Reframing "Namaste"

We could talk for days about this stuff, but allow me to try to synthesize my view.

I have been using the term "Namaste," but I do not feel I know enough about it even after having studied it somewhat more than the average yogi.

A Sanskrit professor of mine once told me that from the Sanskrit grammarian's lens, Namaste is improper grammar as far as it is being commonly used today and the technically correct conjugation of the Sanskrit as we use it in class is "Namaskaromi." This would translate to “I offer my homage to you.”

When I was in India walking on the street, folks speaking Hindi used "Namaskar" and "Namaste" as greetings the way that we in the US say "Hello" or "Good morning!" In fact, Namaste only translates to "Bowing to you" or colloquially, "Greetings to you." This doesn't have the same meaning behind it that we hear commonly of "The light in me bows to the light in you." The closest we can get to this translation is the original use of the term in the Rig Veda where the term was used in reference to the ritual worship and praise of a deity, hence “bowing to the divine.”

So how did we get to the point where people say "Namaste" at the end of every yoga practice? Although no one can pinpoint the moment it occurred, Namaste first showed up in the West in the 1940’s and has since evolved in both meaning and pronunciation. In fact, the correct pronunciation of Namaste is “nuh-muh-stay” not “na-ma-stay.”

So what’s the big deal if we say it or not? Well, it matters that the impact of being non-Indian/DESI people using this word is echoing issues of colonialism and perpetuating cultural appropriation. Even if we see it as a positive thing, how does it make someone from India feel to hear this misinformation every time they step into a yoga space or look at bumper stickers and t-shirts saying things like “Namaslay!” or “Namaste home with my cat?”

I want to be clear that I love the meaning of Namaste that has spread in the West, and I still wish to honor this concept of honoring the divine in each other.

In the future, you will hear me experimenting with new ways to approach the end of class. You are welcome to close however feels best to you. If Namaste makes you happy and promotes thinking of the divine in all beings, by all means, we don’t want to take that from you.Personally, I now choose to use ”Tat Sat" at the end of my classes, which translates to "That's it!” but also has deeper meaning as it points to the core message of yoga, that all is one.

I just want to be clear about our current understanding and reasoning. I welcome your feedback and engagement on this topic, but please understand that quick Google searches will all come back in support of the misinformed definition. For more considerations on this, I recommend @thisisyogakali’s blog on Namaste's meaning and use.