Perhaps you’ve heard it at the end of a yoga class, or seen it on a t-shirt, namaste is possibly the most well known Sanskrit word in the West.
Most of the time, we’re hearing this word after having been in powerful and intentional connection with ourselves, our bodies, our breath and our hearts and it can feel like a beautiful seal to our practice and time on the mat. Frequently, it is translated to mean ‘the divine light in me, honors the divine light in you’ and can be a meaningful and honored way to begin to transition off your mat and into the world.
You may have also noticed that not all teachers at our studio use this in the closing of their classes. This can sometimes feel as though something is missing in practice and you might even feel like you’re left hanging, wondering if the teacher is done with the class or even respecting yoga in the way you’re hoping they will. I assure you, this is in no way a lack of respect or reverence for yoga, its roots or the spiritual journey that can unfold through the practice of postural yoga.
When I attended my first yoga training in 2007 I was taught to use namaste at the closing of a class as an appropriate, respectful and reverent way to end a yoga class. Using this word was an honoring of the light or constant within each of us and after 16+ years of teaching, I’ve noticed that most students have grown to expect to hear namaste at the end of a postural yoga class.
Then, when I travelled to the subcontinent of India for my first trip in 2008 I noticed that namaste was used as a respectful greeting, not a farewell or a closing. I was greeted when I walked into shops and stores with a gracious and respectful ‘Namaste.’
Now, I was really confused. In the West, it had become an expectation to end your classes with namaste but within the subcontinent of India, the home of yoga, namaste was used as a formal and respectful greeting.
Through conversations with folks who were born and/or have roots in India and/or South Asia as well as through the study of Sanskrit I have seen more clearly that we have simply misunderstood the meaning of the word.
Namaste, a conjugation of the verb namaskāra is a reverent greeting, used in a spirit of worship/connection and sometimes translated as ‘I bow to you.’ The meaning of the word could be broken down further:
- na – not
- ma – mine
- kāra – to do
When using namaste as a greeting, we can acknowledge the power of an individual’s personal journey, honoring that their journey is not ours to craft, carry or pursue.
With this deeper understanding of the word and its roots it is possible to view the word namaste as a reflection of a state of being, of accepting, of honoring an individual and their journey in this existence. A welcome of the individual, just as they are, without trying to change or influence them.
How might you choose to honor your journey of yoga as you close out your time on your mat? There are infinite ways to conclude this special time on your mat and one of my favorite ways is to plant seeds of gratitude in my heart. Thanking myself for all I’ve done to bring myself to that moment and fostering gratitude to carry off my mat and into all of my actions.