Different cultures of the world have their own ways of greeting and in the Asian subcontinent especially in India, the most common form of greeting is doing a Namaste.
This is a gesture that is quite familiar to everyone all the globe and most countries of the world know that in India Namaste is considered as a way to greet.
However, have you ever tried to understand what the Namaste is and how did it develop as an idea of using this as a greeting. In this article we will discuss more about the essence of Namaste so that the readers can understand the concept more.
The Essence of Namaste
Namaste is also called the namaskar. In this you are supposed to hold your hands together to ensure that the palms touch each other. You are also supposed to bend your head along with folding the hands. The Namaste is also part of Yoga and meditation. Aishwarya Rai who became Miss World used the Namaste to greet and as a result it became even more popular globally
Ashwarya Rai Doing Namaste
We all know that god is present in all the living souls. This is why we are told not to hurt anyone or to cause pain to anyone. Namaste basically means that I bow down to the divinity that is in you as well as in me. It is an acknowledgement and appreciation of the fact that there is a God in all of us and we must respect that.
This is accepting and recognising the fact that we all are the part of the same ocean. No one is big and small. We all are the same in the eyes of the lord. All the beings are considered as a part of Brahma. This is exactly why by Namaste we are trying to prove that all beings are a part of param Brahma and one day we all will become a part of this eternal power. Interesting yet simple and simple yet so deep is the essence of Namaste.
The Complete Namaste
No wonder it has been an integral part of the India tradition. You must hold your hands in Namaste as you greet a person. You must have a smile on your face and you also must bow down your head. Unless you accompany the Namaste with these you are not doing the complete process of Namaste.
The Combo
The word Namaste is made of two different words. It can be broken into namah and te. Which if put together means bow to you. It is a part of the Devnagiri script. It is common in India and in Nepal.
Anjali Muda
The Namaste is mentioned as the Pranamasana in Yoga. The mudra of Namaste is also called Anjali mudra. It is not only used for greeting it is also used to bow down in front of the gods and goddess. The origins of Namaste can be found in the Indus valley civilization. It is a gesture that is about four thousand years old. If the occasion is a joyous one the word Namaste must be told loudly but in occasions of mourning the Namaste must not be told only the gesture is good enough.
Anjali Mudra
Namaste can be used as both a greeting as well as to say good bye. It can be told to everyone irrespective of age and social background or sex. You will see many sculptures in India doing Namaste. As soon as you enter a hotel or a store you may be greeted with Namaste. The pose of Namaste is a part of Indian dance too. All the dancers must do Namaste to the viewers present before they start to perform the dance.
You will find that most of the yoga and meditation also use the Namaste pose which is called the Anjali pose. The hands must be held firm and the palms should touch each other as you do the Namaste. The hand is mostly held near to the heart. This is where the heart chakra is located. The anjali mudra in yoga has many benefits some of them are:
- It reduces stress
- It helps to focus
- It increases the flexibility of the hands, wrist and the fingers.
- It can improve the concentration
- It can help to increase the influence of meditation on the mind and body of the person
You can perform the Namaste or the anjali mudra in both standing as well as sitting in padmasama. We recommend the Namaste or the anjali mudra to those who regularly do yoga and meditation. They will soon realise the benefits of doing the same. Some of the yoga poses where the Namaste or the anjali mudra is used are:
- Vikrasana
- Virabhadrasana
- Matsayana
- Tadasana
- Malasana
Apart from these there are many yoga asanas where this mudra is used. You must be comfortable as you do the anjali mudra. Your spine should be straight and eyes closed. With the eyes closed you can concentrate better and feel the union with the divine forces. Even the scientists and the doctors have done a good research on the subject of how effective the Namaste is actually.
The research proves that holding this position can definitely have a positive influence on the body and the mind of the person who is doing the anjali poses. The Namaste pose connects the right and the left hemisphere of the brain. Just consider the heart as the lotus.
The Namaste or the anjali mudra nourishes the heart with the light of peace and calms it. Every day just try to sit quietly for sometime in the anjali mudra. You will slowly realise how it is having a positive influence on your heart and the body.
We hope that this article on the essence of Namaste will help you to understand the significance of the gesture. There is so much more to the Namaste than what we know of. Most of the youngsters today have taken to “hi” and “hello” that is very western.
We hope that the meaning of Namaste will ensure that you follow the gesture more often. The Namaste goes beyond just a mere greeting. The points that we have mentioned in this article about Namaste must be followed by the readers for the best results. Keep practicing and enjoy the divine peace.