Namaste is often used as a greeting or salutation. It has many various definitions but a general translation is “The divine light within me honors the divine light within you.”
The Om Symbol - Om is both an aural and visual symbol in many traditions. Repetition of the word Om is often used as a mantra during meditation to assist in the awakening and balancing of the spiritual center. Om has been defined as the eternal vibration of the universe or the root sound of creation, through which all else was formed.
In the written form, the long, lower curve represents the waking state and the material world. The upper curve represents the unconscious. Between the two, a third curve denotes dreaming and the thought world. The curve on top represents infinity or the state of liberation.
Lotus - the Lotus blooms out of the mud thereby symbolizing renewal and transformation. Often the lotus is a sign of new beginnings worn when changing paths in life (ie. new career, new relationship status, new journey).
Ganesha - Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati, is the remover of obstacles. His image is often invoked to help with new endeavors and challenging undertakings.
Lakshmi is the goddess of compassion and prosperity. Lakshmi is invoked to manifest wealth and abundance.
Hamsa is a symbol of protection, used to guard against negative energy.
The Tree of Life symbolizes grounding and strength in growth. If you start with a strong foundation (grounding) then you can rise up towards the light!
The Eight Auspicious Symbols are a group of lucky Buddhist symbols that appear on many Buddhist textiles, objects and paintings. Each symbol represents an aspect of Buddhist teaching and when they appear together, their powers are multiplied. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism.
Parasol (chattra) - royalty and spiritual power
Golden Fishes (suvarnamatsya) - good fortune, fertility and salvation
Treasure Vase (kalasha) - spiritual and material abundance
Lotus (padma) - mental and spiritual purity
Conch Shell (sankha) - the fame of Buddha's teachings
Endless Knot (shrivasta) - infinite wisdom of the Buddha
Victory Banner (dhvaja) - victory of the Buddha's teachings and wisdom over ignorance
Wheel (dharmachakra) - the teachings of the Buddha
The mantra Om Mani Pädme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Päd, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom.
Om Namah Shivaha is a sanskrit mantra that translates to "I honor the essence of being, the Auspicous One, the luminous teacher within". This mantra reminds us to honor the divine within ourselves.
In Sanskrit the word “Chakra” means wheel. There are seven main chakras, or rotating energy centers, located along the spine, starting at the base and running up towards the crown of the head. Each center has its own color and associated spiritual, emotional and psychological designations. Jewelry containing chakra colors or specific energetic stones is often worn to help maintain clear energy channels or provide balance where needed. For more in-depth information there are many, many sites dedicated to this subject.
