This One Time in Yoga Class...

Hello friends, I’m back! Before I begin, I’d like to thank my partner in crime for picking up my slack in this blog writing business and being extra-proactive—she is fabulous. So, after having taken my all too long hiatus from this blog and being rejuvenated from my Bethany-induced caffeine fast (ha!) I have decided that it is time that I start paying the people around me some attention. This morning I endured the frigid cold and traveled to Ping for the 9 am yoga class. After too much “downward-facing dog” and not nearly enough “child’s pose,” I feel that I can safely say that all five of us in the class were feeling sufficiently serene and reenergized by the end. Before we had a chance to roll up our mats and make a mad dash for the swiper, the yoga instructor pressed her palms together and said “Namaste.” Umm…excuse me? Is that even a word? I mean, do they teach yoga instructors a special language along with that freaky ability to bend their legs in 180-degree angles? Puzzled, I decided that my biology homework could wait—I needed to figure out what on earth this woman had said. After much intensive research, I came across this definition from www.yogajournal.com:

The gesture Namaste is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

It sounds really deep, but the message behind it is so simple. Saying Namaste basically means that you are forming some kind of spiritual connection with another person. So, if I came up to you on the street and was like “Hey, insert-your-name-here. Namaste!” I’d just be finding a short and condensed way to let you know that the same emotions and physical influences that make up you are also inside of me…that you and I really are not that different. Okay, so now that I’ve enlightened you on the true meaning of the word, go ahead and use it! You’ll affirm the oneness of the human family and sound like you know an exotic language. The next time you see a friend or are about to part with a group of acquaintances, just whip it out and see what happens. I promise, you won't be disappointed!
-Nadine