Living Namaste

At the end of my yoga class, It is customary for the instructor to bow to us, hands to heart-center, and say "namaste".  I have been thinking lately about how to LIVE namaste. Because I have been thinking a lot about that, the Universe has been sending me information and situations that are growing my awareness in that area of my Spiritual Growth.

Namaste, in the traditional Indian sense, is used as a respectful greeting. It is accompanied by placing the hands in prayer position, either at heart center, or as a highest gesture of respect, above the head (pranamasana).

I prefer to think of Namaste as translated into the modern "the Spirit in Me bows to the Spirit in You".

To bow to the Spirit in You is to see everyone around you as Divine. To bow to the Spirit in You is to honor the people around you, at all times, in all things. Christ asks us to show honor to all, in our words and deeds.
This would mean acting with respect in all situations; not giving in to "base-ness"-being a demonstrator of Namaste.

I find myself re-acting with sarcasm and high emotion to those who "insult" or "offend" me. I wound, because I was "wounded". However, more and more I discover that when I behave that way, it leaves a bitter taste, whereas before, it would bring me relief and satisfaction. The more Conscious I become, the less revenge-full attitudes "work". I am beginning to understand that it really is not possible for someone else to "insult" or "offend" me. Those feelings are coming from WITHIN me, regardless of what is said without. In the heat of those feelings, I forget to see the Spirit Within both them AND me.  If I remembered Who I Am, then I could also remember Who They Are, and perhaps not re-act,  but to act toward them with honor.

In practicing Namaste, there is no room for rudeness, nor justification for bad behavior. Would we be rude to Christ if he cut us off in traffic? Probably not, if we knew that He was Christ. We would say that He probably wasn't paying attention or had something on his mind, and let Him drive on by.  But we will shoot the finger and scream expletives in front of our children if that Dude in the Dodge Ram cut us off! For we fail to see the Christ in him.  In particular, and most disturbing, we fail most often to see the Christ in the people that we claim to Love the most. We are the most unkind, critical and sarcastic to our spouses and children, or our parents. Shouldn't they be the Ones that we see Christ in FIRST? For they are so close to us as to be One with us! Yet we are harsh, impatient and rude with expectation, aren't we?

Living Namaste will bring about Great Healing, I believe this with all my heart. I also believe that it starts with honoring the Spirit within Ones' Self. This practice has started to heal me already! I have quit smoking (how in the world can I honor the Christ within ME with a cigarette in my hand?), I have re-upped my yoga classes (GREAT practice for settling the mind), I am eating lots of fruits and veggies and am no longer self-medicating with too much food or drink.(honoring the Body that hosts this Spirit).  Recognizing your OWN Spirit is just as important as recognizing It in Others.  For me personally, it is where I started, and I am now learning to extend this thinking outward.

Now the only way I know to make a shift in my Self with regards to Others is to shift my intention. So I have been setting the goal each day to see Christ in everyone. It takes a very conscious effort, believe me. It's pretty easy to be kind to the grocery clerk, or my boss, or my client-it is much harder to see the Spirit within my husband! Or to those I have not yet forgiven!  But I have grown to understand that every action produces - a good action will produce a good result. So I practice. And practice and practice and practice....

Let's make a difference in the World by truly intending to practice Namaste in all that we do! Let us bow, hands to heart center, to each Other and to God today and every day. Let us honor and revere the World around us, this magnificent Journey, and all those Traveling Souls that we encounter on the Road...

And the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, tell yourself that it's Jesus, and He's in a hurry to get to His next miracle!

Namaste, y'all!!!