What do You Say At The End of Yoga

So you went to yoga. You just did some relaxing asana yoga. Everything was going great. Your instructor was explaining all the poses and how to do them. You were feeling calm and collected. Then you make it to the end of class, and all of the sudden, you instructor is saying namaste and looks like she’s bowing or praying. What does that even mean?

What is Namaste?

Namaste is a gesture that is meant to represent a belief that there is some sort of divine “something” in everyone. This spark is located in the heart chakra. Therefore the namaste gesture is simply acknowledging the soul in another’s body by your soul.

But what does the word mean? Technically, nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. So namaste can be translated literally “bow me you.”

How Do You Namaste?

How do you do the namaste gesture? It’s a pretty simple move really. All you have to do is put your hands together in front of your heart, almost in a praying motion. Then you close your eyes and bow your head. You can also put your hands in front of the third eye which is located on your forehead. This is a way to show great respect for someone. It’s not necessary to say the word while doing the gesture, but it has become common practice in Western culture.

The hands are brought together to bring forth Divine love. You bow the head and close the eye to let the mind surrender to the mind to the heart and the Divine inside of it. You can actually use namaste while meditating to bring yourself deeper in the heart chakra.

When done between a student and a teacher, it helps the two people come together with their energies. It helps to form a connection and bond between to the people, and can bring a union of the two spirits.

When to Do Namaste?

Traditionally, namaste is done at both the start and end of a yoga class. It is done at the end when the mind is most calm so the room is peaceful and there is less active energy in the room. The teacher will begin the namaste as a thank you to the class. The students will follow to thank the instructor which helps them all form a connection

Namaste is a way to calm the mind and become connected with the other in your yoga experience.