AUDIOBOOK
About
• Defines the meaning of "namaste" and explains how to apply it in daily interactions to build stronger communities
• Offers practical strategies to develop self-awareness and compassion, foster deeper connections with others, and support mutual growth
• Includes exercises, mindfulness meditations, and svadhyaya ("self-study") practices to deepen personal growth and understanding
Namaste is a Sanskrit greeting that means "I bow to the divine in you." It has become a common phrase to say at the end of yoga classes, but as Jeremy Engels shows, "namaste" is more than a polite expression; it is a powerful principle for building connection and community.
Engels organizes the practice of living namaste around three reminders-"I am divine," "you are divine," and "live the word, together"-noting that the significance of mindfulness and yoga practice is about remembering to return to a state of awareness, presence, and connection.
The practical approach Engels offers in Living Namaste encourages self-awareness and empathy, cultivating gratitude, and treating one another with compassion to foster deeper connections and support mutual growth. Each of the three reminders is accompanied by exercises, mindfulness meditations, and svadhyaya ("self-study") practices designed to help you apply these teachings to your daily life. By responding thoughtfully and with care to each other, rather than reactively, readers can form stronger, more supportive relationships, support each other's well-being, and contribute to healthier communities. Jeremy David Engels, PhD, is a cofounder and teacher at Yoga Lab, which offers science-based yoga and meditation classes that emphasize mindfulness and functional movement. He is a Liberal Arts Endowed Professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University and has written extensively on community-building, peace, and justice. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania. 1
Connect to the Divine Within
नमस्ते
Na-ma-ste (n):
I bow to you
The divine in me bows to the divine in you
The time you set aside to practice yoga is a beautiful gift you give to yourself. During that time, you have full permission to unplug from the distractions and worries that dog your days. Think of how good it feels to step onto the mat, take a few deep breaths, let your neck and shoulders relax, and settle into the now, where you belong. Practicing yoga is coming home to the present moment. When you're on the mat, there is nowhere else you need to be, and nothing else you need to be doing other than connecting your mind, body, breath, and spirit.
And then-almost as quickly as it began-practice is over, and you return to real life, which is all too often busy, rushed, lonely, and disconnected.
But maybe, like me, you're someone who doesn't want the practice to end.
Maybe you're someone who wants to feel that sense of inner peace, of connection, of being fully present, all the time.
Maybe you want to bring yoga into your life, into your relationships, into your community, and into the world, creating a sense of real and lasting transformation for the better.
Maybe you want your entire life to feel like a beautiful gift.
If so, then this book is written for you.
In your yoga practice, namaste is the peak pose.
Namaste can transform your life.
Namaste can transform the world.
But for namaste to reach its full potential, it must be lived. First you have to understand it, then you have to really mean it when you say it, and finally you have to embody its wisdom in your daily life. This book shows you how to achieve one foundational goal of practicing yoga: to learn to live the wisdom of namaste. Our starting place is the same place that any yoga practice begins: with fundamentals. If namaste is a peak pose, you must build it from the ground up, ensuring that it rests on a strong foundation.
Namaste means "the divine in me bows
• Offers practical strategies to develop self-awareness and compassion, foster deeper connections with others, and support mutual growth
• Includes exercises, mindfulness meditations, and svadhyaya ("self-study") practices to deepen personal growth and understanding
Namaste is a Sanskrit greeting that means "I bow to the divine in you." It has become a common phrase to say at the end of yoga classes, but as Jeremy Engels shows, "namaste" is more than a polite expression; it is a powerful principle for building connection and community.
Engels organizes the practice of living namaste around three reminders-"I am divine," "you are divine," and "live the word, together"-noting that the significance of mindfulness and yoga practice is about remembering to return to a state of awareness, presence, and connection.
The practical approach Engels offers in Living Namaste encourages self-awareness and empathy, cultivating gratitude, and treating one another with compassion to foster deeper connections and support mutual growth. Each of the three reminders is accompanied by exercises, mindfulness meditations, and svadhyaya ("self-study") practices designed to help you apply these teachings to your daily life. By responding thoughtfully and with care to each other, rather than reactively, readers can form stronger, more supportive relationships, support each other's well-being, and contribute to healthier communities. Jeremy David Engels, PhD, is a cofounder and teacher at Yoga Lab, which offers science-based yoga and meditation classes that emphasize mindfulness and functional movement. He is a Liberal Arts Endowed Professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University and has written extensively on community-building, peace, and justice. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania. 1
Connect to the Divine Within
नमस्ते
Na-ma-ste (n):
I bow to you
The divine in me bows to the divine in you
The time you set aside to practice yoga is a beautiful gift you give to yourself. During that time, you have full permission to unplug from the distractions and worries that dog your days. Think of how good it feels to step onto the mat, take a few deep breaths, let your neck and shoulders relax, and settle into the now, where you belong. Practicing yoga is coming home to the present moment. When you're on the mat, there is nowhere else you need to be, and nothing else you need to be doing other than connecting your mind, body, breath, and spirit.
And then-almost as quickly as it began-practice is over, and you return to real life, which is all too often busy, rushed, lonely, and disconnected.
But maybe, like me, you're someone who doesn't want the practice to end.
Maybe you're someone who wants to feel that sense of inner peace, of connection, of being fully present, all the time.
Maybe you want to bring yoga into your life, into your relationships, into your community, and into the world, creating a sense of real and lasting transformation for the better.
Maybe you want your entire life to feel like a beautiful gift.
If so, then this book is written for you.
In your yoga practice, namaste is the peak pose.
Namaste can transform your life.
Namaste can transform the world.
But for namaste to reach its full potential, it must be lived. First you have to understand it, then you have to really mean it when you say it, and finally you have to embody its wisdom in your daily life. This book shows you how to achieve one foundational goal of practicing yoga: to learn to live the wisdom of namaste. Our starting place is the same place that any yoga practice begins: with fundamentals. If namaste is a peak pose, you must build it from the ground up, ensuring that it rests on a strong foundation.
Namaste means "the divine in me bows