Namaste… Not long ago I was clueless as to this greeting’s intent, yet faithfully recited it back to the yogini at the close of a blissful restorative yoga class. I was surprised to learn that it’s actually a gesture of greeting, the meeting of one’s palms in front of the heart with fingers pointing upward accompanied by a bow. The literal translation of the Hindu Sanskrit is, “I bow to the divine in you.”

We’ve all heard the cliché of how everything happens for a reason and we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be on our personal journey. My new understanding of the depth of this cultural expression of respect has caused me to pause and ponder of what it could mean if applied to our modern lifestyle. Rather than racing around frenetically doing things, passing by others with barely if any acknowledgment, what if we slowed up a notch and supported more harmonious relations with one another through a feeling of namaste?

Just with this single thought, my consciousness stirred into a peaceful feeling of calm knowing and a tiny glimpse into our universal connectedness…

 Lately, I find myself “checking in” with the tone of my thoughts and pulling up greater calm when things don’t go the way I planned, wanted or expected. Allowing a brief moment to realize that we get to choose the inner outcome of our experiences is having an encouraging effect on my personal happiness meter.

A large part of the reason we’re creating the Natural Awakenings Mind-Body Experiential Event and Expo is the progress I’ve been blessed to witness in many people’s lives as a result of their using mind-body practices to improve their overall health and wellness. Anyone making a more conscious internal connection helps open universal thought to the possibilities of realizing greater wholeness and optimum health. The magazine’s mission is to help cultivate and spread these happy benefits throughout the communities we serve.

We are pleased to invite you to explore with us the wealth of experiential workshop opportunities in our area and to connect with local mind-body experts and other healthy living / healthy planet exhibitors and bodyworkers on Sunday, May 31 at Arlington High School. For more details and tickets, visit na-mind-body-event.eventbrite.com. We look forward to seeing you there.

This month’s feature article, “Nature’s Wisdom: Its Lessons Inspire, Heal and Sustain Us,” by Christine MacDonald, explains why the mind-body connection is intrinsic to our nature and how connecting with the natural environment enables us to achieve still another level of healing. I especially appreciate the early observation in this piece, “We are part of, depend on and evolve with nature—and we ignore this vital connection at our peril.”

A long awaited Happy Spring to you!

Namaste,

Maisie Raftery, Publisher