Namaste!

Namaste!

When was the last time we said Namaste to anyone?

Let me guess…
When we were 7 or 8, and we met uncles and aunties, we bowed our heads a bit down, folded both our hands and said, “Namaste Uncle”, “Namaste Aunty”. Actually, even some time back, when we met the same uncle or aunty, it just came out, “Namaste Uncle”, “Namaste Aunty”, without much of the gesture though.. with a slight nod. Also, when we met a friend’s mom or grandmom, and we thought they were as old fashioned as our parents.. we said “Namaste”.
To our friends? Noooo… never.. Why?
In office? What! Why would anyone say Namaste in office?
Oh wait! The last time we had a foreigner on call, and he said “Namaste” in the end because he was speaking to Indians and he assumed it’s an everyday thing for us.. we replied with a smile and said “Namaste” in an accent that he would understand.

So, what is Namaste all about? Is it just another way of saying hello? If we translate Hello to Hindi, does it mean “Namaste”?

Here are a few things we would like to share that you might find interesting and intriguing –

The literal meaning of Namaste, when translated in English, is ‘I bow to you’.
There is a deep sense of respect hidden behind the three words. The Namaste gesture explains its significance. In order to perform Namaste, one places her/his hands together at the heart chakra, closes the eyes and bows the head.
The hands are placed together at the heart chakra to surge the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart.

Literal translation to another language often causes loss of crucial subtleties. Spiritually, Namaste is a way of respecting self as well as others and means “the divine in me recognises the divine in you.”

In Yoga, Namaste is a gesture to exude peace and positivity into the universe with the hope of receiving the positive energy back. With Yoga gaining popularity across the world, Namaste has also been adopted across many cultures.

The idea behind delving into and sharing the latent significance of greetings in our culture, we feel, is to acknowledge the appreciation of lives in our beliefs.

If we adopt this belief in our organization culture, wouldn’t it take care of Diversity and Inclusion?

If we live with this belief everyday, wouldn’t there be more kindness, openness and compassion in our relationships?

Wouldn’t it also reduce a lot of stress that the rat race adds to our lives? With divinity present in all of us, we are equally great and graceful. There is no ‘I’ vs ‘You’. Instead, there is reverence, unity and humility.

Think about it. Our culture has given us something very powerful and before we lose it, let’s know and appreciate its value.

How often do you use the Namaste emoji on WhatsApp?

Namaste! 🙏😊