{"id":4410,"date":"2021-09-02T19:05:37","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T17:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/?p=4410"},"modified":"2025-04-11T18:04:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T16:04:33","slug":"namaste-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/namaste-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Meaning of Namaste and when to use it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What does it mean <em>Namaste<\/em>? The meaning of <em>Namaste<\/em> is full of spirituality and intention. It comes to us as something new and exotic through yoga but it is a tradition that in India has a very broad and deep meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the details of what it means <em>Namaste<\/em>, the most traditional use and how its values can transform you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does it mean <em>Namaste<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word <strong><em>Namaste<\/em> <\/strong>comes from Sanskrit and is composed of two words: the first one is <em><strong>namas<\/strong> <\/em>which means \"greeting, reverence or worship\" and derives from the root nam which means \"to bow\", and the second one is <em><strong>you<\/strong> <\/em>which means \"to you, to you\". Therefore the meaning of <em>Namaste<\/em> would be \"I bow to you\",  or \"salutations to you\". This greeting represents a philosophy of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The origin of Namaste and the symbology in the meaning of <em>Namaste<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>origin of <em>Namaste<\/em><\/strong> took place in <a href=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/travel-to-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">India<\/a>.<strong> In the past, the word <em>Namaste<\/em> was used in mantras and to worship gods or spiritual masters, while the popular greeting was the Hari Om mantra,<\/strong> (still used in spiritual circles). It was in the nineteenth century when it began to be used <em>Namaste<\/em> as a greeting among Hindus and in the mid-twentieth century spread to the West through yoga. In India it is not common to greet each other with physical contact as in many other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1366\" height=\"911\" src=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/maestro-indio-namaste.jpg\" alt=\"Indian guru in anjali position\" class=\"wp-image-5402\" title=\"Indian master with hands in anjali mudra\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/maestro-indio-namaste.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/maestro-indio-namaste-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/maestro-indio-namaste-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/maestro-indio-namaste-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The greeting of <em>Namaste<\/em>, either by placing both hands together in front of the chest and pronouncing the word <em>Namaste<\/em> or without pronouncing it, <strong>is a greeting to others in which there is no need for physical contact.<\/strong>. The symbology of <em>Namaste<\/em> elevates the greeting to a much deeper level as it not only greets our material self but also our inner self, our soul. Due to the passage of the British Raj through the country and the influence of the West in recent years, the gesture of shaking hands in business meetings and even among friends has spread. The Namaste greeting is still the most used gesture of respect in the Indian geography by the followers of Hinduism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The use of <em>Namaste or Namaskar<\/em> in India and the world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In India the word <em>Namaste<\/em> is used both to greet and to say goodbye, it is also used to say thank you and to show respect. This verb form is usually accompanied by the <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mudra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">mudra<\/a><em> Namaste <\/em>, <em>anjali<\/em> which is performed with the palms open and joined in prayer position (hands in the form of prayer) at chest height, with a slight bow of the head. This salutation (with the mudra <em>anjali<\/em>) is used by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists in both India and Nepal, and its use has spread to other Asian countries. In Asia the mudra alone means <em>Namaste<\/em> without the need to pronounce it verbally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The term<em> Namaste<\/em> has some variants such as <em><strong>Namaskar<\/strong><\/em><strong> , <em>Namaskaram<\/em><\/strong>. In general terms they can all be used in the same way but if we go into their meaning in depth each one has its particularities. These differences are invisible to our understanding but perceptible to Indian users. The word <em>Namaskar<\/em> is considered a more formal greeting. It is made up of namas and kara which comes from the verb to do and means \"performance or the act of doing\". Therefore the literal translation of namaskar is \"the act of bowing\". <strong>When addressing a group of people it is better to use <em>Namaskar<\/em>&nbsp;since it encompasses the act and is not addressed to a particular person.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><strong>\"The divine in me greets the divine in you.\"<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to make the greeting and what it means <em>Namaste<\/em> with mudras<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The greeting <em>Namaste<\/em> <strong>can be only verbal by pronouncing the word, verbal accompanied by the gesture or mudra and even the gesture alone can be done without the need for verbal pronunciation.