a simple massage of the hands. We will also review some movements from earlier evenings, so that the course keeps building, and we will finish with a stillness in which the hands rest completely.

What Our Hands and Arms Carry

Let us start with a short look at how the hands and arms are built. Each hand has many small bones, in the fingers, the palm and the wrist, and each finger has several small joints that bend and straighten. The wrist connects the hand to the forearm, and it can bend forward and back, tilt to each side and turn as the forearm turns. Many of the muscles that move the fingers are not in the hand at all; they sit in the forearm, and long, thin cords called tendons run from them through the wrist to the fingers. This is why the forearms often feel tired after a day of typing or gripping, even though it was the fingers that seemed to do the work.

The arms, in turn, hang from the shoulders, and the shoulders connect to the neck and the upper back. So when the hands work, the whole chain from the fingers to the neck is involved. When we hold a phone in front of the face, carry a heavy bag or type for many hours, the hands grip, the wrists stay bent, the forearms stay tight and the shoulders often rise without our noticing. You may remember from our fifth lesson that the neck, the shoulders and the jaw often gather the tension of the day. Tonight we look at the other end of the same chain.

Many of the tasks of modern life ask the hands to make small, repeated movements for a long time, or to hold one grip without a pause. Typing, scrolling, writing, chopping vegetables and holding a steering wheel are all examples. None of these tasks is harmful in itself, but after many hours the hands may feel stiff, the fingers may feel cold, and the wrists may feel tired. Slow movements in the opposite direction, such as opening the fingers wide after gripping, or circling the wrists after holding them still, help the hands feel more at ease.

The hands are also very rich in feeling. A large part of the brain is used to sense what the hands touch and to guide what they do. This is one reason why caring for the hands can feel so calming. When you rub one hand slowly with the other, or simply rest your palms on your thighs and feel their warmth, a great deal of gentle information travels to the brain, and many people find that the mind becomes quieter. You do not need to know anything about the nerves to enjoy this; you only need to slow down and notice.

There is one more connection worth knowing. When we are busy or worried, we often clench our hands, grip a pen tightly or hold our fingers stiff without realising it. When we are calm and safe, the hands usually soften by themselves. In our second lesson we talked about the body's busy mode and its resting mode. The hands are a useful window into which mode we are in. If you notice that your hands are clenched this evening, it is a small sign that the body is still in its busy mode, and that a few slow minutes may help it begin to rest.

Letting the Day's Work End

For many adults, the working day does not end neatly. We finish our tasks, but we keep answering messages, we think about tomorrow's list, and our hands keep reaching for the phone. The body may be at home, but part of us is still at work. Sleep comes more easily when the mind receives a clear signal that the work of the day is over. Tonight's practice can become that signal. When you sit down in the chair and turn your attention to your hands, you are telling yourself, quietly, that there is nothing more for them to do today.

It can help to create a small ending before you even begin the practice. Put away your work things, so that they are out of sight. Place your phone in another part of the room, or at least face down and out of reach, so that the hands are not tempted to pick it up. Some people like to wash their hands in warm water before they sit down, as a simple way of closing the day's tasks. The exact action does not matter. What matters is that you do the same small thing each evening, so that the body learns to connect it with rest.

Tonight's hand and wrist movements are small and gentle. In wrist circles, the forearms rest on the thighs or are held lightly in front of you, and the hands draw slow circles from the wrists, first one way and then the other. In finger stretches, the fingers spread gently wide, as if you were showing someone the number five, and then relax; then the thumb touches the tip of each finger in turn. In opening and closing the hands, the fingers fold softly into a loose fist, with the thumb resting outside the fingers, and then open again slowly. None of these movements should ever be forced. We never pull the fingers back hard or bend the wrist to its limit.

The arm reaches are larger movements, and here the rule of comfort is especially important. In the reach up, the arms rise forward and up as you breathe in, only as high as is comfortable, and lower as you breathe out. For many people, shoulder height is high enough, and that is a complete movement. In the reach to the sides, the arms rise out to the sides, palms facing down, to shoulder height or lower, and then float back down. If one shoulder is stiff or sore, you may lift one arm at a time, keep the arms lower, or simply lift the hands a little from the thighs. If you are unsure whether a movement suits you, ask a doctor.

