Namasté or Namaskar -from internal sandhi between namaḥ and te) is a common spoken greeting or salutation in the Indian subcontinent. Namaskar is considered a slightly more formal version than Namaste but both express deep respect. It is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, and many continue to use this outside the Indian subcontinent. In Indian and Nepali culture, the word is spoken at the beginning of written or verbal communication. However, the same hands folded gesture is made wordlessly upon departure. In yoga, namaste is said to mean ” I am your humble servant” which you say to your instructor.
It’s one of those things that we should all learn to do-or maybe we should just learn how to kick some butt instead.
