pranam

Why Pranam or touch the feet of elders, logic of reverential bowing

bow down

Why do people do the reverential bow to elders or do pranam to someone is a question in the mind of a lot of young people. Some youngsters don’t like this gesture of pranam and condemn it in many ways. Basically they are asking a big question,  “We want to know why we are doing it?” In today’s day and age they want to know the logic behind doing anything, it helps the person to remember to do it and puts motivation behind the subject. Understanding the advantages.

So scientifically speaking touching someone feet keeps the spine healthy and also helps greater blood flow to your head which giving your cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen. Energetically speaking there is an exchange of energy threw the hands. If the flow of energy is positive, it’s loving, harmonious and caring then it nourishes both the beings.

When a person bows down and touches the feet of an elder it’s a natural feeling of taking a refuge or accepting that they could guide you, it opens the mind to receptivity, new ideas and learning. Human ego is so big sometimes that it does not see every being has something to offer. The biggest blessing in life is to be able to understand the truth but human ego comes in the way. When the elder with love touches the person doing pranam, he/she is showing that they care and want to help. They also utter the words Tathastu which means “so be it”. It just means that it will be done by the Divine Grace. Most times in life everyone can get and have everything but when they are not humble enough they don’t accept it the way it comes, they deny their blessings because they are not humble enough. The act itself is a great emotional exchange of feelings which is the most important part because it’s a gesture of Love, Respect, Humility and Care.

Also spiritually speaking it’s a gesture of accepting that there is a Divine Presence in every living being and that bowing down just means honoring the Divine Presence in them.

One of the reasons people bow down to spiritual beings, saints who might be younger is also to ask for their guidance. They also do pranam to Holy books because they contain spiritual guidance. They have the Truth everyone is seeking for.

People are paying too much attention on the doing and understanding of things and not so much about being and feeling. Life is all about “How one feels”. Human mind always looks at gratification in the form of a feeling. In real life humans live totally guided by their feelings, learning to understand and pay more attention to feelings will give a better understanding about life.