Jai or namaste

Jai , Namaste why do we say that in the end of a class?

"Jai" translates directly as Victory and it is the modern version of the old Sanskrit word Jaya.

Nowadays it is more commonly used as ‘hail to’ someone, or to indicate praise and admiration. You can hear Jai in many mantras like "Jai ma" is a common expression meaning “victory to the divine feminine,” 

Jai may also be used as a parting comment in everyday communication, similar to wishing someone godspeed in English. In class we express our respect and we thank each other for each other's time.

On the other hand Namaste is more commonly said on the end of the class by most teachers. Namaste is derived from the Sanskrit nama, meaning "bow," and te, meaning "to you." A common salutation and valediction in the Hindu culture, namaste literally means, "I bow to you."

In class we use Namaste as an acknowledgement or awareness of each other's presence and energy. We respect and recognise each other.

It is important to note that Namaste is used in everyday conversation as a simple Hello. If you are in a Hindi speaking community (sometimes spoken as namaskar and namaskaram) is a customary, non-contact form of respectfully greeting and honouring the opposite person or group, used at any time of day.

Use one or use both to honour the practice, honour the individual and the shared experience.

For more information click here or for Namaste