I've been taking a break from shoulderstand lately due to a stiff neck, but I've been really enjoying substituting legs-up-the-wall pose instead. Try taking a block or bolster under your butt in this pose and playing around with different leg variations, like taking the legs wide, into a baddha konasana position with the soles of the feet touching, or even into lotus if that pose is part of your practice.

Legs Up the Wall - Viparita Karani Is the Yoga Pose of the Week originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 22:13:57.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

I'm not really great with the dates, but I know I took my first yoga class in the fall of 2001, not long after September 11th. I had only been in New York a few months and didn't have a job yet, so I couldn't afford many classes. An old resume shows that I started working for a book publisher in October, but it wasn't until a few months later that I became a regular at the yoga studio a few doors down from my office. So winter/spring 2002 was when I really became a student of yoga, meaning that I have now been practicing a full ten years, one of my longest relationships to date.

My first teachers were wonderful people. I took class with gorgeous, red-headed, down-to-earth Fiona every Tuesday evening. Her classes were always packed. She worked us hard and gave the most amazing adjustments. Then on Thursday evening, it was gorgeous, funny, generous Paula who led us in a heart-centered practice. She was the first person I heard mention inner and outer spiral, and, even a decade later, I still have to think really hard every time I hear those directions. I'm profoundly grateful for all my teachers, who all, every single one, happen to be gorgeous.

During these ten years I got married, had a baby, moved across the country, and had another baby, each life change bringing with it a corresponding change in my yoga practice. My kids roll out a yoga mat and do some poses like it's no big deal. My six-year-old explains to us at the dinner table how taking deep breaths calms you down when you are mad. My two-year-old sets up a row of Barbies doing downward dog on the kitchen table. The six-year-old forgets to take deep breaths when she discovers little sis has been playing with her Barbies. I decide to take the deep breaths instead. Yoga is part of my life so it is part of theirs.

I've learned so much but I still often feel like the new kid, which is a nice way to enter the second decade. I guess I thought I have the splits down by now. (I may never get the splits down.) On some days, I feel like I can't really touch my toes and on others, my foot slides behind my head. Sometimes the hard poses get easier and the easy poses get harder. I love asana, but I have learned that, of course, it's not about the poses. Yoga improves my quality of life, and I hope it does the same for you.

My Yogaversary - The First Decade originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 23:34:26.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Is your in-box filled with tempting offers to escape to exotic locales with every yoga teacher you've ever known That's because we're headed into peak retreat season. If you're thinking about signing on, I have a few suggestions on making your trip a success. Read more...

Tired of Winter Retreat! originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 22:25:17.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Let's talk about arm variations in warrior III. Arms extended in front has got to be the classic, as evidenced by its inclusion in Light on Yoga, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't mix it up. Arms extended backwards, as shown here, is easier on the shoulders and a little more stable. Hands on your hips helps you to level the hips, which is good for alignment since the hip on the raised leg tends to want to cock up. My personal favorite is reverse namaste, which helps me keep a nice, flat back. How to do like to do it

Warrior III - Virabhadrasana III Is the Yoga Pose of the Week originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 22:35:55.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

I've suggested ways to reduce the stress of travel before, including yoga poses you can do on the plane and at the airport, and now if your travel plans include San Francisco, you can do your asanas in a special yoga room. MSNBC reports that San Francisco International Airport opened the first airport yoga room today, which, now that it's been done, seems like a total no-brainer. It's reported that mats are provided, but considering that I don't even like to touch doorknobs at the airport, I'd think twice before using a communal yoga mat there. If you need a travel mat, check out the Kulae tpECOmat, which is really thin and lightweight. Here's hoping saner travels ensue!

Om at the Airport in San Francisco originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 21:15:26.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

While you're in janu sirsasana, which I'm sure you have been since I suggested it on Monday, you might as well try out the revolved version of the pose as well: parivrtta janu sirsasana. The biggest issue I often see with this pose is that people love to try to grab their big toe with the raised arm. And if the time is right, that can serve as a way to deepen the twist. But too often it actually has the opposite effect, forcing the chest to turn down instead of up. Try it both ways and honestly appraise which is more effective.

Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 10:35:48.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

I really enjoy some janu sirsasana, particularly as opposed to paschimottanasana. Focusing on forward bending over each leg individually allows me to feel a deeper stretch than when bending over both legs at the same time. Try to keep your extended leg active by flexing that foot the whole time.

Head to Knee Pose - Janu Sirsasana Is the Yoga Pose of the Week originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 23:22:44.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

I don't think I'm going to surprise anyone by saying that yoga asana is not a quick-fix weight loss solution. For one thing, there are all different kinds of yoga, varying from seated meditation to gentle stretching to intense workout. But I absolutely believe that yoga can play an important role in a weight-loss strategy when combined with calorie counting and regular aerobic exercise. Yoga has a way of promoting a mindset where you want to feel healthier and of improving your body image. Read more...

Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 00:12:46.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

One of the effects of last week's to-do over yoga injuries was to propel a new book entitled The Science of Yoga into the upper reaches of Amazon.com's most popular yoga books. This was no coincidence, since the fire-starting article in The New York Times ("How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body") was adapted from this forthcoming book. That's a lot of buzz for a book that hasn't even been published yet. Luckily, I was given an advance copy for review and I discovered a few surprises. Read more...

The Science of Yoga originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 23:10:54.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

As I mentioned in a recent blog post about yoga injuries, I know that it's possible to hurt yourself doing chaturanga dandasana because I have done so myself. It can put a lot of stress on the shoulders, so if you are doing sun salutations, I always recommend warming up with a few rounds of knees, chest, chin and cultivating the awareness to revert to that pose or skip the vinyasa when you start to get tired. Having recovered from my tweaked shoulder, I've been working on refining the alignment of my chaturanga. One of my teachers pointed out that it's tough to get the desired right angle with your arms if you are pushing back into your heels when lowering down, as is often instructed. Instead, try bringing your plank forward a bit before lowering. Try not to let your body dip below the level of your upper arms. It's a lot of work on the arms, but it's a safer position for your joints.

Chaturanga Dandasana Is the Yoga Pose of the Week originally appeared on About.com Yoga on Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 23:17:23.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

US researchers studying people with chronic lower back problems found that those who did Iyengar Yoga were better at overcoming pain and depression than those who followed conventional treatments for lower back pain.
The study, which was funded by the US National Institutes of Health to the tune of 400,000 dollars, was the work of Dr Kimberly Williams, research assistant professor in the Department of Community Medicine at West Virginia University in Morgantown, and colleagues, and can be read online in the 1 September issue of the journal Spine.
Low-back pain is the largest category for medical reimbursements in the US, accounting for 34 billion dollars of medical costs every year, said the researchers.
The three-year study showed that the group that did yoga had lifted mood, less pain and improved function compared to the control group that received standard medical therapy.
Proponents of yoga have often described how it helps back pain, but not everyone was convinced so Williams and colleagues conducted this research, which they say is the biggest and most rigorous evaluation ever done.
Williams told the media that:
"The yoga group had less pain, less functional disability and less depression compared with the control group."
"These were statistically significant and clinically important changes that were maintained six months after the intervention," she explained.
For the study, Williams and colleagues recruited 90 people who had mild to moderate functional disability due to chronic lower back pain.
The participants were randomly assigned to have either yoga instruction or conventional medical therapy.
The yoga group were taught by Iyengar certified instructors for 90 minutes twice a week for 24 weeks. During the classes they did postures that targeted chronic low back pain.
The researchers continued to monitor the participants for 6 months after finishing yoga or medical therapy.
The researchers took outcome measures using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, a Visual Analog Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and a pain medication-usage questionnaire half way through the treatment phase (12 weeks), immediately after (24 weeks) and at week 48 (6 months after treatment finished).
The results showed that:
At the end of the treatment phase (24 weeks), significantly greater reductions in functional disability and pain intensity were observed in the yoga group compared to the control group (using intention-to-treat analysis with repeated measures ANOVA for group x time).
A significantly greater percentage of the yoga group members also reported clinical improvements half way through and at the end of treament (12 and 24 weeks).
The yoga group also showed signficiantly improved scores for depression.
Both groups reduced medication by about roughly the same amount.
Analysing the results on a therapy by therapy basis showed that all outcomes improved in the yoga group, including a greater trend for reduction in use of pain medication.
Although the improvements were slightly better at the 24 week stage, at the end of the 6 months of follow up the yoga group showed statistically significant reductions in functional disability, pain intensity, and depression compared to the group that received standard medical care.
Williams and colleagues concluded that:
"Yoga improves functional disability, pain intensity, and depression in adults with CLBP [chronic low-back pain]."
"There was also a clinically important trend for the yoga group to reduce their pain medication usage compared to the control group," they added.
Iyengar Yoga is the most popular form of yoga in the US: it can be practised by anyobody no matter what their physical or mental ability, say its proponents.
Iyengar Yoga emphasizes postures and breathing that promote strength, flexibility and balance.
The underpinning philosophy of Iyengar Yoga is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an Indian sage who lived about 1700 years ago. While the goal of the postures is to create peace of mind and harmony and prepare for meditation, many people, particularly in the Western world, use Iyengar Yoga to improve physical and emotional fitness and wellbeing.
The name Iyengar comes from Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar who was born in India in 1918 and has been studying and practising Yoga continuously for over 70 years. He is based at and runs the Ramamani Memorial Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune, India with his son and daughter.
There are over 2,000 qualified Iyengar Yoga teachers in the world, in over 40 countries.

