NAMASTE

What is Namaste? It is a manner of greeting used by many Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist as a form of reverence to those we greet. Commonly written "Namaste", it is pronounced as "Namastay" with the first two "a's" as the first "a" in "America" and the "ay" as in "stay", but with the "t" pronounced soft with the area just behind the tip of the tongue pressing against the upper-front teeth with no air passing (as the t in "tamasha").

The greeting "Namaste" is the divine spark in one person recognizing the divine spark in another.

"Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "I bow to you."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head.

This is an especially deep expression of respect. Often the word "Namaste" is spoken along with the gesture.

One can do Namaste to oneself as a quick meditation technique, to remind one of the divine spark within. Also, if you keep icons or holy images on your altar or in your meditation space, you may greet these images with Namaste as well.

The Sanskrit word Namaste means 'I bow to the divine in you.'

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"I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you, where lies your love, your light, your truth and your beauty. I honor the place in you, where...if you are in that place in you ... and I am in that place in me...then there is only one of us" ... Leo Buscaglia

Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit understanding that says, "I respect the place in you that is of love, of truth and of Light. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me then we are one."

NAMASTE ~ "The Spirit in me greets the spirit in you." Usually, Namaste is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart. "The spirit within me bows to the spirit within you." ...... Namaste is an Indian expression used as a greeting or upon parting, by putting the palms of the hands together in prayer position. It means, “I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me.” This, of course, is also a way of saying, “I recognize that we are all equal.” - Deepak Chopra The Divine in me recognizes and honors, the Divine in you. St. Germain's Translation: The God I AM of my soul salutes, forever, the God I AM within your being. Note: I AM refers to the Biblical name of God "Namaste, the God in me Salutes the God in you." 'Namaste' is an East Indian greeting which means 'the light within me bows to the light within you.' In other words, beyond our achy bones, our tired feet and our multi-colored real life soap operas, lurks a dimension that is more than the body, the persona, the ego and all the 'trappings and the suits of woe' as Hamlet would say---a dimension where there isn't a 'you' and 'me' but rather a synergy that is more than all that, a space for the eternal to rest within the temporal. To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, 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. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing. For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with a quiet mind, a deep union of spirits can blossom.