The Everything Yoga Blog

Sound it Out

2010-02-08T15:35:00-05:00

While I adore having sound in my yoga practice, I'm not a huge fan of practicing to music (although I must admit that one of the most fun classes I've ever attended featured live drumming as an accompaniment to the yoga). For me, the music can be a bit distracting. Yet making sounds during my practice is another thing entirely. Sounding or chanting doesn't seem to pull my focus away from my experience during my practice the way music does. Somehow it enhances the experience by making my focus even sharper.

Years ago I went to my first Kundalini yoga class and found myself loving the gong meditation portion of the class. Lying in savasana with the sound of the gong crashing over me like waves in the ocean felt...healing. I could feel the vibration echo throughout my body as my body melted into the floor relaxed yet energized. It's perfectly described in this Kundalini Yoga FAQ:

Because The Gong contains every vibration its sounds literally cancel out your thought waves and allow you to completely relax very deeply and quickly. Since your body is open from the yoga and breath, the mind is overcome and relaxed by the gong. This allows your higher nature, or soul to come to the forefront and that magnifies the intent you've set for yourself. Just ask anyone who's experienced it and they'll tell you it 's the ultimate reset button!

As my enjoyment of sound continued, I purchased a variety of Tibetan Singing Bowls. I began placing the bowls on my solar plexus and chest as I sounded them so that I could feel the sound vibrations ripple through my body. The experience became a pleasure of sound and feeling that I often incorporate into my practice. It's become one of my favorite ways to enhance my savasana.

If you'd like to incorporate sound into your yoga practice or you'd just like to cultivate your appreciation of sound and expand your hearing pleasure, here are some resources for you:

A few weeks ago, I posted about this very topic -- sound -- in Tranquilista, Kimberly Wilson's blog. Click here to read it and to get access to a variety of wonderful resources to enhance your sense of hearing.
Click here for a beginner's guide of chants that you can easily incorporate into your yoga practice.
Click here for two wonderful yoga sound meditations complete with breathing techniques. They're the perfect ending for your yoga practice -- or for any time you're feeling the need for a little rejuvenation.

If you'd like to show your support for the wonderful sounds of Kirtan, the ever-talented Girish is looking for a few generous angels to help him create his forthcoming album, Diamonds in the Sun. There are a variety of donation levels that fit every budget:

$9 - Angel:
A digital download of the CD, weeks before the release date.

$18 - ArchAngel:
Advance copy of the CD, weeks before the release date.

$36 - Pewter Angel:
All of the above, plus a thank you on the GirishMusic.com website.

$108- Copper Angel:
All the above, plus a tour t-shirt and a tour kleen kanteen water bottle.

There are other levels available, as well as other payment methods. Email or call (virginia@girishmusic.com, 310-488-1847) for more details and/or to pay by credit card or for details on sending a check.

Another example of the healing power of sound comes from one of my favorite drummers, KDZ. They recently released a fabulous track from which all proceeds will go to Haitian Relief. To listen to a snippet of the track and/or purchase and at the same time help a worthy cause, click here. You can download the track for only 99 cents (or more if you'd like to donate extra funds to the effort).

**************************************************

And on a totally unrelated note -- here's an update on the Yoga for NY efforts:

The vote in the NYS Senate Higher Education Committee was a unanimous "YES" in support of S5701A - protecting yoga teacher training from burdensome and unnecessary government regulation and licensing.

Namaste!

Clean Space, Clean Mind

2010-02-05T20:51:03-05:00

It all started innocently enough -- I noticed a pile on my desk. Time passed and one pile became three piles. Before I knew it, I had a nasty case of The Clutters (I know, I know -- I'm taking liberties with the English language). This past week, I've been treating The Clutters to the point that I'm just about cured (if you need help with your own case of The Clutters, read this book). The piles are now gone. I've filled multiple large trash bags with stuff that I don't need. My inbox is down to zero, which is quite the feat for me (I found this wonderful book quite helpful in my digital de-cluttering). I've recycled an inordinate amount of paper. I've given things away to others who might like them. My physical space looks cleaner, yes. More importantly, my mind feels clearer, better able to focus on what's truly important.

This morning I stepped onto my yoga mat and -- perhaps it was my newfound clarity -- realized that my mat needed cleaning as well. Funny how when you use something every day you sometimes fail to truly "see" it. I wondered if cleaning my yoga mat would have the same effect on my psyche that cleaning my physical space (and computer space) had. The wonderful scent of my mat cleaner added a new dimension to my yoga practice. My sense of smell was actually present during my practice.

When was the last time you cleaned your yoga mat? If it's been a while, I highly recommend whipping up this wonderful yoga mat sanitizer recipe to give your yoga mat a quick refresh.

Also, if you'd like to be sure what you're putting in your body is clean and you'd like to create a scentsual experience for yourself, check out Love Peace Yoga for more information and special offers on Eat Cleaner fruit and veggie wash and Buddha Nose Heart Spray.

And don't forget -- yoga -- and chanting -- can also clear the clutter in your mind (which works if you don't have time to devote to de-cluttering your physical space). Try this short, simple mind-clearing/calming yoga practice:

Stand with your feet about hip width apart.
On an inhale, raise your arms up from the side (your arms should be fully raised by the time you reach the top of your inhale) and lower them on an exhale. Repeat 3 times.
On an inhale, raise your arms up from the side (this time let your palms touch at the top of the inhale/movement) while simultaneously raising your heels off the ground. On an exhale, lower your arms and your heels (to coordinate the movement, start lowering your heels once your arms come down to about shoulder height). Repeat 3 times.
Do the same movement as above but chant the sound MA on the exhale. Repeat 3 times.

