The Namaste gesture represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. “Nama” means bow, “as” means I and “te” means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means “bow down to me” or “I bow down to you”.
To perform Namaste, we place our hands together at the heart chakra, close our eyes, and bow our heads. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then lowering the hands towards the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word “Namaste” is often pronounced in conjunction with the gesture, in India the gesture itself is understood to mean Namaste and therefore it is not necessary to say the word while bowing.
We join hands at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind to surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper into the heart chakra; when done with another person, it’s also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation.
For a teacher and a student, Namaste allows two people to come together energetically in a place of connection and timelessness, free from the ties of the ego connection. If done with deep feeling in the heart and surrendered mind, a deep union of spirits can blossom.
Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of the class. It is usually done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is calmer. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect for her students and their own teachers, and in return, invites students to connect with their lineage, thus allowing the truth to flow: the truth that we are all one when we live from the beginning. heart. .
©2008 Aadil Palkhivala