I started studying yoga with a friend in the mid 1990s. She was my guru and taught me a wonderful routine that we did together on a weekly basis. I enjoyed it so much that I started to do the routine on my own as well, and practiced at least five times a week for many years. Although, I felt it was very relaxing and a passive exercise, when my body was put to the test, it was very strong. I had no idea how strong I was until I lived on top of a mountain in Maine with no electricity, while managing a wildlife sanctuary for the National Audubon Society. It was a very physical position and my body responded very well. I continued to practice yoga on the mountaintop by a lake – it was perfect.

Over the years, since then, yoga has come in and out of my life. I’ve taken a class here and there, practiced on my own but it did not compare to the times I practiced with my friend. She was an excellent teacher and I can still hear her voice when I do some poses. The last time I really practiced yoga was when I was pregnant. Thank goodness, as it prepared my body for 36 hours of labor, 6 hours of pushing and 3 hours of crowning. I don’t think I could have survived it all so well without the yoga practice, to condition my body.

So that was ten years ago. Sure, I’ve practiced it here and there but just could not discipline myself and devote my time to a scheduled practice. However, this fall, I knew I needed to focus on myself. Life was pulling me in too many directions except towards my health. Even though, I never really cared to go to yoga “classes,” I signed up for a trial package at the Yoga School in Ithaca. I paid $20 for 10 days and could go to as many classes as my body could handle. This was a great opportunity for me to experience different teachers and different level classes. I loved and hated it. My body just wasn’t as flexible and a bit more tired than it was 20 years ago. Regardless, I knew I needed to do this on a regular basis, so I bought a three month pass. I was committed and felt that it was what I really needed to do to commit to myself.

The one thing different about this school from the others I had attended over the years is that they teach you more than the poses; they teach you about the yoga lifestyle and how to incorporate it into your daily life. In the past, the teachers greeted the students with the phrase: Namasté. I never thought about it, I assumed it was similar to peace or shalom. But at this school, the teacher ends the class with a lesson or thought about connecting with our needs and the world’s needs or something like that. Then they say, “Namasté, the light in me honors the light in you, thank you.” I was just blown away; I loved this thought and started to look further into it.

I found that the gesture “Namasté” represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us and it is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. Namasté is derived from Sanskrit, Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore, Namasté literally means “bow me you” or “I bow to you.” What a wonderful idea! Wouldn’t it be an amazing if we all simply acknowledge the spirit in each other and celebrate we are all ONE CONSCIOUSNESS!

I never really “got it” before, but am so grateful that I finally did.

Namasté, the light in me honors the light in you!