Namaste Yoga
Namaste yoga represents a style of yoga based on the Hatha Vinyasa yoga practice. The meaning of the word namaste comes from the Indian greeting and it can be translated as follows: nama means bow, as it means I, and te means you; therefore namaste literally means I bow to you. The formula is equally used when meeting people or departing. In the case of namaste yoga, breathing is very important; the breath works as the guide and the body follows on the lines imposed by the breath. In order to perform Namaste, the hands are placed together in front of the eyes while, bowing the head, and afterwards the hands drop down to the heart. The gesture expresses a profound form of respect. There is a slight difference in how the westerners perceive Namaste and how it perceived in India: westerners would say the word Namaste while making the gesture we’ve explained, while for Indians the gesture itself carries in it the word, making it unnecessary to pronounce the word while bowing.
namaste yoga is usually practiced together with other styles of yoga. The gesture namaste, the salute per se, is believed to enhance the divine love flow; when one closes the eyes and bows, he/she surrenders the mind to the divine in the heart. Ideally, namaste yoga is a popular practice that opens and ends a yoga session, but it is usually done at the end of the class, because it is considered that the peace of mind and body is superior then, not to mention the higher level of positive energy in the room.
The core of namaste yoga is combined with the principles of Gautama Buddha, a guru from India and the father of Buddhism. Therefore, as in the case of all styles of yoga, one most important fact should not be forgotten: it is a way of life, rather than some kind of sport to keep one in shape and flexible. Nevertheless, it does not mean that one cannot benefit from namaste yoga from the physical fitness perspective alone, it only means that if one gets interested in namaste yoga, one will develop other preoccupations beside the immediate external reality. The yoga instructor offers Namaste as a token of gratitude and respect for the students, and in return launches the invitation to connect with their lineage starting the energy flow from their hearts. It is rather difficult to properly perform various yoga positions, it requires practice until one is able to perform them with minimal effort.
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‘In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else.’ ~Alison Rose Levy, “An Ancient Cure for Modern Life,” Yoga Journal, Jan/Feb 2002