Namaste means “Hello”, or more deeply “My prana (life force) sees your prana”, or “I respect you”, or more deeply “Within you and within me, there is a pure awareness that witnesses our lives with perfect peace and love. When we are both present in that awareness, we are truly alive, truly connected, and truly ourselves.” OM is a universal sound, which might be described as the universe breathing or as the proverbial ‘one hand clapping’. Shanti simply means “peace” and can be spoken with a wish toward happiness and peace for all sentient beings.