Yoga FAQs: #1 What Does "Namaste" Mean?

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"Namaste," says the teacher at the end of class, bowing with her hands pressed together at her heart.
"Namaste," the students echo back to her.

If you've been to few yoga classes, you've probably witnessed this phenomenon. Maybe you've wondered: What does that funky word mean? Should I say it too? What am I agreeing to if I do?

Don't worry. You're not alone. I had those same questions when I started practicing yoga. Likely everyone does. A few of my workplace yoga students have recently asked me, so I'm addressing it in this FAQ.

Here's the answer. "Namaste" is a Sanskrit word, commonly spoken as a greeting or salutation in India and Nepal.

The simplest translation: I bow to you.

For my fellow language geeks, here's the etymology: Take the Sanskrit namah, "to bow or give reverential salutation," plus te, "to you." In Sanskrit you have to add an "s" to link the two words so that they sound right together. (This word linking technique is called "sandhi.") Therefore you get namaste.

In yoga it's spoken at the end of a class as a show of respect - a way for the teacher to thank the students and the students to thank the teacher. You can even say "namaste" to yourself as a way to thank yourself for taking the time to practice yoga.

I hope this demystified a bit of yoga tradition for you. If there are other yoga questions you'd like me to address in future FAQs, let me know. Thanks for reading.

Namaste.

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