About the Author

www.iyengaryogacenterhouston.com

Article Source: Content for Reprint

The word Mantra is derived from the Sanskrit word  "Mananat Trayate". The word Mantra contains two words- "man" which means "to think" and "Tra" which means tool. The literal translation of the word Mantra refers "instrument of thought". Originated in India from the Vedic period, mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words, capable of creating spiritual transformation. Today, chanting of mantras is a customary practice in all religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Mantras form an integral part of all spiritual movements. OM is the most commonly used mantra in all religions. Chanting of the mantra OM helps one to rejuvenate his senses and create a feeling of ease and calmness.

The practice of yoga and meditation involves chanting of mantras that creates a higher energy level for the practitioner. Chanting of mantras increases the concentration and self-awareness level of the individual. In realms of yoga or meditation, mantra helps to transcend the mind and emotions. With chanting of different mantras, the super-consciousness of the practitioner is clearly revealed and experienced. In yoga, Mantra leads a devotee to attain the state of Pratyahara. Pratyahara is a stage in Ashtanga yoga in which a practitioner sacrifice the worldly attractions and withdraw himself from external material objects. The Mantras have the capability of producing a powerful vibration and rhythm which corresponds to a specific spiritual energy frequency. Thus, use of Mantra in yoga practice helps an individual to free themselves from the grasp of material consciousness and direct his senses towards inner edification. The sounds produced by mantras guide a wandering mind and fixes it to the specific spiritual focus.

There are many methods of chanting mantras. They are Baikhari (Audible), Upanshu (whispering) and Manasik (Mental).  Mantras which are chanted aloud are known as Baikhari mantras. The Upanshu mantras are chanted in low voice or just by whispering so that only practitioner can listen. Manasik mantra refers repeating the mantra without whispering or pronouncing it aloud. Like yoga practice, chanting mantras have positive impact on the mental and psychological aspect of a human being. Through the energy based sounds that vibrate through the body, mantras help to for remove the negative tendencies of mind and re-vitalize the entire thinking process of a person. The synthesis of Mantra and yoga collaborates to create a deeper and subtle surrounding which, in the process, purifies the collective conscious mind. When a Mantra is chanted, a particular combination is repeated which in turn, leads to awakening powerful inner force. Thus chanting mantra in proper ways, will lead to ultimate salvation or union with super conscious.

There are mantras for every kind of Yoga and meditation practice, which leads an individual towards the path of ultimate truth. There are specific mantras for different types of yoga practice. Like in Kundalini Yoga practice mantras elevate or modify consciousness through their meaning and rhythmical repetition. The practice of Mantra Yoga helps one to reach the state of Samadhi. Samadhi is the state of full meditative absorption. The mind is fully concentrated and one transcends the limitations of the conscious state and gets the vision of Truth or Illumination.

