What Does Namaste Mean and Why Do We Say It At The End Of A Yoga Class?

Posted by Jill Martin

Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit greeting, which runs much deeper than a mere "hello". Namaste is essentially an acknowledgement of someone else’s soul by your soul, and a show of respect for them. It can be used as a greeting or said when parting. Mostly it is used to give thanks and gratitude at the end of a yoga class.

What’s the definition of Namaste?

“Nama” means bow
“as” means I
“te” means you.

Therefore, namaste literally means "bow I you" or "I bow to you", or "the divine in me bows to the divine in you".

Namaste - A divine acknowledgement.

When said sincerely namaste is an amazing acknowledgement to give someone. It literally requires you to acknowledge and connect with someone at a heart and soul level, which is a rare and beautiful show of respect and gratitude for their existence.

People pass through our lives on a daily basis. We are often fairly, or completely unaware, of most of them as we tend to be too caught up in our own busy lives and minds. But acknowledging someone at soul level means you are acknowledging their greatness, as well as their pain in this human existence. By its nature it involves a deeper level of connection that is free of judgement, and carries a high level of acceptance and respect.

So when you say Namaste at the end of a yoga class, take a moment to align with the word and really feel gratitude…

For your teacher and the journey they have taken you on

For yourself for showing up to class and being who you are

For the other people in the class whose energy moved with yours

And for everything that came to be to allow you to be there.