Namaste comes from the Sanskrit word namah te. Namaste is pronounced Nam-a-stay. In Sanskrit namah means "bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, adoration". Te is the durative of the personal pronoun tvam, "you".

A literal translation of Namaste (namah te) is thus "reverential salutation to you." I use it and intend its meaning to be, “I bow to the divine in you”.

It is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with the hands pressed together, palms touching, in front of the chest in a position that is called “Gassho”.

The Gassho position is used extensively in Reiki by Masters before and after attunements as well as during healing work. I use it before and after each attunement.

In my moments of giving thanks for the blessings in my life, I assume the Gassho position each and every time I see the number 11, or and derivation of it, like 11:11, 11:56, 1:11, 1:1:1. This is my personal call to prayer and it happens daily. I devote at least 1 minute each time. It’s amazing, however, that I can do this meditation and suddenly find that I’ve slipped into another space where time means nothing. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been there for hours and I open my eyes to find that only 1 minute has gone by. Other times, it feels like I’ve only spent 1 minute and an easy 10 minutes has gone by.

There are times when I assume the Gassho position for a call to prayer, when I am enveloped in what I can only describe as the wings of angels. No matter how I am feeling prior to this, I find myself feeling balanced and refreshed afterwards. And I do it, even if I don’t feel like it.

Give time to say Namaste to life several times a day. You will find the benefits are enormous!