Namaste

Nama-what?

You’ve heard it around… you may have caught on that some other people say it at the end of class, maybe you even say it too… but what’s with the Namaste?

Pronounced nah-mah-stay, this saying is often used as the closing to a yoga practice.  The Sanskrit word Namaste translates to “I bow to you” or “I bow to your true self”.  The word is meant to be an acknowledgement of the divine within all of us.  As a teacher holds their hands to their heart in namaskar (prayer pose) they are acknowledging the divine within their students and themselves and unity between all of us.

  However, let me change course entirely – because yoga is always our own journey – I invite you to let Namaste mean whatever you would like it to mean for you!  Sometimes my Namaste feels like an Amen.  An amen to my body, my mat and the prana in my veins.  Sometimes Namaste feels like a thank you.  A thank you to my fellow yogis for the evening’s practice and the joy it brings.  I’ve been told by a student that her Namaste is like a sigh.  It’s a sigh of the relaxation, accomplishment and bliss that fills her in the end of a yoga class.  What does Namaste mean to you?  Use the comment box below to share your thoughts!