Now how do you feel? Less cluttered? More focused? There's something to be said for a little cleaning!

Namaste!

The Beauty and the Depth of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

2010-01-31T18:12:41-05:00

I practiced yoga for years before I even picked up a translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. After doing so, I became hooked and went on to study the sutras more in-depth. This foundational text, while is best to study with a teacher (or join a sutra discussion group), is so full of wisdom and offers a complete picture of yoga (as opposed to the McYoga we see today in America).

This post pays tribute to the perfection of the sutras with resources for further study of the sutras as well as a chanting of the first two chapters of the sutras:

One of my favorite translation of the Yoga Sutras comes from T.K.V Desikachar in his book The Heart of Yoga.
The Internet archive of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is chock full of information for anyone wanting to take his/her study of the sutras deeper.
You can download the archive of the Yoga Sutras here. The archive includes translations by multiple authors in a variety of languages, as well as electronic versions of some reference works, translations, sounds and images.

And speaking of sounds and images, check out these fantastic videos of the most influential yoga teacher, Krishnamacharya, practicing yoga with the chanting of the sutras (the first two chapters) by his grandson Kaustub as the soundtrack (if you're interested in the chanting of the yoga sutras, visit the Vedic Chant Center). What a treasure!

Namaste!

The Yoga Conference Goes Virtual

2010-01-27T17:39:43-05:00

I enjoy yoga conferences, but sometimes the travel and the high conference fees can be a bit rough on the bank account. The smart folks over at YogaHub have come up with a fabulous high-tech alternative -- a virtual yoga conference. This 3-day extravaganza -- which is the first of its kind -- is aptly entitled Yoga, Health, and Happiness. Mark your calendars, because it's taking place February 19-21.

What I love about this conference is that it's targeted to yoga practitioners and yoga teachers. The number of workshops and presenters is mind-boggling and the cost of this 3-day event is roughly the equivalent of a one-day workshop. And when you register, you get all sorts of free goodies, including a home practice DVD, access to a private discussion forum for conference-goers, and learning tools to enhance your virtual conference experience. Click here for more information and to register.

I am so excited about this very cool event. Perhaps it's the techie in me that loves this idea of going virtual. Or it could be the accessibility of this event -- even folks on a budget can attend. I also love the fact that if you can't attend live, there will be recordings of the sessions available for two weeks after the event. Hmmm...I wonder if the virtual conference concept will have the iPad effect? (see, that's the techie geek in me coming through)

Whether the concept of a virtual concept tanks or not, I will be attending to see firsthand what this experience is like. I'm finally buying an e-reader (I held out for a while because I love the tactile pleasure of books, but I'd like to cut down on all the paper so I'm switching to ebooks), so why not go the techie route on yoga conferences?

What do y'all think about the idea of a virtual yoga conference? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Namaste!

Poety and Your Yoga Practice

2010-01-23T19:58:37-05:00

"Poetry has a wild invitation to it -- an invitation to a feast, to your life as a nourishing repast...Poetry reminds you that you're a sacred frontier of experience. Only you can occupy that corner of the universe." --David Whyte

Years ago, I listened to the Clear Mind Wild Heart audio from one of my favorite poets David Whtye. When I heard first heard his words about poetry, I thought that the same could be said for yoga. After all, I had found yoga to be a nourishing practice, one that reminded me of my own sacred frontier. In this audio, he encouraged reading poetry on a daily basis, which I began doing. I would often sit on my yoga mat just before my practice and read a poem or two. As David Whyte alludes to in his words above, I found myself captivated by the words on the page.

A few years later, the wonderful Robert McDowell released the book Poetry as a Spiritual Practice: Reading, Writing, and Using Poetry in Your Daily Rituals, Aspirations, and Intentions. This delightful book reminded me of the power of the marriage of poetry and yoga. It was during this time that my love of Rumi, Hafiz, Kabir, and Mary Oliver grew. I found myself coming back to the same poems time and again, much as I do my favorite asanas and pranyamas. The similarity to my yoga practice was mind-boggling -- as my body was never the same in each asana, so was my awareness each time I read the same poem. There seemed to always be a new nuance, a new sense of understanding.

Earlier this month, a beautiful book of 108 sacred poems -- Mala of the Heart -- was released. This one little book contains an inspirational collection of poems from saints and mystics who lived and died before 1900. Jack Kornfield, who wrote the foreword for the book, encourages the reader to: "Read these poems slowly. Savor them. Then, as with a mala of prayer beads, read them again. Let them become familiar to your tongue and your heart, and let their deep wisdom guide you to the love and fredom that is your own true nature." Wise advice.

This book now sits on my nightstand, and although I haven't had it for all that long, it is already getting well worn. I do believe that I'm following the editors' advice, who say -- "...our wish for you is that the reading and rereading of a poem will invite an ever-deepening awareness of your nature." I can't think of a better compliment to one's yoga practice, as a practice often has the same effect.

I wholeheartedly agree with the editors of Mala of the Heart and urge you to add poetry reading to your daily practice. Here are some wonderful resources to help you get started:

Enjoy opening your heart with poetry!

Namaste!