Namaste
Long ago within the mystical, spiritual evolution of Eastern culture and religion, there was an "offering" through a gesture of grace. This mudra was revealed between one enlightened being to another demonstrating truth, respect, and LOVE. Symbolized by the merging of both palms held directly together in front of the heart in a sacred greeting or hand mudra accompanied by the utterance, word or mantra~ "NAMASTE". "That which is the Divine in me greetsthat which is the Divine in you." This sacred salutation is the pure essence of Tantric philosophy of knowing the Divine within all of creation and all of creation being the Divine.
Anjali Mudra is a well recognized symbolic hand position or mudra in many eastern religions and Yoga. Anjali Mudra is one of numerous types of Mudra that have been used in Hindu pujas, traditional rituals, classical dance and yoga. There is no doubt this gesture is to be recognized as the representative of Brand India as well as yoga worldwide. Within this simple, humble and overwhelmingly significant Namaste lays the timelessness of India, the mother culture of the present day earth. This sacred greeting is a highly stylized form of gestural communication. It is an external expression of our "inner connection" via non-verbal communication. An unspoken communication can be more powerful than the spoken word.
Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the anahata or heart chakra. This sacred gesture is an acknowledgement of the soul of one by the soul of another. The Literal Translation of "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, the sanskrit NAMASTE means, 'I bow to you" or "bow me to you". ANJALI means "offering" . Together,through this supreme gesture, they represent the very essence of allowing two individuals to come together energetically one soul connecting with another soul and rising above separateness. Namaste is one of the few ancient sanskrit words recognized universally. As the consummate Indian greeting, like a sacred hello, Namaste is often translated as " I bow to the divinity within you from the divinity within me."
To perform NAMASTE, simply place your hands together at the heart chakra, close your eyes, and bow your head. This can also be done by placing your hands together above our crown chakra, trailing down in front of our third eye, bowing our head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially reverent form of deep respect between two souls. Namaste allows individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, it is ideally done at the beginning and end of yoga class. However, Namaste needs no occasion and it can be performed anywhere, anytime and any place without ritual or preconditions. It is an instinctive unconditional thanksgiving to creation, a movement in grace to grace.
As a person brings his hands together at the center, he is literally connecting the right and left hemispheres of the brain This is the yogic process of unification, the yoking of our active- solar nature and our receptive- lunar nature. One hand represents the higher spiritual nature , while the other represents the worldly self. The yoking or union of each hand is a symbol of the HA~THA in yoga as the masculine/Shiva aspect unites with the feminine/Shakti aspect. In the yogic interpretation of the body, the energetic or spiritual heart is visualized as a Lotus at the hearts center. Anjali Mudra nourishes this lotus heart with awareness, gently encouraging it to blossom as water and light do a flower. The Hirdya blossoms as it is is nurtured by illumination and love.........
Vyana
