Namaste

Today, after a neck injury and 6 months of nursing it back to health, I finally had the courage to attempt a return to my yoga practice. I have to admit that I could have tried this a month ago, but Christmas prep and festivities kept me from making this a priority. I also had a mental block that kept me thinking that I might hurt myself should I move the wrong way or just a little too far.

Well, today I unrolled the mat, threw in my DVD, took a deep breath and followed each move with ease and a bit of trepidation. Thankfully, each forward bend and down dog became easier as each minute past, and I found myself absorbed in the gentle movement through the Vinyasa flow. My body loosened up and I closed my eyes to completely surrender to each pose and its transition to the next.

Once complete, I lay down to allow my body the luxury of Savasana. This allows the body the opportunity to release any remaining stress or tension. Five or ten minutes of Savasana enables me to bring my mind to a calm state to prepare for the rest of my day.

I slowly brought my body back to Sukhasana, or the crossed legged pose, closed my eyes again and reflected on my practice. Before standing I place my hands together by my heart, bow forward and repeat the phrase “Namaste” after the instructor Rodney Yee.

While echoing this word, I find peace in its meaning which “allows the Goddess Spirit within me to recognize and honour the Goddess Spirit within you”. “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. Therefore, “Namaste” literally means “bow me you” or “I bow to you”. Namaste is one of a small list of Sanskrit words commonly recognized by Non-Hindi speakers.

After 45 minutes, I am rejuvenated and at peace.

Namaste.