The meaning of “Namasté”

Namasté. You have often heard this word from your yoga teacher - usually at the end of your yoga class. Together in the group you bow and agree to the greeting because everyone does it. But what is the meaning of this word anyway?

This bow and the associated gesture Namasté stands for the conviction that there is a divine spark in every human being - in the heart chakra. With the exercise, your soul honors the soul of your yoga partner. The origin of the word is relatively easy to explain. “Nama” means to bow, “as” means me and “té” means you. Thus the literal translation of Namasté is: “I bow to you.”

The gesture

To perform the Namasté gesture, we bring our hands together in front of the heart chakra, close our eyes and tilt our head towards the heart. There is another variant for expressing special respect. To do this, the hands are brought together in front of the third eye, the head is lowered and then the hands are brought down to the level of the heart.

Here with us the gesture is usually used together with the word “Namasté”. In India, however, the gesture itself is understood as an expression of Namasté, so it is not necessary to pronounce the word while bowing.

Symbol of respect and gratitude

It is preferable to practice the gesture both at the beginning and at the end of your yoga class. Most of the time, however, it is put at the end of the lesson because then the mind is no longer as active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The yoga teacher introduces Namasté as a symbol of gratitude and respect for his students and invites them in return to connect with their line of teachers. By doing this, they allow the truth to flow - the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

Namasté also serves as a meditation technique

The gesture can also be used as an independent meditation technique. Namasté serves to dive deeper into your heart chakra.

 

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