by Gurani Anjali
Namaste (I bow to you). Let us bow to each other. It is so wonderful to get on your knees. It is a wonderful thing to do. Open your heart wide. [When saying namaste] start with the heart, always center in the heart—we open up our hands coming from our hearts—remember where the hands stretch out from, the hrdyam (the heart center). The heart is a very sacred place. Open it up. Stretch your arms out wide. Let us embrace each other on the path, let us recognize each other in our lives, let us show each other that we are a blessing in each other’s life.
Bring the entire universe between these two hands—all that we see and all that we don’t see, what is above and what is below—all living beings, the whole world in between your hands. Two hands—signifying the unity of purusa (the unmanifest, consciousness); and prakrti (manifest world). One hand for you and one for me—the five elements and the five senses. Put both hands together—acknowledging our universality in life and our individuality—bringing it all together. Acknowledge it at the forehead, in between the eyebrows at the ajna chakra–the eye of intuition.
Now bowing, slowly go all the way down—acknowledge. Pay obeisance to the earth, the divine mother. Slowly, come up, bringing the hands back together again at the forehead—acknowledge. Again, bring the hands down to the hrdyam (heart center) saying “namaste” (lit., I bow to you) at the heart. [Hands] back to the mouth. Om, shanti. Namaste.
The yogi lives in respect of the totality. The yogi always unites, brings together and allows for the imperfections to arise. And then through the mind of discrimination, the yogi unites, brings together, to create harmony, tranquility, peace. In this world of many changes, of many physical afflictions, of mass confusion, disappointments, and illusions, the yogi always aims, has his mind or her mind set on the goal. Always brings about harmony and peace in diversity, and creates unity.
Namaste means come together – let us be together in that one place. Namaste. Two becoming one. How often do you say Namaste? Has it come together yet? Namaste. So when you meet someone who is on the path, or someone who is not on the path, it doesn’t matter, just say, “Namaste“. Once I said, “Namaste” to my postman. He was so sweet. He put his hands together, you know, very naturally, he did that. It was nice and I said “You’re on the path, don’t forget that.” I said, “Well, you’re on the path, you’re a seeker of the truth. You’re a Yogi already, because that namaste came very naturally to you.” I told him the whole meaning of how two becomes one. And he had a big smile on his face and as he left. Very nice. So you never know when you meet a Yogi who doesn’t know he’s a Yogi, you never know. It’s a very beautiful gesture. Say, “Namaste, my friend, come along with me.” The two becoming one.
This also signifies this body. You see this body. You see the external, but you don’t see the internal. It’s already one, but when you see the other in front of you and you make that other also say “Namaste,” then you have two in one in the manifested realm of prakriti (manifest world) and purusha (the unmanifest, consciousness).
Om shanti,
Gurani Anjali