Namaste | Meaning

Namaste

Namaste means, “I bow to you.” The Sanskrit words are, “Namah” meaning, “Bow” and, “Te” meaning, “You.”

In yoga the word in essence means: “The goodness in me sees the goodness in you.” And often, “The spirit in me honours the spirit in you”, or, “The light in me honours the light in you.”

Sometimes yogis use the hands at the heart centre in prayer position or Anjali Mudra, as they take a small bow forwards, to represent namaste,  without having to say the word aloud.  Or they combine the mudra with the words Namaste.

Namaste is a yogic term as well a greeting.  Namaste began in the East as a way of expressing respect, and it is a common Indian greeting.  For me it’s also a sign of thanks and gratitude to my students for joining in with my classes and in a group allows us to connect and express respect to everyone around us.

Namaste should be pronounced as “Num-uh-stay”.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Faye x