this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2025
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What is this thing?

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Hope it isn't considered offtopic here; I don't know of any better places to ask.

It's from a wonderful film by Jim Jarmusch, The Limits of Control. This character is frequently seen to practice something that might be yoga (or maybe not?) and in the end of his sessions he places his hands in this configuration and bows slightly.

I want to read about the precise significance/context behind the gesture, but first I need to know its name.

I've searched among various yoga mudras for a little while and I couldn't identify any exact matches so far (at least a couple of details differ from what I see). ChatGPT couldn't do it either. At the same time it seems to me that it isn't the first time I see it.

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[–] Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 weeks ago

Yes, the character is definitely doing Tai Chi in the movie, as far as I remember when I saw it last.

[–] Audalin@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Thanks! I now see that Tai Chi is mentioned frequently online in context of the film unlike yoga so that should be right; it narrows things down.

[–] 0x01@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

Off topic but it looks like a still from a bowling windup

[–] kobra@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

I think it’s just something they did for the movie. Seems similar enough to yoga or taekwondo for viewers to infer that the character has discipline or whatever without actually making them be into something like yoga or taekwondo.