Rina Deshpande, Ed.M., RYT-500, grew up with yoga philosophy shared by her parents in Florida, and was inspired to reconnect with her own roots in India after she became a New York City public school teacher in 2004. She is a teacher, illustrator, and poet as well as a researcher designing yoga-based interventions for scientific research at Harvard Medical School. Rina teaches yoga in New York City.

Spend some time asking yourself why you’re using the term. “Are you using namaste as yoga lingo to create a certain vibe in your studio or as a heartfelt greeting?” Barkataki asks. Is it to signal your position as a spiritual teacher? Are you glamorizing or exoticizing the term? Has it become just a mindless habit? Be intentional and respectful in its use. Writer Deepak Singh describes a visit to a holy Hindu town in Rajasthan—a spot that receives many tourists seeking a spiritual awakening. “When I got there, I noticed locals…striking the pose and saying ‘namaste’ to every tourist who passed by. The smile, tone, and style of namaste were exactly like that of the teacher in my yoga class in the United States.” Aadil Palkhivala began studying yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar when he was seven and was introduced to Sri Aurobindo’s yoga three years later, eventually becoming an advanced Iyengar teacher. He is the founder-director of the Alive and Shine Center in Bellevue, Washington and The College of Purna Yoga. He is the author of Fire of Love for Students of Life for Teachers of Yoga and co-author of yoga manuals with his wife Savitri. 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.’”American English speakers tend to attribute a shorter “a” sound to the vowels and put the emphasis on the last syllable: nah-mah-STAY. But the term is more correctly pronounced nuh-MUH-stheh, according to Rina Deshpande. When you see those two a’s, train your brain to pronounce them with a short “u” sound. The scene at the end of a typical yoga class: The teacher sits cross-legged at the front of class, takes a deep breath and, pressing hands together in a prayer position, leans into a deep bow and reverently intones the word “Namaste.” Dutiful yoga students mirror the pose and bow low in return, whispering namaste in unison. It’s so common that yoga doesn’t seem like yoga without this ritual. See also: The Art of the Silent Bow What is the namaste gesture? Shot of a group of people doing yoga Photo: PeopleImages / Getty Images Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!

The gesture doesn’t have to be directed toward another being. You can express namaste to yourself and use the gesture as a form of personal meditation. If you use Anjali Mudra and bow, you don’t necessarily have to say the word namaste,” Palkhivala says. “In India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.” Susanna Barkataki, M.Ed., E-RYT-500, C-IAYTI, is an Indian yoga practitioner in the Hatha yoga tradition. She is the founder of the Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute; leader of Embody Yoga Trainings; and a diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion educator. She is the author of Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice.As long as you are making an honest attempt and are pronouncing Sanskrit terms as best you can, you can feel comfortable saying the word, our experts say. But if you want to practice the correct pronunciation, listen to Deshpande in the video above. When do we use it?

It is also an effective way to enhance your connecting with others. He says that bringing your palms together and turn your loving attention to a person or situation you are honoring, brings almost instantaneous results. “In three to five minutes you will begin to harmonize. Namaskar into peace. Namaskar yourself into love. Namaskar yourself into union,” he says. Whatever you do, do not turn the term into a pun or play on words. “Nama’stay in bed” pajamas or “Namaslay” gym shorts are an offensive misuse of a term that our experts describe as extremely powerful and spiritually resonant. Barkataki discussed this further in the below video:If the word and gesture are used in yoga settings, Palkhivala says it may be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. The first will be a greeting of respect. “At the end of class, the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful,” he says. “The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers, and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.”