Prana Journal: The meaning of Namaste

Sunday, April 03, 2005

The meaning of Namaste

I've noticed a change in my life that goes beyond the physical implications of asanas and better breathing patterns. It's a revival of a spiritual flame inside me. I know that in the United States, many are uncomfortable talking about the spiritual side of a yoga practice. There are many interpretations of what the Sanskrit term Namaste means. My favorite is:

"The Divine in me recognizes and honors, the Divine in you."

But how that terms translates into your life is another question. I've tried to give my personal parsing of the word.

¶ 4:30 PM

Comments:

I use to translate Namaste to "the light in me recognizes the light that is in you." After yoga classes or to my client after each massage. I have been travelling in Nepal, India and Bhutan for the past year. My translation of Namaste has changed to a simple "Hello" or "Goodbye". I say it more often and without even thinking about it. Here in the states I greet all Hindi I can find with Namaste and I find myself laughing at the Yoga instructors and others who use the word to reveal how deep and compassionate and in touch with the western cultures. I dont want to seem judgemental or wise from my travels. My new experiences have changed my experiences. Thank you, Namaste

# posted by Anonymous : 9:13 AM

On an unrelated note, here is the cover story in the newspapers today of Yoga getting caught in legal battles in US over copywright and Patent stuff.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1072093.cms

# posted by Raj : 12:58 AM

Alas, the meaning of any word is scattered somewhere between the intention of the speaker, the interpretation of the listner/reader and the vagaries of time and memory. Translation is only a more pronounced version of this unavoidable loss in transmission.

Ask yourself, what does Goodbye mean? Does it appeal to the divine. Or is it simply a way of ending a communication, a punctuation mark.

Ask yourself the same question about Namaste, and I venture to guess you will no longer be so sure you know what you are saying.

# posted by Anonymous : 9:26 PM

Actually the point of my posting was much more about what I re-encountered inside of me and a spiritual rebirth, rather than the meaning of a Sanskrit word. I added the commentary about Namaste at the last moment, more as a literary flourish, and it seems to have distracted some readers. Obviously, the word has taken on meanings here in the States that bear little resemblance to the original in India.

# posted by Michael : 10:02 PM

Index

Resource Gateway
Art of Living | Sudarshan Kriya | Sahaj Samadhi
Breathe & Meditate
Inspire & Create
Life Changing
Recommended Reading | Tracks
DC-Area Yoga
About this site

Steady Studios

Thrive Yoga
Flow Yoga

Blog Search Engine

Sister Sites

Peruvian Graffiti
BackdoorTech

: Name: Michael Smith; Location: Rockville, Maryland, United States

I thrive when exploring new realms of knowledge and experience.

View my complete profile

"The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God's eye are one eye. One seeing, one knowing, one love."
— Meister Eckhart

"Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use."
— Charles Schultz

"You become a writer by writing. It is a yoga."
— R.K. Narayan, Indian writer

Men cannot see their reflection in running water, but only in still water.
— Chuang Tzu, philosopher (c. 4th century BCE)

Many people hear voices when no-one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.
—Margaret Chittenden

Index

Steady Studios

Blogroll

Sister Sites

About Me