Both namaste and lycra yoga pants have become so inseparable from asana practice that “namaste” is now printed on the yoga pants themselves in addition to t-shirts, mugs, tote bags and hats. Pronounced “nuh-MUH-steh,” its common mis-pronunciation, “NAH-mah-stay” is so ubiquitous it’s now fodder for less-than-cute commercial products and memes bearing phrases such as “nah-ma-stay in bed.” This article explores the meaning and history of namaste in western yoga classes which will most likely surprise you.