<\/strong> It will still have the meaning of <em>Namaste<\/em> complete and profound The mudra <em>Namaste<\/em> , <em>anjali<\/em> consists of placing the palms of the hands together in front of the chest and tilting the head slightly towards the hands. However, depending on the intention we want to put the greeting there are several variants in the placement of the hands. I will explain them to you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>As a greeting, respect or thanks:<\/strong> Putting the palms of the hands together in front of the chest (prayer gesture that symbolically has the hands in front of the heart), where the heart chakra is located and slightly bowing the head. You can also place your hands in prayer mode in front of the forehead or the third eye chakra.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1366\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-posicion-namaste.jpg\" alt=\"Hands in namaste position\" class=\"wp-image-5400\" title=\"Girl with hands in namaste position\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-posicion-namaste.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-posicion-namaste-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-posicion-namaste-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-posicion-namaste-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reverence to a deity or holiness:<\/strong> Placing the hands in prayer mode on the forehead and bowing the head.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1366\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-namaste.jpg\" alt=\"Boy praying with hands in the namaste position\" class=\"wp-image-5399\" title=\"Boy praying in Bali with his hands in the namaste position\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-namaste.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-namaste-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-namaste-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/manos-namaste-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meaning of<em> Namaste<\/em> in yoga and from a more spiritual level<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The word <em>Namaste<\/em> has become very popular in the West due to its use in yoga and meditation classes. <strong>It is often used as a greeting at the beginning of the class and to close the class as a symbol of humility and respect for the practice of yoga.<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1366\" height=\"911\" src=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mudra-namaste.jpg\" alt=\"Yogi with gesture or anjali mudra\" class=\"wp-image-5398\" title=\"Yogi with hands in anjali mudra\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mudra-namaste.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mudra-namaste-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mudra-namaste-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/mudra-namaste-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does it mean <em>Namaste<\/em> from the most spiritual level<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a belief that each of us possesses the \"divine spark\" in our heart. The gesture of <em>Namaste<\/em> is the spiritual representation with which we honor the god in the person we greet. As a result of this belief, several <strong>poetic and very profound meanings for the use of <em>Namaste<\/em><\/strong> in its maximum expression (verbal form and mudra):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\"The divine in me greets the divine in you.\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\"I am honored by the spirit in you, which is also in me.\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\"I greet God within you.\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\"His spirit and my spirit are one.\"<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\"The divinity within me perceives and worships the divinity within you.\"<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know what it means <em><strong>Namaste<\/strong><\/em> and its origin I invite you to use it as it is the most dignified and sincere greeting that can be offered to a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00bfQu\u00e9 significa Namaste? El significado de Namaste est\u00e1 lleno de espiritualidad e intenci\u00f3n. Llega a nosotros como algo nuevo y ex\u00f3tico a trav\u00e9s del yoga pero es una tradici\u00f3n que en la India posee un significado muy amplio y profundo. Te cuento los detalles sobre qu\u00e9 significa Namaste, su uso m\u00e1s tradicional y c\u00f3mo sus [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_swt_meta_header_display":false,"_swt_meta_footer_display":false,"_swt_meta_site_title_display":false,"_swt_meta_sticky_header":false,"_swt_meta_transparent_header":false,"iawp_total_views":616,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultura"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste.jpg",1366,767,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste-300x168.jpg",300,168,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste-768x431.jpg",768,431,true],"large":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste-1024x575.jpg",1024,575,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste.jpg",1366,767,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste.jpg",1366,767,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste.jpg",18,10,false],"yarpp-thumbnail":["https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/significado-de-namaste-120x120.jpg",120,120,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Isabel","author_link":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/author\/7d364977ea07b5bc\/"},"uagb_comment_info":18,"uagb_excerpt":"\u00bfQu\u00e9 significa Namaste? El significado de Namaste est\u00e1 lleno de espiritualidad e intenci\u00f3n. Llega a nosotros como algo nuevo y ex\u00f3tico a trav\u00e9s del yoga pero es una tradici\u00f3n que en la India posee un significado muy amplio y profundo. Te cuento los detalles sobre qu\u00e9 significa Namaste, su uso m\u00e1s tradicional y c\u00f3mo sus&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4410"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9944,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4410\/revisions\/9944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miviajealaindia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}