Namaste: a clean greeting

Namaste is an Indian form of greeting.

This is how you may greet those you meet socially or professionally. Often this greeting is accompanied with a follow up “how are you” in regional languages. How is it done? Both your palms face each other with the fingers pointing up and your thumbs to your chest. You hold this gesture to your heart with your head slightly bowed low with the words “Namaste”. Namaskar, Nomoshkar or Namaskaram are variations of the same phrase depending on what part of South East Asia you are from.

“Namaste” means “I bow to the divine in you”. There are various spiritual reasons why this makes a beautiful and respectful form of greeting and salutation. This gesture is also associated with the Brow Chakra, i.e. the mind center or the third eye. Therefore, when you meet someone in person, you do not just meet a physical being, but you meet their mind too.

With the scare of an internationally traveling virus, the “Namaste” greeting becomes a smart way to conduct pleasantries. There is no physical contact with the person you are greeting. So it’s a clean form of greeting which is gentle too. Let’s “Namaste”.