Before you start a Namaste yoga program, you may want to consider the pros and cons first:

Pros:

• Namaste yoga is considered one of the most respectful forms of yoga. Translated literally, Namaste means "I bow to the divinity within you." Many people find that Namaste helps them to gain a greater appreciation for their fellow yoga classmates and instructors.


• Namaste yoga is a great stress reliever. The act of bowing is done at the beginning and end of each yoga class. This is not only a form of respect to your instructor (and from your instructor to you), but it also symbolic. In the beginning of the class, it symbolizes your readiness to clear your head of stresses. At the end of the class, the indication is that you are now cleared from stresses and upsets from your day and are ready to go back out into the world.


• Namaste yoga has great physical benefits. Many people find that they have improved flexibility, stronger and more toned muscles, improvement of certain muscular-skeletal conditions such as bad knees or sore back, improved balance and posture, increased circulation throughout the body, reduced pain associated with arthritis, and relief from muscle strain after practicing Namaste yoga.


• Namaste yoga has great mental benefits. Namaste yoga, like all forms of yoga, strives to seek a spiritual balance between the body and mind. Often, people who practice Namaste yoga find that the various poses, breathing exercises, and affirmations help them to deal with stress and tension.

• Namaste yoga is not necessarily considered a "pure" form of yoga, as it mixes various forms of yoga together. Some yoga gurus and other enthusiasts may not consider Namaste to be "real" yoga as a result.


• Namaste yoga classes may have little consistency. If you take Namaste yoga classes regularly from different teachers and places, you can get conflicting instruction from the various teachers. For example, perhaps one teacher has the students breathe silently, while another encourages them to exhale audibly during certain poses. This could cause embarrassment for some who attend different classes.


• Because Namaste yoga is really just any form of yoga with a Namaste bow at the beginning and the end, you may never be sure what exactly you're getting into when you sign up for a Namaste yoga class. It could be too easy for you, or it could be too difficult for you.

Whether or not Namaste yoga is for depends on a lot of things, such as the teacher, the type of yoga being practiced, and the level of difficulty of the class. While there are some cons of practicing Namaste yoga, many find that by practicing it, they experience great physical benefits as well as improved mental and spiritual health. It is important to know exactly what you want from a yoga class before you begin learning Namaste yoga.