Defining Shameaste

 

 

Shameaste: noun; a greeting that means “the ridiculousness in me honors the ridiculousness in you.”

Hello and shameaste. My name is Julie and I am brand new to the blogging universe. In this introductory post, I would just like to touch upon the spirit of shameaste and a few of the purposes of this blog.

Shameaste is a word I totally made up, but one that I think should exist in real life. As you may have figured out, shameaste is a combination of the words “shame” and “namaste,” the latter being the sanskrit greeting that means “the divine in me honors the divine in you.” Namaste is a beautiful thing to say to someone else and I appreciate the sentiment very much. But, for some reason, I just don’t feel entirely comfortable using this expression other than when instructors make you say it at the end of yoga class (and please do not get the wrong idea about my affinity or aptitude for yoga – both are rather dismal).

I think that the namaste greeting makes me a bit uncomfortable partly because I feel like I am not being entirely forthcoming when I say it. There is definitely divine in all of us – I can totally get behind that idea. But there is more to us than our divine selves. Namaste fails to cover all of the myriad ways we as humans fuck up, fall down, humiliate ourselves, hurt others, make mistakes, etc. These things should be honored, too. Because we engage in shameful and shameless behavior, namaste must be supplemented with a greeting that embraces the less shiny aspects of ourselves and our lives. That is where shameaste comes in.

The spirit of shameaste, the blog and the concept, involves us bringing our shortcomings out into the light and sharing them with each other. Essentially, shameaste’s major purpose is to help us all feel like we have permission to just be ourselves, to be human. We’re all going through this weird experience of life together and we might as well just be authentic about what a shit show it can be at times. That way, at least there is a chance at laughing at ourselves and connecting with someone else who may secretly feel similarly.

As for the topics this blog will cover, I do not expect the subject matter to fall within any specific niche area. I plan on blogging about my thoughts, experiences, political and social issues, family and friends, and anything else I find particularly interesting. And of course I will write about the variety of ways I routinely humiliate myself, as well. Even though I expect the subject matter to change, I am committed to approaching each topic as genuinely as possible, even if that means sticking my head out and expressing unpopular opinions or looking like a spastic fool. Shameaste is not only about sharing the embarrassing things. I also want this to be a space where I, and maybe you, will be as honest as we need to be, as confused as we need to be, and as potentially inappropriate as we need to be when discussing any aspect of life. Only by being as honest as we can possibly be, will we see the true potential to connect with those around us. If this blog does anything, I want it to help facilitate this honesty and connection.

At shameaste,  humiliating stories are always welcome, as are any strange or normal or inappropriate thoughts you might be having (as long as the inappropriate thoughts do not involve recounting your recent adventures at the Furries convention – there’s a more appropriate blog for sharing that, I am sure). Frankly, there are really only two rules at shameaste and they’re not even really rules, they are more like goals. First, I will do my absolute best to be non-judgmental when I am blogging and, if anyone comments, I will do my best to be non-judgmental when reading comments. Second, compassion and kindness rule at shameaste. The whole point of this blog is so that people like me have a place online where we can honestly express ourselves without being shamed into silence for our behavior, views, or thoughts. If anyone ever does comment, please try to keep these two goals in mind. I realize, though, that no one is perfect – especially me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and shameaste.

<3 – Julie