Is it cultural appropriation to say namaste?
Saying namaste at the end of a yoga class is a classic example of cultural appropriation. The Oxford Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as: “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc.
'Namaste' is better than another form of greeting 'how are you' – kaisa ho, kem cho or kasa kay or Kemon achhen etc. The greeting 'how are you' is normally not with literal meaning, the expected response is 'I am fine'.
It's a Sanskrit phrase that means "I bow to you." You place hands together at the heart, close your eyes and bow.
Namaste! This is one word that you would often hear in India, and must therefore understand and learn by heart if you're planning a visit to the country. Well, not just in India, it is spoken in nearby countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and some other south and southeastern parts of Asia as well.
The cultural appropriation of yoga has been going on for decades, and as a yoga teacher and Indian immigrant living in the United States, there has been no escaping it.
नमस्ते (namaste) is a secular greeting but it can also be seen by some as a Hindu greeting. Sikh speakers in formal situations may prefer to use सत श्री अकाल (sat śrī akāl) when greeting other Sikhs, and Muslim speakers employ सलाम अलैकुम (salām alaikum) when greeting other Muslims.
Religious and secular culture come together in the increasing use of namaste (pronounced \NAH-muh-stay\) in English: the term is associated with both Hinduism and yoga. The word comes from Sanskrit and literally means “bowing to you” or “I bow to you,” and is used as a greeting.
Both namaskar and the popular variant namaste have the same root word in Sanskrit: namas, which means “bowing or homage.” Namaskar is made up of the root words namas and kara, meaning “doing,” while namaste is made up of namas and te, meaning “you.” As such, namaskar and namaste are both respectful and very formal ...
In Hindi and a number of other languages derived from Sanskrit, namaste is basically a respectful way of saying hello and also goodbye. Today, namaste has been adopted into the English language, along with other words from non-English sources.
Namaste (/ˈnʌməsteɪ/, Devanagari: नमस्ते), sometimes called namaskar and namaskaram, is a customary Hindu non-contact manner of respectfully greeting and honoring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is found on the Indian subcontinent, and among the Nepalese and Indian diaspora.
Is the OM and namaste symbol the same?
The Om symbol is commonly referred to as the “namaste symbol” or the “30 symbol” because namaste is a common yoga word, and the symbol does look like the number 30. Om is known today as a universal symbol for yoga and for meditation, but its deeper meaning is much more profound and a bit more complex.
It is used as a courteous greeting and also as a means of saying "thank you." In yoga classes, it has become traditional for teacher and students to exchange namastés at the end of class as a gesture of mutual respect.
The word "how" is a pop culture anglicization of the Lakota word háu, a Lakota language greeting by men to men. The term how is often found in stereotypical and outdated depictions of Native Americans, made by non-Natives, in some Hollywood movies and various novels, e.g. those of James Fenimore Cooper or Karl May.
Namaskar, Namaskaram and Nomoskar are some of the variants of Namaste. Usage of these variants depends upon region and community. Namaskaram is more common in the southern parts of India and Nomoshte is mainly used in West Bengal and its neighbouring regions.
Shalom by itself is a very common abbreviation and it is used in Modern Israeli Hebrew as a greeting, to which the common reply is, Shalom, Shalom. It is also used as a farewell. In this way it is similar to the Hawaiian aloha, the English good evening and the Indian namaste.
Despite yoga's roots in Hinduism, Hindus are not the religious group most likely to practice yoga in India. That distinction falls to Jains (61% of whom say they ever practice yoga), followed by Sikhs (50%).
During that time, I realized that goat yoga stretches the ancient tradition of yoga and yogic principles to appeal to Western consumerism. In other words, it's cultural appropriation.
Defined as the use of a culture's symbols, artifacts, genres, rituals, or technologies by members of another culture, cultural appropriation can be placed into 4 categories: exchange, dominance, exploitation, and transculturation.
Sat Sri Akaal (Gurumukhi ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ, pronounced [sət sɾiː əkɑːl] ( listen)) is a Jaikara (lit. Call of Victory) now used, often, as a greeting by Punjabi Sikhs.
As yoga is gaining popularity, so is the salutation – Namaste, which yogis give to each other at the end of a class. While yogis are now spread across the globe, yoga is an Indian discipline and saying Namaste at the end of a session is very significant.
Do you say namaste in India?
Indian Namaste - Do's and Dont's - YouTube
If it's not for you and you find that it is stumbling for your faith, then by all means discontinue your practice. But if you, like us, find that the yoga practice benefits you physically, mentally and draws you closer to God and your relationship with Jesus grows because of it, then YES you should keep practising!
