Namaste.

A commonly used yoga term, what exactly does this word mean? You hear it being used often and is associated with yoga mostly. Let’s break it down the meaning and how to use it. When you look it up, Namaste can be found with this saying;

” My soul honors your soul. I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the light, love, truth, beauty & peace within you, because it is also within me. In sharing these things, we are united, we are the same, we are one.”

Let’s break it down a little further. Pronounced phonetically NAH-muh-stay in English. When found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term Namaste is associated with both Hinduism and yoga. The word comes from Sanskrit and means “bowing to you” or “I bow to you” and is used as a greeting. Sanskrit, by the way, (in short) is an ancient and classical language of Hinduism.

The Namaste gesture

The Namaste gesture represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us and this spark is located in the Heart chakra. So when we say the word with the gesture of praying hands, this is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. Source; yogajournal.com.

To perform the Namaste gesture place your hands in prayer together at the heart chakra and bow your head. There is another gesture as well by placing the hands in prayer in front of the third eye, bowing the head and then bringing the hands to the heart chakra.

Often people will say the word Namaste in conjunction with the gesture, but that isn’t really necessary. The gesture itself speaks the word and therefore making it unnecessary to say the Namaste while bowing. Go ahead, give it a go if you haven`t ever done so, it feels great, humbling actually.

When do you use Namaste during yoga?

So when do you use the gesture or say the word? Primarily used at a yoga class and usually at the beginning and/or ar the end of class. Most of the time though, you will do it at the end of a class. I even use it at the end of a yoga session at home. In a class it is a symbol of gratitude to the teacher and the teacher to the students. At home I thank the energy that flows through us. It’s just something I do out of respect and I find it connects you deeper to your practice.

I hope this explanation has been helpful! It can be confusing when first learning about yoga and its deep roots. There’s so much to learn beyond the mat. The history of yoga is beautiful and we will dig into it more as we go! Enjoy the journey, always. Namaste.