“I honor the place within you, in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you, which is of love, light, truth, and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one.” Namaste.

A yoga instructor explores how one can move past the casual use of this word, and offers her insight on how to Embody Namaste.

Step 1: Acknowledge one’s own inner light. Yoga is a beautiful way to explore this. One of the primary themes of yoga is to discover stillness to find the truth of who you really are. During these moments of stillness, it is said that our inner vibration of truth can be found. So, step one: Find, discover, or acknowledge your inner light. In acknowledging your own inner light, it is then possible to see that same flame of life within others.

Step 2: Forgive. Forgive your soul for any regrets that are holding you back from fully manifesting your light. This can be really hard to do! It’s impossible to move on to the present moment if you’re still wrestling with your past. Let it go and forgive. Only when you can fully forgive the transgressions of your own heart, can you truly forgive those of another.

Step 3: Love.   

Learn to love your light and your journey for exactly what it is. When you stop fighting the currents of life, and just embrace your inner beauty, this new-formed freedom will kindle the spark of your heart & let your fire blaze. No life is perfect, and nobody is expected to be either. Forgive, accept, and love the beautiful vibration that is you. Only when you learn to love yourself, mistakes and all, can you learn to fully love another.

In a nutshell: Acknowledge, Forgive and Love.Acknowledge your divine essence within, and you will easily find that same divine essence within others. Forgive your heart and your past, and you will more easily forgive those who have hurt you. Love your spirit and your journey, so that the power of love can more fully envelop all those around you. When you have learned to honor the light within, it will become second nature to honor that same divine light within others.

Want a little more? Find out what Namaste means:

For many yoga practitioners, Namaste has come to be a greeting gesture for hellos and good byes, often recognized as marking the beginning and end of each class. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." The gesture acknowledges the belief that there is a divine essence within each of us.