Yoga derives from ancient Indian spiritual practices and an explicitly religious element of Hinduism (although yogic practices are also common to Buddhism and Jainism).
Known as Namaskara Mudra. Probably the most familiar gesture in all of Indian physical culture. This can be a deeply felt sign of reverence or simply a polite form of greeting.
Namaste – is the traditional way of greeting people that has been in practice for so long across most local traditions of the Indian heritage. To greet someone in this fashion, you just have to join both the palms together in a worshipful pose and say 'Namaste'.
So when people say “namaskar” when greeting others, it is not that they are greeting a fellow human being but referring to the oneness within. Namaste is generally said to be used for saluting the divine entity. But people using these two gestures of respect use it interchangeably without knowing the actual usage.
The word Namaskar means "I bow to you." In the Yogic culture, the practice of bowing down is given great significance and is seen as a fundamental step towards one's spiritual growth.
Meeting and Greeting
Westerners may shake hands, however, greeting with 'namaste' (na-mas-TAY) (placing both hands together with a slight bow) is appreciated and shows respect for Indian customs. Men shake hands with men when meeting or leaving. Men do not touch women when meeting or greeting.
Though it has its origins in India, Namaste is now known and used throughout the world. Much of this has been due to its use in yoga. Students will often bow in respect to their teacher and say "Namaste" at the end of a class.
A handshake or close contact is not condoned. Place both of your hands together, palms facing, in a “prayer” pose and place them at the center of your forehead. Bend the upper half of your body at a slight angle, allowing your head to angle downward as well.
What is namaste called in Japan?
Method 1 of 3: Standard Greetings. Use konnichiwa (こんにちは) to greet most people in most settings. Konnichiwa (koh-nee-chee-wah) is the most common way to say "hello" in Japanese, and is considered an all-purpose greeting.
According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, 42% Japanese think India's international impact is mainly positive, with 4% considering it negative.
印度合十礼 [yìn dù hé shí lǐ] {noun} namaste.
Made up of the sounds of the letters A-U-M, Om is all about threes. With its roots in Hinduism, the Om symbol is said to represent the one-ness of all creation, including the heavens, earth, and underworld. Others say it is the representation of the three Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
To a yogi, the Lotus flower symbolises the expansion of the soul and spiritual awakening. The roots of a lotus are grounded in the mud (earth/materialism). The stem grows up through the water (growth/life experience) and blooms above the water, in the sunlight (awakening/enlightenment).
Om is now part of the Buddhist faith, but originated in the Hindu faith. Om is described as a representation of the holy trinity of Hindu gods – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and in the Upanishads (an ancient Hindu text) as the essence of Brahman (the ultimate reality).
A salutation is a greeting, whether it's "Dear sir" in a letter or "Hey there!" in person. The expression "Greetings and salutations!" contains two words meaning pretty much the same thing: A salutation is a form of greeting.
In the ancient Sikh language called Gurmukhi, Sat means truth. Nam means name. Together, Sat Nam essentially translates into something deeper: “I am truth,” or “Truth is my essence.” Sat Nam is known as a bija (seed) mantra—a one-syllable sound that activates the chakras.
The Spoken Word
So in the simplest of terms, the word Namasté translates to "I bow to you." By the way, there is no right or wrong in terms of putting an accent on the e or not. Some people (like I), spell it "Namasté" because it implies that the emphasis lies on the letter "e".
From Kiowa aho (“thank you”), and loaned to many other Native American languages during the 20th century because it was frequently heard at pow-wows and widely used in the Native American Church (NAC).
How do Sioux Indians say hello?
In Sioux, hello is hau, pronounced /how/; however, it is a greeting only used by males. The equivalent used by females is han. These greeting can also signify 'yes'.
A: In Eastern Apache, the word for hello is Da'anzho (pronounced dah-ahn-zho). In Western Apache, it is Dagotee (pronounced dah-goh-tay.) Some Western Apache people also use the word Ya'ateh, (pronounced yah-ah-tay), which comes from Navajo, or Aho (pronounced ah-hoh), which is a friendly intertribal greeting.
Indians expect people to greet the eldest or most senior person first. When greeting elders, some Indians may reach down and touch the ground or the elder's feet as a sign of respect. It is advisable to address people by their title (Mr, Mrs, etc.)
