It is common to hear your yoga teacher say "namaste" at the end of class with students repeating the word. Namaste is a Hindi word and translates to "I bow to you." Although the term namaste is usually associated with yoga, it is more commonly used in southern Asia. Using the term namaste is a deep form of respect, love and gratitude.
Hands in Prayer
To perform the term namaste physically, bring your palms together in a prayer position at your chest or your forehead. Bringing the palms together at your chest demonstrates love because this is where your heart chakra is located. A chakra is a center of energy in your body. Bringing the palms together at your forehead, or third-eye chakra, signifies respect for your spiritual center or intuition as well as those around you. Traditionally, a bow accompanies your hands in prayer.
In the East
The term namaste originated in India and is used as hello or goodbye. In some parts of India, namaste is only used to greet Hindus. In India, namaste is said without speaking the word but by simply bowing with the hands in a prayer position, according to the founder of Yoga Centers, Aadil Palkhivala. Namaste is also used throughout Asia in Buddhist cultures.
In the West
Yoga is one of the six orthodox practices of Indian philosophy. Yoga is practiced in the form of physical poses, breathing exercises and meditation. Most yoga teachers perform namaste at the end of class as a form of gratitude and respect. It is a symbol of egoless spiritual union between teacher and student. In the West, saying namaste while bowing with the hands in prayer is customary.
Deeper Meanings
In general, the term namaste recognizes the equality of all and pays honor to the sacredness of all. Other deeper definitions of the word include: "The divine in you meets the divine in me and together we become one," "I bring together my body and soul, focusing my divine potential, and bow to the same potential within you," and, "I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one."
References
- "Light on Yoga"; B.K.S. Iyengar, 1979
- "Yoga Journal"; The Meaning of Namaste; Rita Geno
- "The Handbook of Chakra Healing"; Kalashatra Govinda; 2002
- Experience Festival: Namaste
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