As yoga teachers and practitioners, how do we explain and justify the profound changes that occur through chanting? Let’s explore some key anatomy structures and how they are shifted by sound. My love of anatomy and yoga forces me to question how this sound current serves and helps create changes in my consciousness. Skip forward a few years to my first Kundalini yoga class, where my teacher, Shiva Singh Khalsa, had us chanting mantras accompanied by his guitar, and I was permanently hooked by the incredible feelings of health and joy that came from chanting.įast-forward another 20 years, and the sacred sound current of Indian music pervades my entire practice. Just dipping my feet in and completely innocent of yoga and the sounds of Eastern music, I was giggling at the “weirdness” of it all. In my first yoga class, in Chicago, circa 1995, my best friend and I had to hide our nervous laughter as the instructor chanted “Om” at the beginning of class. It’s one thing for doctors to tell us to exercise to get healthy, but doctors of the future will tell us to sing, chant, and listen to vibrational, expansive music to be truly well. This instrument needs to be played to be healthy and stay in touch with its infinite pulse and beat. Our heart is a constant drumbeat, our voice is a beautiful violin, and our face is the concert hall. You can find some tutorials online, including this one: joy.The design of the body is so exquisite that it is a beautiful musical instrument with its own percussion, string section, and acoustic cavities. Breath of Fire can take a little getting used to but with practice, it can become second nature. But it’s fine to start slow and build up your speed as you feel comfortable to do so.Ī simple way to explore Breath of Fire is to stick out your tongue and pant like a dog. The pace is fast with 2-3 cycles per second. But there are variations, including through the o-shaped mouth, through the mouth with the tongue out, through just one nostril, and more.īreath of Fire is a rhythmic, navel-based breath. With the standard version of Breath of Fire, you inhale and exhale through the nose. And it might feature in deeper meditations along with specific mudras or movement. Often, it’s included with postures and exercises during a kriya. It’s sometimes practiced just on its own. Breath of Fire is energising, cleansing, and can help strengthen the nervous system. There are many different breath techniques used in Kundalini Yoga but Breath of Fire is a fundamental practice. The magic happens when you challenge yourself, working to your own capacity and respecting your limitations, but also testing the boundaries. Regardless of where you’re at when you start, as you continue to practice Kundalini Yoga and meditation, you’ll refine the physical practice and develop your meditative mind. Sometimes it’s not the intense physical exercises but the seemingly innocuous mudra that will test you and your resolve to keep up. The things that challenge you in a Kundalini class might surprise you. Someone showing up to their first Kundalini class may sail through with ease while someone who has practiced for decades may still struggle to keep up. You might find the physical practice easy but struggle to stay focused during meditation or vice versa. You can jump in at any time.Įvery student arrives with particular strengths and weaknesses. As such, there aren’t levels (beginner, intermediate or advanced). The practice isn’t linear, and the teachings aren’t sequential. With some styles of yoga, you start with basic postures and work your way towards more advanced postures.
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