Namaste – Your Path To Business Enlightenment
For those of you who think I’ve gone nuts, Namaste is a traditional and very meaningful term that is derived from the Hindu language of Sanskrit. Translated it means:
Namaste is a combination of the two Sanskrit words: nama, and te. Basically, nama means “to bow” and te means “you.”
Namaste = “bow to you“
As an avid Yoga lover and (infrequent) practitioner of many years, I got to know the word Namaste while attending regular yoga classes for many years. At the end of each session our teacher would bow to us while pressing the palms of your hands together in front of his high heart center.
This is when I developed a lifelong attraction for yoga and no matter how often I fall of the bandwagon, I always find my way back at some stage to the practice of true enlightenment.
Being in that exact moment of practicing Namaste is the closest I can come to feeling truly spiritually enlightened and whole as a person.
While pondering (yet another time) the true meaning of life I felt this concept would lend itself ideally to how we run and grow a business.
How you can grasp the enlightened tiger within you
Finding business enlightenment amongst a busy lifestyle, kids, husbands, work and juggling households isn’t an easy feat. After all, what is enlightenment anyway and how can we be absolute certain that we have achieved a Zen style state within business?
It all starts with awareness. Unless you are tuned into your need to attain true business enlightenment, nothing will ever happen. To be truly enlightened in any business we have to become spirited beings who strive to make this world a better place by becoming masters at what we do while staying humble and helping as many others to reach higher realms.
While the process is easy to explain, it takes most of us a lifetime to be truly enlightened in what we do.
The three steps to business enlightenment
- Before you can even dream of becoming totally enlightened masters in business, we have to activate our awareness as mentioned above. By practicing our intentions to become a better person overall and putting our egos aside every now and then we can expand our aura and create better karma.
- The second step to business enlightenment is the ongoing practice of creating balance, learning from our mistakes, applying tasks to grow our business in a creative and human way and generally use human methods to advance our knowledge and experience.
- While all the afore mentioned is an ongoing practice, some of us manage to attain higher levels of enlightenment than others. Those people can use their experience and knowledge to help teach others and help them heal their wounds of failure, misfortune and non belief.
Being able to help enlighten others is the ultimate thank you for any business owner in my humble eyes. When I get emails that tell me how much I helped somebody to make a difference to their lives it makes my heart jump joyously while I bow and say Namaste.
Monika
About the Author: I'm a passionate freelance writer and problogger. To further build my business I'm also in the process of building my own niche empire which pays me residual income.
Hunter Nuttall | May 15, 2008 | Reply
I’ve always liked that word. The first time I heard it, I was told it meant “the god that is within me recognizes and adores the god that is within you.”
Wikipedia says “In yoga, namaste is said to mean ‘I am your humble servant’ which you say to your instructor.”
Do you think yoga is cool for dudes? I’ve heard different opinions on this.
Wendi Kelly | May 15, 2008 | Reply
Yes, Yoga is very cool for dudes. My husband is a very cool dude who does it most every mornings. It keeps him very balanced and very awesome.
Monika | May 15, 2008 | Reply
@ Hunter: I reckon yoga is way cool for dudes. My husband has done a lot of yoga in the past and he is way cool when he does (not to say he isn’t when he doesn’t either,
)
Your explanation of Namaste is also true. I think it is an overall meaning is about respecting others as they are when we look deeper into it.
Let me know when you become a cool dude (or more cool than you already are anyway).
Monika | May 15, 2008 | Reply
@ Wendi: how cool is that! What about you? Do you do it as well or have you got other preferences instead?
Brett Legree | May 16, 2008 | Reply
Monika,
This is *good*… this is why we are here, to help each other through life. If we can accept that, find our purpose and life’s work, then we can and will succeed at it. Find what you love. And that requires awareness of self.
To yoga – I need to take that up, to regain and keep the flexibility I had as a youth (and so that I won’t have to keep posting pictures of naked Greeks on my blog when I hurt myself!)
Do any of you have any suggestions for self-learning?
(hard to find an instructor here)
Thanks for the thoughtful words today – Brett
Monika | May 16, 2008 | Reply
@ Brett: I’m with you on the awareness bit and finding something we love. It makes for a lot of fun every day and what would the purpose be of life spent in misery.
Self learning – hmm…to be honest, I would suggest getting hold of a really good video/DVD that will walk you through yoga for beginners. Make sure it has the “salute to the sun” in it as this is the best practice to keep fit with minimal exertion.
Once you while in the land of sheep, long white clouds, great wine and scenery you will find a suitable person to teach you the basics no doubt.
Brett Legree | May 16, 2008 | Reply
@Monika,
I’m quite sure that I wouldn’t have a hard time finding an instructor in Aotearoa (today, I want to be there so much, I can taste it!)
For now, I’ll see if my library or video store has an instructional DVD, I’m sure I can give it a shot.
But the magnificent scenery is half of it, I’m sure
Chris Guillebeau | May 25, 2008 | Reply
I keep reading your nice, thoughtful essays wishing that I had something thoughtful to add in the comments. But you are so thorough that I just decided to say “thanks” for spending the time on this one.
Keep up the inspiration!
Monika | May 26, 2008 | Reply
@ Chris: Never feel like you don’t have to add to the conversation. I’d hate to think that I turn readers away from commenting because my articles are to thorough. Eeek.
Loved your appreciative comment nonetheless as we all can do with a pat on the shoulder from time to time.
So thank you, great to hear that you are still around.
Leni De Castro | Feb 7, 2010 | Reply
I really like your posts, informative yet written in a quirky and friendly style…