namaste

The Meaning of "Namaste" - नमस्ते

The spoken "namaste"  represent the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us or also can be interpreted as honoring the shared spirit or oneness of humanity. there is a deeper meaning to "namaste" "I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of love, of integrity, of wisdom and of peace." When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."

"Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, "namaste" (formed through external sandhi) literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." this the general direct translation of the word.

Performing "namaste" is simple.To perform "namaste", place the hands together at the "heart chakra" (heart center), close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart (considered an especially deep form of respect) i would suggest you to do this when addressing someone of a very tall statutre.

The principle behind the movement is that we bring the hands together at the heart, acknowledging love, in conjunction with bowing and closing the eyes acknowledging surrender and respect.

Within a class, "namaste" allows teacher and student (as well as the class as a whole) to show gratitude and reverence to one another. The teacher initiates "namaste" as a symbol of honour toward his/her students and his/her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect to the idea that we are all one when we live from the heart.


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i appreciate the symbolic value of namaste and how a simple namaste can be termed as a show of respect...