The last movement tonight is a gentle massage of the hands, and it may become one of your favourite parts of the evening. One hand holds the other, and the thumb of the holding hand makes small, slow circles on the palm, at the base of the thumb, and on the soft parts between the bones on the back of the hand. Then the thumb and first finger gently squeeze along each finger, from the base to the tip. The pressure is as firm as feels pleasant and never painful. If your skin is dry, a little hand cream can make the massage smoother. When you finish one hand, you change and care for the other in the same way.

The Thirty-Minute Practice

Before we begin, prepare your space. Place your sturdy chair, without wheels, on a non-slip floor, ideally with its back against a wall, and make sure there is room to lift your arms to the front and to the sides without touching anything. Wear comfortable clothes with loose sleeves, and if you like, take off rings and watches. Keep a glass of water nearby, and a little hand cream if you wish to use it. Turn the lights down to a soft glow, and put your phone and work things out of sight. As always, if you feel pain, dizziness or shortness of breath, stop, rest and breathe normally, and come out of every movement slowly.

Minutes 1 to 3: Arriving. Sit down and let the chair support you. Place your feet flat on the floor, about as wide apart as your hips, and let your back rest lightly against the chair back or sit tall on your own, whichever feels easier tonight. Rest your hands on your thighs, palms facing down. Let your eyes close, or rest them softly on the floor. Notice your hands: are they tight or soft, warm or cool? Do not change anything yet. Simply notice, and let yourself arrive in the room.

Minutes 4 to 8: Breathing. Place one hand on your belly and the other on the side of your ribs. Breathe through your nose if that is comfortable, and feel the belly and ribs move out as you breathe in and back as you breathe out. After a few natural breaths, let the breath out become a little longer than the breath in: in for a count of four, out for a count of six, or in for three and out for four if that is easier. Never hold the breath. Continue for about ten rounds. Each time you breathe out, let your hands become a little heavier on your body. Then let the counting go, return your hands to your thighs, and breathe naturally.

Minutes 9 to 20: Moving. We begin with a short review of earlier movements. Sit tall. Breathing in, lift your shoulders slowly toward your ears; breathing out, let them drop gently. Do this three times. Then roll your shoulders slowly up, back and down, five times. Next, with your shoulders soft, nod your head slowly, bringing the chin a little down and back to the middle, three times, and turn your head slowly to the right and to the left, three times on each side, only as far as is comfortable. Finally, circle each ankle slowly five times in each direction, and then let both feet rest flat on the floor.

Wrist circles and opening and closing the hands. Rest your forearms on your thighs, with your hands just beyond your knees, or hold your hands lightly in front of you with the elbows bent and close to your body. Make a loose fist with each hand. Slowly draw circles with your fists, moving from the wrists, five times in one direction and five times in the other. Then open your hands. Now, as you breathe in, open your fingers slowly and spread them gently wide. As you breathe out, fold them softly into a loose fist, with the thumbs outside the fingers. Repeat this opening and closing eight times, slowly, in time with your breath. Rest your hands on your thighs.

Finger stretches. Lift your hands a little in front of you, palms facing you. Spread the fingers of both hands gently wide and hold for one slow breath, then let them relax. Repeat three times. Now touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your first finger, then to your middle finger, then to your ring finger and then to your little finger, slowly, on both hands at the same time. Then walk the thumb back the other way, from the little finger to the first finger. Do this three times. If your fingers feel stiff, make the movements smaller and slower. When you finish, simply let the hands rest on your thighs.

Arm reaches up and to the sides. Sit tall, with your feet flat and your hands on your thighs. As you breathe in, lift both arms forward and up, only as high as is comfortable, with the palms facing each other and the shoulders soft. Shoulder height is plenty. As you breathe out, lower your arms slowly back to your thighs. Repeat five times. Then, as you breathe in, lift your arms out to the sides, palms facing down, to shoulder height or lower. As you breathe out, let them float back down. Repeat five times. If a shoulder feels sore, lift one arm at a time, or keep the arms low. When you finish, rest your hands on your thighs and take two quiet breaths.

