The literal translation of Namaste in Sanskrit is “to bow”, I bow to you.
But it runs much deeper than this. By practicing yoga we are reminded of how interconnected we all are, all sharing in the experience of being human and experiencing many types of emotions from sadness, fear, grief, joy and peace just to name a few. By practicing yoga we navigate away from the monkey mind and the constant rambling in our minds of our to do list’s. Instead we journey inwards to our truest expression of ourselves and the present moment.
When I use namaste I am saying I bow to you. And we unite through the shared experience of being on the mat together practicing and facing whatever shows up in our minds and bodies. Even though we are all different, being on the yogic path unites us. I also use the word to mean ‘I bow to the divine light in you’. The divine light in me bows to the divine light in you and in this place and practice, together we are one.
I like to say it at the end of a class also as a gratitude for each other, the shared class experience and the yoga itself.
I encourage students to find their own meaning of namaste that resonates with them. Finding your own interpretation is important so that the feeling of Namaste resonates inside you.
Om Namaste