People passing on the street, family members greeting one another, children acknowledging their elders, and strangers meeting for the first time all join their palms together and bow their heads in respect of one another. In India, the gesture of Anjali Mudra (prayer position of the hands) not only accompanies the word, but is synonymous with its meaning.
A traditional Indian greeting, it literally translates to “I bow to you” ( namah or namas, meaning bow, te meaning you). This Sanskrit word brings about the essence of oneness, and an understanding of the true nature of reality.Īt the base level, namasté is a salutation of respect and reverence. If the spiritual traditions of yoga could be encapsulated in one word, it might be namasté. In fact, a spiritual revelation is on the other side of a truly felt namasté and so, in the spirit of higher learning, take a look at the deeper explanation of this oft-heard, but commonly over-simplified piece of yogic wisdom. When you bow your head and say namasté at the end of a yoga practice, you have the chance to do more than simply mark the ending of the session. After all, if you’re truly living “yoga,” you are more focused on the “how” and “why” of your poses than on the outer form. You hear this word at the end of every yogaclass, but do you know what it means?Īs in so many traditions in yoga, an opportunity exists to dig deeper into the intention and meaning behind what you say, what you do, and how you move through this world. With respect and reverence, Namasté is a way to see and honor the reality of others.
Namasté is more than a word used to end a yoga session.