A Gesture as well as a Word

The final word the teacher speaks to their students before leaving the yoga room is “Namaste“. Namaste is both a word as well as a gesture and can be used together or individually to convey the same meaning.

Namaste is used as a respectful greeting and also to mean thank you. “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means “bow I you” or “I bow to you.”

In the context of a yoga class, the teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers. It is an acknowledgement that the teacher and student’s spriit are ONE.

The gesture Namaste is done by placing both hands together at the heart center, closing the eyes, and bowing the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then brining the hands down to the heart.