The Namaste Goes Global, Thanks To Coronavirus

Amidst the panic that coronavirus has created, the world is getting used to greeting people with a 'namaste'. Recently, the US President Donald Trump tweeted how he greeted the PM of Ireland with a namaste. President of France, Emmanuel Macron decided to greet all his counterparts with a namaste too. In line with him is Prince Charles, who was seen greeting people with a namaste, following a precautionary measure against coronavirus. So it's no more 'hello', but 'namaste'

Meaning Of Namaste

The world is now following what the Indians have been practicing for ages. A common way of greeting people in India, Namaste has been derived from two Sanskrit words- Nama, meaning bow and te, meaning you. Namaste is basically a gesture of saying that "I honor the spirit in you which is also in me". Namaste not only is used in greeting others, but is an essential part of Surya Namaskar. Surya Namaskar, which is an ultimate asana, helps lose weight, ensures regular menstrual cycle, helps your body detox and has many other benefits.

Also Read: Life Changing Benefits Of Surya Namaskar Which You Cannot Ignore

Benefits Of Greeting People With Namaste

The scare of coronavirus is increasing with every passing day. And the most important precautionary measure advised by the health authorities is to avoid direct physical contact with others. The traditional method of greeting in Western-style is a hello which involves shaking of hands. This exposes us to the danger of catching infection if it is present on other person's hands. However, in India, we greet others by joining hands and saying namaste. This saves you from direct physical contact.

This non-touch technique helps prevent any physical contact and can be done by maintaining a proper distance. Also, it is said that while we join hands in saying namaste, there is a balance of positive and negative energy between the right and the left hands.

Also Read: Ten Preventive Measures You Should Know About Coronavirus

The Importance Of Number Ten

The act of Namaste involves joining both of the hands together, finger to finger. This in total, involves ten fingers and the number ten is said to be a number of perfection and it inspires a sense of spiritual mystery of completion and unity. And it isn't just Hinduism, most of the ancient traditions of most of the religions believed in the mystical value of the number ten, which is achieved when namaste is done.

Belief Behind Namaste

There's also a divine angle to namaste. It is said that the world nama indicates the term 'not mine' which means that the soul of each human being is controlled by one Supreme Soul. The action of namaste helps recognize the divine glimmer in another person. The message behind namaste is "The God in me greets the God in you. The spirit in me meets the spirit in you."

Picture Credit- India Today

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The views expressed are the author's own.