{"id":31456,"date":"2025-08-14T10:32:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T14:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.urelles.com\/magazine\/non-classifiee\/can-we-say-namaste\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T21:31:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T01:31:57","slug":"can-we-say-namaste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urelles.com\/en\/magazine\/urelles-en\/can-we-say-namaste\/","title":{"rendered":"Can we say \u00ab Namaste \u00bb?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Namaste\"<\/figure>\n\n

To read more on this topic:<\/strong>Can we say \u00ab Eskimo \u00bb ?<\/a>Can we say \u00ab Ok boomer \u00bb ?<\/a>Can we say \u00ab Trop de chefs, pas assez d\u2019Indiens \u00bb ?<\/a><\/p>\n\n

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\u201cNamaste.\u201d A word from Sanskrit that has become a slogan in yoga classes, printed on a T-shirt or tote bag<\/em> or <\/em>even <\/em>transformed through absurd puns. You know what we’re talking about, right? But behind this word that sounds so Zen, what is its real story? And above all… is it something you say? And if so, in what context? <\/p>\n\n

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\u00ab Namaste \u00bb what?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The term \u201cNamaste\u201d (\u0928\u092e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0947) dates back to the Vedas, the sacred texts of ancient India. It combines namaha<\/em> (\u201cto bow\u201d) and te<\/em> (\u201cto you\u201d) and was associated with greetings addressed to the deity. <\/p>\n\n

This is why this greeting is often accompanied by a bow. Saying \u201cnamaste\u201d and bowing, traditionally to an elder or more formally to someone you don’t know, is a common greeting in Nepalese and Indian culture. <\/p>\n\n

Although the deeper meaning of \u201cNamaste\u201d is intentionally present for some when used in a spiritual context, today, \u2018namaste\u2019 is mainly used in Hindu and Nepalese cultures as a formal and respectful \u201chello\u201d that is part of everyday life. <\/p>\n\n

It can be compared to \u201cgoodbye<\/em>,\u201d which comes from the expression \u201cmay God be with you,<\/em>\u201d or \u201cadios<\/em>,\u201d which comes from \u201cgo to God<\/em>.\u201d Although these words traditionally have a deeper meaning, this is not necessarily present in our everyday usage. <\/p>\n\n

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In yoga class: discomfort on the horizon<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

You may have experienced this slightly strange moment: the session ends, everyone is relaxed, the teacher says \u201cNamaste\u201d in a calm tone, and everyone responds in unison, as if by reflex. But you’re not quite sure what it means. Should<\/em> you respond? Is it a prayer? Am I being disrespectful if I don’t say it? Am I appropriating culture if I do say it? <\/p>\n\n

This ambiguity can create discomfort. Not because saying \u201cNamaste\u201d is necessarily<\/em> offensive, but because, in many Western contexts, the word is used in a stereotypical way, stripped of its cultural and spiritual depth. It then becomes a decorative word, a touch of exoticism to make a class more \u201cauthentic\u201d… whereas in India, it is not used in yoga classes in the same way, if at all. <\/p>\n\n

Although \u201cNamaste\u201d is rooted in the culture that gave birth to yoga, it is not a traditional yoga practice. Saying \u201cNamaste\u201d in yoga is a relatively new practice and much more common in Western yoga, particularly in the US. Since yoga is generally considered a spiritual practice, it seems that Western yogis have made a connection between spirituality and \u201cNamaste.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Furthermore, as mentioned above, \u201cNamaste\u201d means \u201chello,\u201d and the fact that Western yoga teachers and their students use it more as a goodbye further detracts from its meaning. <\/p>\n\n

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Namaste\u2026 with a Quebec flavor <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Over the decades, with the rise of yoga in the West, \u201cNamaste\u201d quietly migrated to North American yoga studios… and then into popular culture as a reference to Zen-like tranquility.<\/p>\n\n

The word has become an emblem of Western<\/em> yoga, appearing on mats, mugs, sweaters, and even being turned into puns:<\/p>\n\n

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