Namaste is a Sanskrit word that is commonly used in yoga classes. It is pronounced “Nah-mah-stey” and is usually spoken with a slight bow and with hands pressed together in Anjali Mudra or prayer position. 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. The word Namaste is made up of two words, "namah" and "te," which translate to terms like "praise," "honor," "bowing," "reverential salutation," and "adoration," and "to you," respectively. So put together, Namaste means "Praise to you," "Salutations to you," "Honor to you," or, ".
Namaste is a greeting that means "I honor you, the light in me sees and honors the light in you," which is to say your spirit, your humanity, your essence. It is a way of acknowledging everybody in the space as fellow human beings. At the end of a yoga class, the teacher will usually end with a Namaste, and it is expected for the students to say Namaste back to the teacher and to all the other students.
Namaste has been used inappropriately in contexts of yoga practice, and often, when divorced from its meaning, its then used like a badge by people who want to be seen in a certain "spiritual" light. Using the term Namaste to begin or end a yoga class requires respect for the spiritual origins of the term and its Hindu roots.