Today, with the recognition of benefits of yoga and meditation worldwide, there are many companies offering instrumental CDs and Yoga DVDs. These CDs contain sacred chants, hymns and mantras. Spirit Voyage offers a wide range of CDs and DVDs featuring instrumental pieces, chants and mantras. These yoga music, hymns and chants will help you in your daily yoga and meditation practice. With Spirit Voyage yoga and meditation music, a practitioner can feel the divine union with the Supreme. The company also offers different Kundalini Yoga books and music CDS and various kinds of yoga accessories like yoga mats, yoga rugs, malas and jeweleries and many more.

Chant the sacred mantras contained in the Yoga DVDs and entice your senses. Heal yourself with Kundalini Sadhana music or New Age Celtic Music, Buddhist Chants or High Energy Yoga Grooves. Spirit Voyage has a collection Sanskrit Mantras, chants, and Kirtan which are ideal for yoga practice. These music are ideal to combat the stress of daily life and guide you towards the path of eternal bliss. Music and mantras are the integral part in practice of meditation. Spirit Voyage offers a variety of meditation music like the sounds of bells, gongs and bowls. The energetic frequencies that comes from the metal and crystal stirs an spiritual sensation within the practitioner, as well as enable him to concentrate fully on a fixed focus.

The use of Mantras in Yogic chants helps an individual to achieve ultimate salvation. The mantra chants keep the individual away from the material barriers of the world. With Spirit Voyage's yoga music and different mantra chants, the listening mind will be drawn to a deeper insight. The music from Spirit Voyage will focus the mind and the soul and stimulate the energy level during yogic practice.

About the Author

The author writes for Spirit Voyage which is engaged in offering various kinds of yoga music and meditation music. The company offers different CDs and DVDs for practicing kundalini Yoga and other yoga forms.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

STALWARTS of the organizing committee like Kalmadi and Chauhan were stung by Fennel's chilling comments on poor preparedness for the next year's Commonwealth Games and request to see the Prime Minister.

Politicians that they are, one could forgive them for their tongue-in-cheek reaction that all would be hunky dory for the opening.

What should make us all sit up and think is the response of a performing CM like Sheila Dixit: "Last-minute readiness is Indian culture. All will be fine by next October". Isn't this our real character

Kaya-palat promises for Delhi had been made by great Kalmadi and his crew when they went to Sydney to fight our case for hosting the Games. Eleven world-class stadiums with metro-connectivity; phenomenal extension of the metro sprawl and tens of flyovers across Delhi and NOIDA to smoothen traffic; a jazzy games village to house 8,000 athletes in NOIDA and a 1-km covered rail corridor to sound-proof it; 10,000 new hotel rooms for the visitor influx etc.

All those promises had been forgotten by the time they landed back at Palam. Blue-page notes which followed got lost in red files in our easy-going please-all style. Can you believe it, responsibility was finally put in the lap of a 500-member organizing committee.

The task of building seven new stadiums entrusted to the great CPWD which has yet to finalize the design of one. The fate of road-carpeting of and pedestrian walkways along all roads in Delhi and NOIDA, dozens of flyovers etc. is no different.

M.S. Gill, Union Minister for Sports confirmed Fennel's anguish. A special visit of the PM's Special Secretary, TKA Nair, to the main sites reflected the Prime Minister's concern.

Fennel's remarks hurt the flourish with which we have been flaunting our democracy and the superiority of our growth model in facing the recent global meltdown. But if you look deep, our standard habit of late reaction has helped Dame luck.

It is time we admit that last-minute reaction, over-shot targets and shoddy quality have now become our accepted norms. We love to build fancy edifices, but their maintenance is no one's cup of tea. Primitive systems dominate objectives. Performance and merit do not matter, seniority dominates rewards.

While skeletons of chalta-hai casualties pile up in our cupboards, we have become experts in finding alibis, excuses and scape-goats.

The monotonous frequency of MIG-21 crashes year after year and loss of their pilots could not shake the decision-makers to the urgency of replacement of obsolete maintenance rigs purchased in the sixties.

What jolted them into action were only incidents like a near-miss collision of a VIP flight at Mumbai and accidental dropping of a bomb by an air force pilot in civilian areas during a peacetime exercise.

Santhanam's recent revelation of exaggerated claims of our thermo-nuclear capabilities in Pokhran II tests reflects the depth to which the disease has spread.

