Namasté: what does this word mean and why is it used in yoga

Eastern culture has surrounded our lives and we have adopted several of its practices such as meditation or yoga in our day to day; and as part of this we have heard, read and repeated the word namaste on different occasions but, Do we really know what namaste means?

Well, it is a Sanskrit word that seems simple, but when we know it we really realize its deep message. In this article we explain the meaning and what the word namaste represents.

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What does namaste mean?

Namasté is a Sanskrit word, the ancient language from India. It has come to us through practices related to Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, such as yoga and meditation. You may also find it written as námaste, with the accent on the letter a and instead of the e.

When we pronounce the word namaste, normally we accompany her with a gesture that consists of putting her hands together on her chest, with the palms open and joined one with the other as in prayer mode, and slightly incline the head forward. This gesture is known as a mudra.

In principle we can say that the meaning of namaste is concretely a greeting expression to say hello and goodbye, but this would be to speak very vaguely of all that its meaning actually encompasses. That is why it is necessary for us to delve deeper into what namaste means, starting from everything that makes up this word.

Where did the word namaste originally come from?

As we tell you, the roots of the word namaste come from India and they are part of the Hindu culture. Although several languages ​​were spoken in India, Sanskrit was considered a sacred language by Hinduism, being respected in this way in the geographical areas in which it was found, such as India, Nepal and in general throughout the south from Asia.

When we see its etymology we realize that namaste is a word composed of two roots: namas and tea. The first root of the word, namas, is a neuter noun and means 'reverence', 'adoration', 'courtesy', and something like 'greeting'; It is also derived from the root nam, which gives it the meaning of 'bow down' or, as we have already said, of 'reverence'.

On the other side, the second root, tea, is a personal pronoun that means 'you', 'you' and which in its indirect object form becomes 'a ti'. So, joining the meaning of the two roots, we have the meaning of namaste 'I salute you' or 'I revere you' or 'I bow to you'.

In this way namaste has transgressed the space of the Sanskrit language and has become for the people who speak the Hindi language in a regular way of saying hello and goodbye, saying hello and goodbye to someone.

What is the spiritual meaning of this word?

We have found the literal meaning of namaste from its etymology, but the reality is that namaste is much more than the literal definition of its formation. Is he spiritual and sacred component of the word which fills it with greater depth.

As Sanskrit is a sacred language with a philosophical and spiritual connotation, we find that the root ‘namas’ can acquire another meaning, interpreting it as ‘nothing of mine’. Therefore, when we pronounce the word namaste we are also saying that we reduce our ego to nothing, as a show of humility and respect towards the other person.

It is believed that when we speak the word namaste truly from the heart, we are able to make genuine connections with people from who we really are in our essence, leaving behind masks such as social roles and expectations.

There is another perspective on the spiritual meaning of namaste, which speaks of the existence of a divine spark within each of us. This explains that when we accompany a namaste with a mudra, the gesture of bowing with the hands in front of the chest that we talked about before, we recognize that divine spark that is inside us and the other person.

This is why we can find different meanings of the word namaste as diverse as: ‘the spark divine that is in me recognizes the divine spark that is in you ',' what is divine in me, greet the divine in you ' or ‘My inner being greets your inner being’.

Why is namaste used in yoga and meditation?

Yoga and meditation are practices that invite us to connect body and mind with our spirit. Normally when we approach this type of practice we do it with humility and free from prejudice, finding an environment of kindness, love and generosity. Use the word namaste helps us connect our essence with that of others from humility.

Although namaste is more of a greeting than a farewell, it is normal that in the yoga practices we attend, we say namaste at the end. of practice, because the energy is more conducive at this time, because we are in a state of connection and relaxation more deep.

Now that you know what namaste means, you can use this beautiful word in your yoga practice, meditation or in your day to day with more awareness, respect and love for those around us.

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