Musical yoga

Nothing can help you reach a higher level of consciousness faster than music. Supriya Sharma finds out how yoga classes, in India and abroad, are using music to reach out to more people.

In a faintly lit room young yogis try and balance delicate asanas to the tune of a sitar. The room vibrates with this coming together of two ancient forms. As the class sways to yoga guru Zubin Atre's postures, the accompanying sitarist Galen Passen does impromptu musical improvisations making it a seamless flow of energies. Sitar yoga has caught the fancy of Delhiites, who love this new concept of musical yoga sessions. "I have done improvised jam sessions before, where a group of people play music, dance, and sometimes do yoga simultaneously at my yoga studio. Passen and I improvised together at one such session, and then the idea of sitar yoga followed," tells Atre.

Music can help lift students through difficult sequences with upbeat music or create a restorative vibe with calm music. A soulful musician can truly make a difference in creating the perfect atmosphere for a class. Combining music with yoga is a famous practice abroad. Musician Todd Boston fuses acoustic world instruments together to create a unique and beautiful sound. With no pre-recorded tracks he mixes and blends the instruments and his voice in harmony to create a musical journey of soulful, heartfelt compositions. He has played at the Kundalini Yoga and Music Festival in Rishikesh. Similarly, Yoga Soundscape is a unique yoga and music experience curated and guided by Aarona Pichinson in New York. Every week, an eclectic array of talented musicians, laptop masters, or DJs perform live soulful music ranging from old-world tribal instrumental to experimental electronic beats for classes filled with stretched-out breaths and sweaty patches! Source

Breastfeeding Yoga Mom

Yoga-The Art of Transformation

An 11th-century yogini sculpture is part of an upcoming Smithsonian exhibit.

This October, the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. will unveil the world's first-ever exhibit of yoga's visual history, called "Yoga: The Art of Transformation."

The museum's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will display 120 masterpieces of Indian sculpture and paintings with pieces that date as far back as the third century to the early 20th century. Temple sculptures, devotional icons, illustrated manuscripts, as well as colonial and early modern photographs, books, and films aim to shed light on the 2,000-year old practice. Source

Flute Yoga a best way to beat stress

In Hindu mythology Flute was played by Lord Krishna to charm the maidens, birds and animals of Vrindavan and Mathura, is leading a new healing therapy called Bansi Yoga to beat lifestyle stress.

Bansi Yoga, created by the S. Vyasa Yoga University using a combination of traditional yoga, breathing exercises and flute melody, will get the official stamp of approval in the capital at the third World Flute Festival, "Raasrang 2012", Aug 9-12. The festival will be presented by the Ministry of Culture and the Krishna Prerna Foundation with support from flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia.

A team of experts will demonstrate the yoga and discuss its healing powers in 12 workshops over four days at Hotel Ashok in the capital, Arun Buddhiraja, the founder of the Krishna Prerna Foundation, said.

Arun Buddhiraja  said: "Bansi Yoga is a combination of yoga and flute used as a deep relexation technique in 40 minutes of cyclic meditations. The practitioner moves his limbs in a cyclic pattern and the flute, played as an accompaniment, allows him to relax. The relaxation induced is equivalent to eight hours of sleep. The flute was a symbol of love, peace and water”.

Best tips to be followed in Yoga Class

Here are some tips for being mannerly on your mat:

On arriving late (or leaving early)

The main thing here is, try not to do either. But, things happen, and the best-laid plans often go awry.

In some private studios, the door will be closed and quite possibly locked, thus taking care of what to do about late-comers. Pounding on the door would not be a viable option here. In gym settings, or in studios where walking in late is possible, be respectful of the meditative yearnings of the rest of the class who showed up on time — open and close the door quietly, tiptoe in, open and lay down your mat as delicately as if you were handling TNT. 

Be as unobtrusive as a pickpocket. And if you must leave early, best to inform the teacher before class starts, and leave with the utmost quietness. Getting up during savasana (final resting pose) is a no-no.

Taking up space

Avoid wedging your mat in where there is insufficient space Your teacher can help rearrange the layout of mats. That way you won't have to incur the wrath (wrath is unyoga-like, yet not uncommon in such situations) of participants who are already deep into their own inner as well as outer space.

Do not tread on others' mats

This should go without saying, but I am saying it anyway because I see it happening all the time. This is tantamount to inviting yourself into someone else's home. Step over anyone's mat that's not your own.

Come to class clean . . .

Body odor is a big distraction. If your routine is to work out vigorously and then come to yoga class, wash off the sweat and use a deodorant. Hand sanitizers should be liberally employed. Offer to share with your neighbors, especially in flu season. If you are ill, stay away from class; others do not need to be exposed any more than is necessary, and you can always practice at home.

. . . but not too clean

Avoid finishing off your aura with perfumes and colognes. Many people are sensitive to fragrances.

Wear appropriate clothing

Yoga is not about fashion statements. Comfort and practicality rule. Please, leave your shirt on. I have on two occasions witnessed practitioners strip during class. I suppose that one may ask permission before doing so in an unusually warm setting.

On doing your own thing

Don't. Even if you have a better practice than the teacher, or anyone else in the room. This kind of thing leads to a free-for-all, which is definitely not conducive to a mind-body-spirit balanced class. If there is a pose that you just have to do, and the teacher is not offering it, wait until the end of class and go do it to your heart's content. Now, if you are pregnant, that is a whole other matter. You do need to modify poses and avoid certain ones as well. 

