Life through the fingers

(...Utthita Trikonasana...) If the palms are closed the chest drops. If you extend your thumb, which portion of the chest gets opened? Is the little finger connected with the back of the chest, middle finger to the middle of the chest, thumb to the frontal side, armpit side of the chest? The side flank of the trunk has to open so extend your fingers, open the fingers, open the knuckles, elongate your arms, sucking that upper arm. Now find out whether the chest opens further or not. Our arms should see that life is coming in the chest. Life has to come or the pose goes wrong. It simply becomes a sleepy pose. You have to awaken those cells and find out whether the intelligence can be taken there." 

Geetaji Iyengar, Australia, 2000, document from "The BKS Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States".