For the last few years we have been show-casing Delhi Metro as the national epitome of our construction and organizational skills. Two major accidents in quick succession during its extension in Zamroodpur three months ago followed by two derailments have punctured that lone symbol.

We must understand that detailed planning, PERT charts and meticulous execution have become global Standards in the cut-throat competition of today's Internet-linked and instant-anywhere communication world. Six-Sigma Quality is taken for granted.

Shrinking time between order and delivery is driving the fine-tuning of systems. Delegation down the line to the lowest coupled with accountability is a sequel to shorter lead times. Performance is rewarded and laggards are dumped on the roadside.

In the backdrop of this global trend, the appointment of a Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office for monitoring all projects above Rs. 50 crore comes as a total surprise. Cure lies in correcting the system; not adding another layer of monitors. It only wastes more energy in useless paperwork and adds to costs.

It is time we forgot to live in our world of illusions and overplay our democracy card. What is driving global corporations and capital to India is its billion-strong market at the cusp of better living and lifestyles. Opportunity offered is infinite. But let us not forget that their motive is totally mercenary. What is the RPI If we fail to add to their profits, they will not blink an eye and shift elsewhere.

But then there could also be no greater opportunity for us to propel us into the club of developed nations.

Whichever system or law which stands in the way must go. The world will not wait; it will only laugh and find a better place. Like Ratan Tata's ultimatum to the West Bengal government on Nano, Honda's threat to close their scooter plant in Manesar (near Gurgaon) in the face of persistent labour trouble might not be empty.

Let us go deep and find permanent solutions. The euphoria of large capital inflows should not lull us into creating an "unbalanced, unstable, uncoordinated and unsustainable" economy.

We will have to realize that our current run of welfare measures, howsoever desirable, are only tenable for a rich affluent economy, which we are not.

Cautionary bells of oncoming inflation are already being rung by the RBI Governor. What we must begin is to emulate what Japan did in the fifties and South Korea in the eighties.

About the Author

Diabetes Symptoms causes control treatment information and cure guide

Visit here to get answer about
Secrets Of Full Health & Weight Loss

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Waves lapped against the gentle beach in the darkness as I listened deeply to the ocean, and the lingering exhalations of the other sixty people around me. The moon was rising over the water behind Snatam Kaur, GuruGanesha Singh and Manish Vyas, who watched us silently with light in their eyes as the music slowly faded. They had just finished leading another evening of beautiful kirtan (call and response singing) during their sacred chant retreat in Mexico.

After a few moments, Manish gently broke the silence, "Listen to the waves, and then listen to the space between the waves. Find yourself in that space." This is where the kirtan had carried us, to this space, this deep silence between the waves. As Manish spoke to us, I could still feel the mantra coursing through my bloodstream with each heartbeat, Snatam's voice carrying on into the silence. I felt such a sense of joy, my heart wanted to burst. I looked around and saw my emotions mirrored in the expressions of the people surrounding me. And suddenly, there was no space between the person next to me and me. We became so deeply connected by that shared experience, that there was an intimacy created beyond explanation. I did not know these people before we arrived at this kirtan event, but we left as family.

This experience of deep connectedness and community is being expressed by people attending kirtan gatherings and concerts all over the world. For many, kirtan has become their favorite practice of devotion, but for some, kirtan is a completely new experience. The idea of chanting in a group is completely foreign to them.

Akasha, a yoga teacher in Birmingham, Alabama, went to a David Newman (a.k.a. Durga Das) concert earlier this month. "I brought a bunch of my students to the concert," he said. "They all had strong physical Yoga practices, but had never been to a kirtan event before. We don't get kirtan artists touring through Birmingham. There were some people who came who had never chanted in their lives. Half-way through the night, I saw them rocking back and forth with their eyes closed, singing their hearts out. My students said that they felt electric afterwards. The experience of devotion towards oneness and towards each other was so strong. It didn't matter if you could sing or not, everyone was chanting along." And that's the thing about kirtan; we are carried by the group energy to an exciting exploration into whom and what we are.