The salutations, 'Dear Respected Sir/Madam', 'Respected Sir/Madam' and 'Respected Sir' are very common in Indian English. Senders of letters think that it is essential to address the recipient of the letter 'Respected Sir/Madam' as the person is held in high regard or the person holds an important position.
When greeting someone in Mexico, it is customary to make physical contact, rather than simply saying “hello.” A handshake is the most common form of greeting between strangers, though friends will usually greet each other with a single kiss on the cheek. The same physical gestures are repeated when you say goodbye.
Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Through trade, invasions and conquest, the Aramaic language had spread far afield by the 7th century B.C., and would become the lingua franca in much of the Middle East.
3 Ways to Say Bye in Hebrew - YouTube
The appropriate response is aleichem shalom ("unto you peace") (Hebrew: עֲלֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם).
Religious and secular culture come together in the increasing use of namaste (pronounced \NAH-muh-stay\) in English: the term is associated with both Hinduism and yoga. The word comes from Sanskrit and literally means “bowing to you” or “I bow to you,” and is used as a greeting.
Some yoga instructors are uncomfortable ending their classes with Namaste. Instead, they say “thank you” or use another similar word to signal the end of the practice. Some teachers will also ring a bell, chime, or singing bowl. Bikram yoga teachers often leave the room without saying anything.
Do Indian yogis say namaste?
As yoga is gaining popularity, so is the salutation – Namaste, which yogis give to each other at the end of a class. While yogis are now spread across the globe, yoga is an Indian discipline and saying Namaste at the end of a session is very significant.
The "te" in namaste means "to you," Deshpande says. So all together, namaste literally means "greetings to you." In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity. But the use and meaning have evolved. Today, among Hindi speakers throughout the world, namaste is a simple greeting to say hello.
If it's not for you and you find that it is stumbling for your faith, then by all means discontinue your practice. But if you, like us, find that the yoga practice benefits you physically, mentally and draws you closer to God and your relationship with Jesus grows because of it, then YES you should keep practising!
The good news: there is no 'right' way to say Namaste, as long as it is being used as an expression of respect and gratitude and being pronounced correctly. It is a three-syllable word that is pronounced nah – muh – stay.
Namaste (/ˈnʌməsteɪ/, Devanagari: नमस्ते), sometimes called namaskar and namaskaram, is a customary Hindu non-contact manner of respectfully greeting and honoring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is found on the Indian subcontinent, and among the Nepalese and Indian diaspora.
| namaskar | namaskara |
|---|---|
| namaskaram | pranāma |
| añjali | respectful greeting |
| salutation |
In Hindi and a number of other languages derived from Sanskrit, namaste is basically a respectful way of saying hello and also goodbye. Today, namaste has been adopted into the English language, along with other words from non-English sources.
Namaste can indirectly be understood to mean peace. Namaste is a greeting and one translation is: “The divine in me honors the divine in you.” And so whether you want to perceive it in a religious form or not, the deeper meaning of the word Namaste means peace and equality. I bow to you.
The Om symbol is commonly referred to as the “namaste symbol” or the “30 symbol” because namaste is a common yoga word, and the symbol does look like the number 30. Om is known today as a universal symbol for yoga and for meditation, but its deeper meaning is much more profound and a bit more complex.
Both namaskar and the popular variant namaste have the same root word in Sanskrit: namas, which means “bowing or homage.” Namaskar is made up of the root words namas and kara, meaning “doing,” while namaste is made up of namas and te, meaning “you.” As such, namaskar and namaste are both respectful and very formal ...
Is yoga a religion?
Although yoga is not a religion in itself, it is connected to religion, and stems historically from Hinduism, but also to Jainism and Buddhism. Both Buddhists and Hindus chant the sacred mantra 'Om' during their meditation. 'Om' is said to echo the sound of harmony in the universe.
“Nama means bow; as means I; and te means you,” says yoga teacher Aadil Palkhivala. “Therefore, namaste literally means 'bow me you' or 'I bow to you. '” The “Divine in you” interpretation comes from the Hindu belief that God resides in everyone, so any person you greet deserves respect.
Shalom by itself is a very common abbreviation and it is used in Modern Israeli Hebrew as a greeting, to which the common reply is, Shalom, Shalom. It is also used as a farewell. In this way it is similar to the Hawaiian aloha, the English good evening and the Indian namaste.
Om, symbolically embodies the divine energy, or Shakti, and its three main characteristics: creation, preservation, and liberation. The mantra, or vibration, derives from Hinduism and is considered to have high spiritual and creative power.