Namaste – May Our Minds Meet
During te ‘Corona years’ (the years of the Covid-19 pandemic), the shaking of hands to greet each other with was discurraged to minimize the risk of transmision of the virus. In The Netherlands some people adopted the Indian way to ‘salute’ each other with the verbal greet ‘Namaste’ combined with a mudra (hand gesture, see image).
Many people who adopted this form of greeting presumed it to be a simple “hello“, but it is much more then that. A commonly accepted meaning for Namaste is: “The divine spirit in me bows to the divine in you.” or “The divine power in me is same in others too”. Namaste is a way of recognizing this oneness.
— I like to highlight another interpretation though:
The Anjali Mudra (hand gesture) may also be performed at the Ajna or brow Chakra with the thumb tips resting against the ‘third eye’ or ‘mind center’.
The joined palms signify the hope that meeting each other will become a communion of minds with love and respect. Namaste then means: “may our minds meet.”
Image by yanalya on Freepik“The Anjali Mudra brings together the nerve endings on both your hands and as a result, joins the left and right hemispheres of your brain. Our left and right side of the body represent the duality of all our emotions, intellect, and senses. Anjali mudra involves joining together both your palms at your heart, in center. When the energies flowing on our left side (In Ida Nadi) and the energies flowing on our right side (In Pingala Nadi) unite, they establish a state of balance.”