Kirtan is a new kind of concert experience here in the West. It's not so much a performance as a journey into the self through the practice of listening and singing. And while there might be leaders at a kirtan concert, everyone is a part of the music. In kirtan, everyone sings. Snatam Kaur calls her concerts "coformances" rather than performances because she says the audience is an equal part of the music. Kirtan is a practice that started in India thousands of years ago, but in the last decade has become a phenomenon across the United States and has transformed musically to appeal to the ears of American audiences. Two recent books chronicle this movement and interview and track the evolution of some of the most popular kirtan musicians including Krishna Das, Deva Premal, Bhagavan Das, Snatam Kaur, Ragani, Jau Uttal, Dave Stringer and Wah! Linda Johnsen, author of Daughter of the Goddess and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, recently released a book called Kirtan! Chanting as a Spiritual Path and Journal of Vaishnava Studies editor Steve Rosen's (Satyaraja Dasa) The Yoga of Kirtan also includes an audio CD of the music.

There is a theme that runs through the unique stories I hear from people who attend all of these various musicians' kirtan events. People feel like they become a part of something bigger than themselves. Even after having gone to kirtans for years, I will sometimes find myself in the midst of an entirely new energy at a kirtan concert. The first time I saw Dave Stringer perform, I was seriously blown away by it. It was a packed house, and he carried us with him in the progressively building nature that is the trademark of kirtan. In addition to the deeply peaceful feel of some of the kirtan concerts I had been to, at Dave's I got up to sing and dance at the back of the room with a group of strangers - and through that experience, we really connected. It was such a different experience of kirtan for me that I realized I wanted to experience them all. I wanted to feel the uniqueness that each kirtan artist brings to the group.

It didn't matter if you could sing or not, everyone was chanting along. And that's the thing about kirtan; we are carried by the group energy to an exciting exploration into whom and what we are.

I asked Hargobind, my business partner, about Krishna Das' last concert. "Krishna Das is hilarious," he said. "He tells these hysterical stories about India and his Guru and chanting. Through his humor and stories, you feel connected to him, like he's just a guy you might hang out with. And then he starts singing, and his chants are so rich and upbeat and simple, that you feel relaxed and comfortable enough to join in, and so energized once you start chanting that you are really pulled into it. So you chant, even if you didn't expect to."

For a lot of people, this unique experience of feeling comfortable singing in public is in itself a feat. Our western sensibilities have been so tuned to the performance aspect of singing that the act of singing is accompanied by fear. Overcoming this fear alone can be life-changing. And once the fear disappears, the practice of chanting as a group brings with it layers of transformation that unfold the more we chant.

GuruGanesha Singh, a touring kirtan artist and an accomplished guitarist says, "In chanting, there are no bad sounds. In Kirtan, everyone's voice is nectar." While sitting in the audience at a kirtan concert, singing along, you can really experience just that: your own voice becomes as beautiful as the performers'. All of the voices merge together to become one voice.

When I asked Mahan Rishi, who has been organizing many kirtan concerts over the last few years in Philadelphia about this experience of community at the events, he said, "Kirtan concerts evoke a sublime, beautiful sense of heart. The kirtan environment creates softness where people can let go and feel a part of a mass flow of compassion. In the 1970s, I went to a Neil Young concert at Madison Square Garden. Neil Young walked off the stage in the middle of the concert and announced, The Vietnam War is over.' This wave of love went through the stadium. Kirtan is like that. People feel love within themselves that is universal and open when they chant. And the kirtan environment feels so safe and caring that they feel free enough to share it."

"Each musician holds a different energy. They help to infuse something unique through their own way of chanting," he continued. "Deva Premal and Miten hold an amazing energy. They know how to really create that inner dance between themselves and the community. There is such a depth that comes from them that it allows people to really connect with the profoundly soulful part of their heart. They combine that with a playfulness that gives it a universality that emanates from their music. Their concert in Philadelphia was unbelievable. We all felt it for weeks afterwards. So many people reached out to us feeling so moved by the event that they wanted to carry that connection forward."

"The real reason I do these concerts is for Philadelphia: to help build the community consciousness. The kirtan events connect the Yoga centers and the Yoga students and create community in ways that nothing else does. They dissolve the boundaries that can't be dissolved in other ways. The chanting blends the different Yoga traditions as well and has brought a lot of people beyond the separateness to a much greater state of harmony." Listening to him, I realized that what kirtan does for the individual, it can also do for groups, bringing communities together.

