Why You Hear "Hands Palms": The Bengali Origins of A Phrase

It is common to hear the phrase "hands palms" in Bikram Yoga. Due to the nature of the "dialogue" and the fact that some teachers use rote memorization for their instructions, this phrase has been repeated countless times.

However, it is a strange phrase. In English, we do not need both the words "hands" and "palms", because palm is clear enough on its own when instructing a hand position. However, if we think in terms of translation, this phrase makes more sense. 

In Bangla, the language of Kolkata, there is no singular word for "palm". The phrase to convey this meaning is হাতের তালু, or "hat-er talu". The first word is "hat" which means hand. The second word is "talu" which means palate, crown, or flat. Together this creates the idea of the "hand's palate" or the flat part of the hand. In English this becomes "palm". 

If we are simply translating this phrase from Bangla, it makes sense to say "hand's palms". However, since English has the singular word "palm" which refers to the position of the hands, clarity doesn't require we also say "hand". 

​Translation is a helpful tool to understand why unusual phrases make their way into the yoga world. "Hand's-palms" is one of them.