FROM April 30th of upcoming book

“The entire path of the Vitraag Lords (the enlightened one) is one of humility (vinaya). The practice of humility (vinaya dharma) begins from Hindustan (India). There are endless practices of humility, starting from putting two hands together (in the gesture of Namaste) to prostrating. And ultimately when one attains absolute humility (param vinaya), he attains moksha (ultimate liberation).” 
― Dada Bhagwan (Author and teacher of Self-Realization).

Namaste (pronounced (nah-mah-stay), the closing at the end of yoga practice, is a sign of respect and devotion to the divine light in each and every one of us. This acknowledgement of our spiritual connection makes our time together a hallowed experience. Our yoga becomes a sanctuary of worship.

Basically, Namaste translates to – “I honor the divine light that shines in me and I bow to the divine light that shines in you”.

Although it originated and can be traced back to an epic poem from ancient India, more than two thousand years ago, it is still used today to greet or bid someone farewell.

We bring our hands in front of our hearts. The palms touch and the thumbs rest on the heart. Now, in prayer position or Anjali Mudra (hand pose), we bow our heads, in a gesture of reverence and gratitude and say “Namaste” to the group. We nod to each other in worship and thanks as a way to unify and complete the class at the end of our yoga time together.

Printed on a coffee cup I love to give as gifts, it states, “Namaste. I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, We Are One.”

When we realize what we do to others, we inherently do to ourselves, we are kinder, more compassionate and accepting.

I honor the place in you that is the same in me.  I honor the place in you where the whole universe resides.  I honor the place in you of love, of light, of peace and of truth.  I honor the place in you that is the same in me.  There is but one.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) – Start pose for all standing poses

1. Stand tall and relaxed on your mat with feet hip width distant apart. Lift your toes and wiggle, place your weight on the balls and heels so you feel grounded and balanced. This is your foundation.
2. Bend your knees slightly and stabilize your lower half. Imagine you are rooting into the earth. Allow the upper half of your body, from the torso to the head, to feel light and relaxed. Imagine you are rising up to the heavens.
3. Relax your shoulders. Let your arms hang by the side of your body. Pull in your chin. Align your shoulders over your hips and hips over your ankles. 
4. Release the tension in your face (eyes, jaw and throat). Breathe in and out with consciousness. When you align the head, neck and spine in one straight line, you improve your balance, posture and stability. Your body becomes a supportive foundation for all other balance and standing postures.

OM=A-U-M

Om, is translated as the infinite wholeness or the Divine Power. It is a Hail or blessing to the Eternal Goodness of Everything. The complete sound uses the three letters, AUM.

In linguistics, (A) comes from the back of the throat. Then, (U) is the journey inside the cavity of the mouth. (M) brings closure as we emit humming from our lips touching together. By just chanting OM or AUM, we open, dig deep and then seal our energy. Yet, in the space after we say Aum, and the next breath, a gap lies – where we experience pure awareness. In essence, the silence after we chant Aum vibrates in tune to ‘I am, I witness, I am love’ or ‘I exist, I know, I am blissful.’

OM is a traditional opening to any mantra or used on its own. Its purpose is to open a hallowed field of consciousness. It has been chanted for centuries. It includes all sounds. It crosses into all worlds, time, space and levels of being. It reminds us on a subtle energy level – we are spiritual beings and of our interconnectedness with each other and the eternal.

It is a sacred utterance. Beyond the threefold nature or trinity of AUM is the silence that follows after you utter the word. After chanting it in unison for several minutes with others, you may experience a peaceful, loving happiness. It is said to be the sound or seed of creation – the beginning of the cosmos.

We first encounter Aum in the Sanskrit Vedas (Mandukya Upanishad to be exact), the oldest known written scriptures from over 5000 years ago. Historically, it precedes the holy HUM in Tibet, AMIN in Islam and AMEN in Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian traditions.

In yoga class, we chant Aum together three times. Take a deep inhale and then allow the exhalation to come from A, at the back of the throat, through U and ending with M in a gradual, long and slow way. It is a means of helping us cross from the physical plane to the spiritual dimension when we intone it, just like prayer. It is only another method we can use, to reach and connect to a holy place, inside and outside ourselves.