Yoga

While thinking about my first ever yoga class, I was wondering what ´Namaste´- a phrase said at the end of a yoga class while sitting cross legged and bowing- meant and if saying it would be offensive to the students.

According to http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/822, ˝The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." … Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. ... Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart. ˝ Although North Americans say, ˝namaste˝ while doing the gesture, in India the gesture implies the word.

Based on the meaning, the BiH ICVs think it´s acceptable to repeat this ritual at the end of the yoga classes. What are your thoughts?