Recently during a yoga class, I was introduced to the concept of “Namaste.”  Falling in love with the concept, I of course started to create namaste in my life.  Within a week, I noticed a friend of mine wearing a T-shirt with namaste and a definition written out on it:

Namaste:   “I honor the place in you where the entire universe dwells.  The place in you that is of love, of light, of peace and of truth.  When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me…  We are one.”  

All of this printed out in rainbowish colored font, which I am sure I would not have noticed had it not been for my little initiation in the yoga class.

The definition I prefer, and was provided in the yoga class was along the lines of this:

Namaste:  The spirit within me, recognizes and respects the spirit within you. 

Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namaste ) among other definitions has something like the one from my yoga class as well.

Namaste:  “…is a common spoken greeting or salutation in the Indian subcontinent … has multi-religious or else common usage where it may simply mean “I bow to you.” In religious formulation, the meaning can be explained as:

• “I bow to that inherent in you” (“That” refers to divinity, or that which is divine’)
• “I respect divinity within you that is also within me.” (Here, “that” refers to divinity, or that which is divine.)
• “The light within me honors the light within you.” (in yoga)”

We sat around a circle in my yoga class, introduced elves, saying:  “I am Yucel.”  And the others folks in the circle would say back in unison, “Namaste, Yucel.”    It felt profoundly peaceful going around a circle of some tens of persons and in response to their introduction saying to them a heart felt “Namaste.”

There were people in the circle, perhaps they were loud, or perhaps had a few large donuts, with every meal for the last several years, who before I greeted them in this way, I was focused on the perceived donuts, and during/after an exchange of namaste with them, I saw their spirit, the shell, which I had had judgement on (and had been judging myself …   http://choose.ws/2009/07/13/what-is-reality/mirroring/judgement-on-the-judgemental/yucel/ ) melted away, to one where now the mirror held for me spirit, grace, respect and love.

Now I utilize Namaste as a way to greet and acknowledge my many spirit mirrors.

Sometimes I use namaste to greet people, often silently in my head while passing.   Or to bring me back into focus when drifting during conversation, into perhaps judgement or other less respectful and self harmful places.

Or I greet flies with a namaste, and as I write this, I see a fly.  Coincidence?

And, I grace my food, saying namaste to the food, and to the spirit of the creation which gave up its carnation so that I may eat.  I recall as a child or earlier in my life, watching American Indians thanking the spirit of their kill for giving to them their life so that they might eat (or something to that effect) and I say namaste in to my food in a similar vein.

I have heard or read Michael Bechwith of the Agape International Spiritual Center( http://www.agapelive.com/ ) say, that food needs blessing to activate its full nutrient value, especially heavily processed factory food.  My food tastes better to me after I bless it, acknowledge it, and am grateful for it when I grace it with a prayer, or a simple heart felt namaste.

And, I say namaste to plants I eat.  Sometimes to the air I breath.

And, I say namaste to you.

Namaste and peace,

Yucel