What does Namaste really mean?

If you walk into a Yoga class anywhere in the world, you will undoubtedly hear the word Namaste - but why, and what does it actually mean?

Where does Namaste come from?

Namaste is a Sanskrit word - Sanskrit is a classical language of South Asia mostly used now by Hindu priests for religious ceremonies, but still quite common within yoga. The word Namaste is still widely used today as a gesture or greeting, traditionally to an elder or senior, but as with other Sanskrit words it is still found during yoga classes today.

Generally the word Namaste comes with an action of placing the palms of the hands together and bringing the thumbs towards the sternum, closing down the eyes, and bowing the head. It can also be done again by placing the palms of the hands together and bringing the thumbs in between the eyebrows and bowing the head.

Namaste in Yoga

Cultural practices naturally change over time as they are borrowed and adapted, and this is no different for Namaste and the way it is used in Western yoga today.

When you say, “Namaste” in yoga, you are recognising and paying homage to that divine spark which lives within all of us.  The teacher will call Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect for the students at the end of the class, and most students will repeat Namaste back as a means to thank the teacher, rather than using it as a greeting.

In this context, Namaste takes on a more spiritual meaning - “The divine in me honours the divine in you.” We see that we are all equal and one, and attempt to connect to one another through a shared sense of love and gratitude.

Namaste translated literally means ‘I bow to you’ - however other meanings have been adapted over time:

• The light in me, honours the light in you
• The divine light in my soul, honours and bows to the divine light in your soul
• My soul recognises your soul
• We are the same, we are one
• I honour the place in you, that is the same as it is in me

Namaste in life

By saying Namaste and really meaning it, you are performing an affirmation. It is an active choice to take the spiritual lessons within a yoga practice or meditation, and take it out of the class and in to your life. A Namaste between two people is almost like a pact made to honour each other as equals.

The Recognition Sutras by Christopher Wallis describes how this understanding might affect your approach to life:

‘Once you become aware of the true nature of reality, everything you do becomes an act of reverence. Simply living your ordinary daily life with full awareness becomes a complete practice of meditation, a perfect form of worship, an offering to all beings and to being itself. Tantra teaches that because there is only one in the universe, all actions are in truth the divine exploring itself, reverencing itself, worshipping itself.’

Want to know more?

If you’re interested in learning more about Namaste or a little more about yoga and the meaning behind what you hear and do in a yoga class, why not try our online ‘Yoga Basics’ course. You can find out more about this course and have a look over the core modules within the courses section of our website.