Breathing too loudly

Uijayi pranayama (ocean-sounding, or victorious breath) is a wonderful practice, even if you have not been invited by the teacher to use it. But it can be distracting to others. Properly performed, it should be audible only as far as the next mat over. And please, no grunting; if the pose is too strenuous, simply back off and pause in prayer or child pose.

Thank your teacher

Simply repeat "namaste" after she says it at the end of class, even if you are a bit unsure of exactly what it means. And perhaps you might take a moment to expand upon the sentiment by saying a bit more about how great the class was, etc. Teachers love feedback.

Clean up

That means wiping off your mat, especially if you are using one that belongs to the facility. Put away your props too — neatly. Be like a Boy Scout and leave the place a little better than you found it.

Courtesy:  Copyright © 2011, Reuters

Yoga

The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from Sanskrit language ‘Yujir Yogey’, which means ‘to unite’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to join’. Yoga is about extending accord between mind and the body. Yoga is a 5000 year old science whose teachings were first imparted not in a classroom or Gurukul, but on the battle ground of ‘Kurukshetra’. In the epic ‘Mahabharata’, the sage, Lord Krishna is first said to have expressed the teachings of Yoga to his disciple Arjuna.   

Yoga related to conventional physical and psychological disciplines originating in India. Yoga is one of the six orthodox disciplines of Hindu philosophy. Yoga is a technique to revitalize the mind. The stress and pressure which the physical body undergoes over a span of life ultimately results in polluted mind and abnormal breathing system.  Yoga is a way of life, a conscious act, not a set or series of learning principles. Yoga requires no major effort. In fact trying hard will turn your practices into a routine, painful, even injurious routine and will eventually slow down your progress. Subsequently, and interestingly, the healing effect of Yoga is the direct result of involving the mind totally in inspiring the body to awaken.

The guru Patanjali is considered to be the Father of Yoga because he systematized the knowledge of previous sages and collected this in the form of a manuscript called the ‘Yoga Sutras’, two thousand Years ago. He described the principles of the full eight fold yogic discipline. He composed the treatise in brief code words known as 'Sutras'. 'Yoga Sutras' is the most vital basic text on Yoga. It is through this basic thesis that the essential message of yoga spread throughout the world. Many other Hindu books discuss aspects of yoga, including the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.  

Sage Patanjali has counseled eight stages of Yoga discipline. They are

           

• Yama- Yamas (abstentions or restrains)
• Niyama- Niyamas (observances)-austerities, purity, contentment, study, surrender of the ego
• Asana- Physical postures or exercises
• Pranayama- Breathing control
• Partyahara- Withdrawal of the senses
• Dharana- Concentration of the mind (Contemplation)
• Dhyana- Meditation
• Samadhi- Attainment of the super conscious state

There are different types of yoga that are practiced such as the following:   

• Raja Yoga
• Pranava yoga
• Vinyasa Yoga
• Ashtanga Yoga
• Hatha Yoga
• Kundalini Yoga
• Dhyana Yoga
• Iyengar Yoga
• Bikram Yoga
• Bhakti Yoga
• Jnana Yoga
• Karma Yoga
• Mantra Yoga
• Tantra Yoga
• Purna Yoga
• Sidha Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga- the eight limbed yoga

The first mention of Ashtanga yoga seems to have occurred in Pantanjali's yoga Sutras. The literal translation is "eight-limbed yoga." Ashtanga yoga embraced eight spiritual principles including moral restraint, posture, breath control, and meditation.

The eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are:

Yama - code of conduct, self-restraint
Niyama - religious observances, commitments to practice, such as study and devotion
Asana - integration of mind and body through physical activity
Pranayama - regulation of breath leading to integration of mind and body
Pratyahara - abstraction of the senses, withdrawal of the senses of perception from their objects
Dharana - concentration, one-pointed ness of mind
Dhyana - meditation (quiet activity that leads to samadhi)
Samādhi - the quiet state of blissful awareness, super conscious state.

However, as practiced today in the West, ashtanga yoga has come to mean something different. Today, ashtanga yoga is sometimes referred to as power yoga. Its emphasis is less on the spiritual than on the physical ability to assume a set of complicated postures, such as the sun salutation, swiftly and gracefully. Ashtanga yoga places a strong emphasis on breathing techniques. Because if provides a full-body workout, it has found favor among many athletes and other celebrities who must keep their bodies strong and flexible.

Ashtanga yoga requires many difficult movements. Amateurs and even professionals may inadvertently injure themselves by pushing too hard or by forcing themselves into a posture they are not sure how to do. Therefore, people wishing to try ashtanga yoga are advised to take several classes to master the principles before trying to practice alone. It is also a good idea to purchase a yoga sticky mat or a rug to keep from slipping and falling while performing the postures. Some practitioners prefer rugs for doing ashtanga yoga, because the rugs absorb sweat better than mats do.

This Yoga style is also athletic, intense and rather demanding. In Sanskrit Ashtanga means “eight-fold path or eight limbs”. Here, every time the students do a series of postures in the same order. Ashtanga Yoga is rigorous because of the constant movement from posture to posture.