Gentle massage of the hands. If you like, rub a little hand cream between your palms. Hold your left hand, palm up, in your right hand. With your right thumb, make small, slow circles across the palm of the left hand, then along the soft area at the base of the left thumb. Turn the hand over and stroke gently between the bones on the back of the hand, from the wrist toward the knuckles. Then, with your right thumb and first finger, gently squeeze along each finger of the left hand, from the base to the tip, one finger at a time. Take about two minutes. Then change hands and give the right hand the same slow care.

Minutes 21 to 27: Stillness. Sit back so that the chair back supports you. Place your hands where they feel most at rest: on your thighs with the palms facing up, or one hand resting in the other in your lap. Let your eyes close or rest softly on the floor, and breathe naturally. Bring your attention to your hands. Feel the weight of each hand, the warmth of the palms, and perhaps a gentle tingling in the fingertips after the massage. Then let your attention travel slowly up through the wrists, the forearms, the elbows and the upper arms to the shoulders, and let each part feel heavy and soft. When your mind returns to the day's tasks, notice that, and say quietly to yourself, "That is done for today." Then return to the feeling of your resting hands, and stay with them until the end of this part.

Minutes 28 to 30: Closing. Let the breath become a little fuller. Gently move your fingers and your toes. Bring your palms together and rub them slowly for a few moments, then rest them on your thighs. Open your eyes and look around the soft light of the room. Take a sip of water. When you are ready, place your hands on your thighs, lean forward a little and stand up slowly, waiting a moment until you feel steady. Walk to your bed without picking up your phone, and when you lie down, let your hands rest open beside you or on your belly.

Making It Fit Your Evening

A common question is: "My wrists are sore after a day of typing. Is it safe to do wrist circles?" Gentle movement often helps wrists that feel tired, but keep the circles small and slow, and stop if any movement causes pain. If you notice pain, numbness or tingling in your hands that keeps coming back or lasts for days, please talk to a doctor about it. If you are unsure whether a movement suits you, ask a doctor.

Some of you have asked what to do when the fingers feel very stiff, especially on cold evenings. Before the practice, rub your palms together slowly for half a minute, or hold a warm cup in both hands for a minute. Then begin with the smallest movements, such as opening and closing the hands only a little. Stiff fingers often loosen as they warm up, but if they do not, smaller movements and the hand massage are always enough.

Another question is: "I cannot lift my arms very high. Will I miss something important?" Not at all. The arm reaches are about moving the arms gently in time with the breath, not about how high they go. Lifting the hands a little from the thighs as you breathe in, and lowering them as you breathe out, gives the same calm rhythm. Please never push through discomfort in the shoulders to reach higher.

Finally, if you share a room with someone who is already resting, or if you have very little time tonight, the hand massage is a perfect short practice. You can do it quietly in the chair, or even sitting on the edge of your bed with your feet on the floor. Take a few slow breaths with a longer breath out, massage each hand for a minute or two, and then lie down with your hands resting. It is small, silent and still a real practice.

Summary

Our hands and arms do most of the day's work, and the effort travels along a chain from the fingers through the wrists and forearms to the shoulders and neck.

Tonight we learned wrist circles, finger stretches, opening and closing the hands, arm reaches up and to the sides, and a gentle massage of the hands. Every movement is slow and is never forced.

The arms rise only as high as is comfortable. Shoulder height is plenty, and lifting the hands a little from the thighs is a complete movement too.

Clenched hands are often a sign of the body's busy mode, and soft hands a sign of its resting mode. Noticing and softening the hands helps the body move toward rest.

A small, regular ending, such as putting away work things and placing the phone out of reach, tells the body and mind that the work of the day is over.

In tonight's stillness the hands rest on the thighs or in the lap, and whenever the mind returns to the day's tasks, we say quietly, "That is done for today," and come back to the feeling of the hands.