Manish Vyas, who grew up in India studying classical Indian music, says, "Kirtan in India is a very ancient spiritual phenomenon. It was known as a layman's way of connecting to the divine. Not everyone is a scholar or has had a chance to practice a path, so the simple men and women had kirtan as a tool to dissolve and merge with the divine. My teacher, Osho, said that kirtan is one of the simplest and most powerful techniques of meditation. It is so effortless and joyful at the same time that the kirtan participants just have to allow the music and rhythm to take over and simply flow with it. What happens next is a huge whirlpool of energy generating from the phenomenon of group singing and dancing. And in a group, one's separation from the other dissolves. In that space, one is finally ONE, even for a few moments. We use so many methods and techniques to find this union, and through kirtan, it is accessible effortlessly."

That is the amazing thing about the group chanting experience. It just happens. You feel your voice emerge almost without intent. And it feels perfect.

Markus Sieber, who is half of the band Mirabai Ceiba, says, "Chanting can be like a light in the darkness. You can sing for your pain, for your sadness, and it can transform you. Singing and playing music together is a way of subtle communication beyond words." When you hear Mirabai Ceiba in concert, you feel all of those things and more. You are sharing those songs of longing with everyone around you and breaking through to a new place together.

Valerie Ortiz, who saw Snatam Kaur's concert in Virginia last year said, "Snatam's concerts just open your heart wide open. And then all you are is love." And in a room full of people, that love has plenty of places to land.

Karan Khalsa is devoted to sharing sacred music and technology through her writing and her business, Spirit Voyage: spiritvoyage.com

About the Author

The author is the CEO of Spirit Voyage Records which is engaged in yoga music and healing meditations . The company practices various forms of Kundalini Yoga and meditation music.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Yoga is considered an art that helps with the development of your spirit, mind, and body. If you continue practicing yoga over a period of time, it will give you the contentment you have been searching for. Yoga is achieved through exercise, breathing, and meditation.

Ashtanga yoga (sometimes called power yoga) is a vigorous form of yoga, so you will want to buy a mat with good padding and durability, much more than the mats for Hatha yoga. If you are a serious practitioner, then you might want to spend a bit of extra money and get one of the best yoga mats, like the Manduka black yoga mat.

The organs of the body get a massage. Yoga is probably the single greatest exercise that can thoroughly work on your internal organs, along with the others that seldom are externally stimulated during our whole life.

Bhakti yoga is the foremost of all. It denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God, called bhakti. Traditionally there are nine forms of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha (the others being Karma, Raja and Jnana Yoga), and especially so within the current age of Kali yuga (according to the Hindu cycle of time). In scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana, bhakti is described as a perfectional stage in itself, which surpasses even moksha as a level of spiritual realisation.

Although most people think of yoga as a solitary activity, many yoga schools now offer classes for partner yoga. Generally your partner will be someone you already know such as your spouse or friend. Partner yoga can help to deepen your relationship with this person and create new levels of intimacy. However, many people prefer go to partner yoga classes alone and meet up with a new partner each time.

Yoga not only exercises your body, but you mind and soul as well. Yoga physical exercises go hand in hand with yoga meditations. This was started out in India so long ago you might not even believe it. They have found artifacts that depict people in Yoga positions that date back to 3000BC.

Yoga helps you to move better and feel better. It stretches muscles and joints and can result in improved posture, energy levels and overall health. The regular practice of yoga can promote body wellness by gradually increasing overall flexibility. By easing muscles and joints into various postures, tension is released and the body becomes less rigid.

Yoga was practically unknown to the West until the 1960s, when popular culture began to show an interest in Eastern religions. People began to look at yoga as a way to find peace of mind in a world that was anything but peaceful.

Yoga is a form of exercise and its this form of activity provides great benefits psychologically. In studies done in Finland in 2000, participants were asked to partake in exercises. Based on this study, scientists discovered a connection between mood and recreational exercise. Those who participated in exercise at least two times a week had some positive effects on mood. There were fewer signs of depression and anger found among these individuals.

About the Author

Read about Bioinformatics Information. And also read about Food and Drinks And Recipes Blog

Article Source: Content for Reprint