You've seen it on t-shirts and you've seen in in media - Namast'ay in Bed and Namaslay another Day!
What does Namaste even mean and why is it becoming over used?
Well, I don't know if it will even be "overused". It's a dear saying and in short, it translates to "the light and love I have inside of me honors, respects and sees the light and love you have in you". Who can get tired of hearing that? Not me!
There are several definitions of namaste:
a respectful greeting said when giving a namaskar.
from Sanskrit namas ‘bowing’ + te ‘to you’.
the equivalent of hello, but with an element of respect
salutation to you
recognizing we're all equal
divine in me honors the divine in you
That sounds complicated to me. Really, really complicated. Am I saying hello or goodbye? Am I thanking you for participating and showing up or am I giving you an air hug for the next time I see you? All of these things are questions when I started practicing yoga that I just didn't know the answer to. Then I read an article that really summed it up for me.
I have anyways been a physical touch person. I am a hugger, not a hand shaker. I want to feel your sports injuries instead of you explaining them. I want to kinesthetically move through the motions of practicing something so I learn it as opposed to listening or reading it, I kind of adopted a phrase that I say when I recite a closing at the end of my yoga classes. I adopted "My heart hugs your heart". To me, this equates what I am trying to do! I am facilitating a yoga class where your feeling safe, open minded and happy to be in and what better analogy than two hearts hugging? No, it's not "I love you" it's more of a "I love you for showing up and treating your body to this awesome class". To me, the honor and warmth is lost if I were to say "My heart high fives your heart". Plus, it's been researched and proven that hugging releases oxytocin, the feel good hormone, so that's a benefit!
That's a little bit of background on Namaste and my phrase that I adopted years ago. You can say it or you don't have to at all! It's personal preference and really up to you.
As always, my heart hugs your heart, namaste.
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