Namaste – Symbol of Indian Culture.

The gesture of Namaste is essentially Indian. It is the symbol of greeting from ancient times.

The literal meaning of Namaste is Namah i.e. to Bow to you – I bow to you.

Namaste represent the belief that there is a divine spark within each of us that is located at the heart (Anahata Chakra).

This situation is the essence of our culture of seeing the divine within all creation. Hence this gesture is offered equally in temples to deities, teachers, family, friends and strangers and even before sacred rivers and trees.

This situation is the essence of our culture of seeing the divine within all creation. Hence this gesture is offered equally in temples to deities, teachers, family, friends and strangers and even before sacred rivers and trees.

Formation: To perform ‘Namaste’ we join the hands together and place the heart Chakra, close the eyes and bend the head.

Namaste can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye between the brows, bowing the head.

Namaste needs no occasion. It can be performed any where any time and at any place. The gestures are used prominently in worship.

Effect: Namaste is a Mudra that is rich in flavor, meaning and substance. The Electromagnetic power flowing from one hand to other is felt strongly. One feels strong in body and mind.

As we bring our hands together at the centre, we are connecting the right hand with the left hemisphere of our brain and vice versa. This is the yogic process of unification. The Namaste brings the right and the left side, masculine and feminine, logic and intuition, strength and tenderness together as a whole.

Benefits:

• This Mudra frees us from the bonds of ego and makes us humble and pleasant.
• We feel strong in body and mind as this Mudra removes fear and headaches, even flexibility in the fingers is improved.

Namaste is uplifting. It gives the sense of great fullness and waiting to receive blessings of good things to come.

Why do we do Namaste? – Scientific Meaning & Significance of Namaste

 

Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all – people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us. 

 

There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste. Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means – I bow to you – my greetings, salutations or prostration to you.

Namaha can also be literally interpreted as “na ma” (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one’s ego in the presence of another. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means, “may our minds meet,” indicated by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility.

 

The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the Self or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do namaste to a revered person or the Lord – as if to look within.

 

The gesture is often accompanied by words like “Ram Ram”, “Jai Shri Krishna”, “Namo Narayana”, “Jai Siya Ram”, “Om Shanti” etc – indicating the recognition of this divinity. When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.