After a morning of tear-filled goodbyes, for the couple of hours I leave my three year-old to teach, followed by end-of-life conversations in the yoga for cancer class I hold, one of my students and I were talking about goodbyes and wondered why can’t we just say see you later, instead of goodbye.

After all it’s only until next time; whether it’s the next time I see you, the next time I think about you, or even possibly, in the afterlife/next life.

It got me thinking about our the english language and how we have split from a spiritual and holistic way of being to thinking that is so linear.

In the Hawaiian language, they use the word Aloha as an expression of affection, peace, compassion and mercy; it is beautifully wrapped into one word that can be used to say goodbye or hello, but encompasses so much more.

In yoga, we translate Namaste as the good, divine sweetness in me, acknowledging the good divine sweetness in you; in India, this is a formal greeting used as hello and goodbye.

If we could change the greetings we use in our culture, we could begin to change our lives to ones that are more whole and spiritual. Our greetings are just as linear as our thinking, which is why we are out shopping for the newest “i-something,” instead of looking deep into someone’s eyes.

Our Hello translates to “What are you bringing into my life?” and our Goodbyes says “Why are you abandoning me?”

It’s why we swoon over babies and hide away the elderly and sick; have you ever looked into the eyes of a dying person?

They are saying so much more than goodbye…something a little closer to Aloha or Namaste.

Our breath is still a gift whether it is an inhale or exhale.

Our egos want to know: Do you love me or don’t you, will you stay or will you leave? Will you live or will you die? Hello or Goodbye?

But all our spirit wants to know, be and communicate is love.

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Ed: Bryonie Wise