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In India, the word ‘Namaste’ actually means “I bow to you” and is used to say both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’.

Namaste Yoga, like any other kind of yoga, is incredibly beneficial to your health. Based on the Hatha Vinyasa yoga style, it is guided in the main by your breath, allowing the body to then follow that rhythm. Yoga of any kind provides excellent exercise for your body, and Namaste yoga is only one of many options for you to choose from. Historians estimate that yoga began approximately three thousand years ago, and this particular form of yoga originates as a kind of Thai massage with roots going all the way back to India.

The most well known position of Namaste yoga is to pose with your hands at your heart held as if you were praying, and your head bowed. Another variation involves placing your praying hands at your head near the third-eye (just slightly above and directly in-between your eyes). Then, while you bow your head you sweep your hands down to your heart. This is usually used as the wind-down of the session, when your mind and body are the most relaxed and detatched. This of course also intimates the use of Namaste for a greeting or departure.

For the most part, this basic Namaste yoga practice is used in tandem with other types of yoga practices. To provide an example, a group practicing together could hold their hands together and bow to each other to symbolize their mutual respect for each other. They could then continue on to sun salutations or any other yoga pose they chose. At the end of their session, they could use the bow again to signify the closing of the class.

The heart of Namaste yoga is mixed with the ideas of Guatama Buddha, an Indian guru who went on to father Buddhism. For those of us who have the tendency to be overachievers, it can be hard at first to adjust to the idea of relaxing into poses.

As with all yoga, you must remember that it is designed to be a way of life, and not something used whimsically to stay in shape or be flexible. This is not to imply that you should only practice yoga if you are very serious about it. Of course yoga has amazing benefits for everyone. Namaste yoga, however, is not for those who simply want to get in shape. Learning to correctly perform the positions involved can be difficult and time consuming, and takes dedicated and regular practice before it can be performed easily.