Namaste related question:
> My husband and I have just started to become involved with yoga.  We have
> been doing a video.  The narrator of the video at one point puts his hands
> in prayer pose and says "Namasta" (I am not sure how to spell the word) We
> would like to know what this word means.  From what we can surmise the word
> is very important to the practice of yoga and may mean something like inner
> peace.  It is a greeting of some sort.
> 
> Please forgive my ignorance.  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thank
> you.



namaste ##(namaste) = (traditionally means just) greetings##
namaH ##(namaH) = bow, salutation##
te ##(te) = to you ##

Please cut and paste these lines to http://www.aczoom.com/itrans/online/ form
and submit (4b) to see how the word is written in 
Devanagari script (which is commonly used for Sanskrit.)

Some also say namaskar (namaskaara) or Pranam (praNaama).

The interpretation varies depending on the objective of the individual. 

Here is one:
"I honour that place in you where the whole Universe resides. 
When I am in that place in me and you are in that place in you, 
there is only one of us."
"It is a statement of recognition and love for the unity that 
underlies and inspires all of humanity."
"I bow to the divine in you."
"The divinity within me honors the divinity within you."

A tip on pronunciation from http://www.flex.com/~jai/articles/namaste1.html
"Commonly written "Namaste", it is pronounced as "namastay" with the 
first two a's as the first a in "America" and the ay as in "stay", 
but with the t pronounced soft with the area just behind the 
tip of the tongue pressing against the upper-front teeth 
with no air passing, more like french Sartre or Spanish Norte."

The articles at <a href=http://healing.about.com/od/prayersblessings1/ss/namaste.htm>about.com</a>, <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namaste/>Wikipedia</a>
and <A href=http://www.flex.com/~jai/articles/namaste1.html> jai</a>
are excellent if you really want to get the details
of hand position and comparison with other salutations.

The following came from http://www.yogawell.com/namaste.html which you may want to browse around:
''Namaste:  It is difficult at best to translate Sanskrit because it is a 
conceptual language that rarely translates word for word to our modern 
English.  "Namaste" is a divine salutation.  The classical sun salutations of 
Hatha Yoga are called "Suya Namaskara."  The best interpretation I 
know for "Namaste" is:  "The light (spirit, soul, higher self) 
within me recognizes, bows, and honors the light within you; and 
together we are one with this light (connected by a soul recognition 
with/to God and/or power of the universe and beyond)." 
In Old English we used to say/mean "God by with ye."  
Now we say "Good-bye" (hopefully in this day and age, we aren't 
giving the subconscious message "find a sale" or "sell out").  
"Namaste" is a gentle yet profound reminder not to sell our 
soul or buy into anything that could let us forget it. ''


Let me know if you have questions.

Whatever it is as you perceive it, when you are using namaste 
let it reach your heart.  Let your yoga studies be thorough but do 
not overdo it as there is harm to body if done beyond moderation.  
Do not give it up either!:-)  Just be practical.
Hope you and your husband acquire good things, forever closeness, and 
achieve peace.

See details about using <a href=./namonamaH.html>namo namaH</a> for Namaste in
Sanskrit.