Stephanie Spence's Blog, page 5

Ellen de Jonge

I do a tremendous amount of research before I travel to see if there is a possibility I might meet a yoga teacher that I would like to share with you. I also look for yoga studios the world over. I'm also constantly gathering research for my next book. Just like my ongoing Yoga "Road Trips" I have certain rules and standards that I continue to implement and refine as yoga changes. With some of the teachers, I contact them first to ask if they would be open to meeting after the class I take in case they have a limited amount of time (like most people do). On the studios, though, I have a very strict policy on not letting them know I may be doing a story on them. The anonymity allows me to evaluate the studio and the teacher in a way that isn't altered. I have a growing awareness that social media is skewing our perceptions and I like to keep it simple and real. Integrity still matters. With that, I did find an Ashtanga studio online while researching yoga festivals in the Tulum and Playa del Carmen area. I spent one of the two Ashtangapalooza days at #Yogaloft in Playa del Carmen, run by a yoga teacher I've wanted to meet for some time, Michael Gannon. The easy to find studio is warm and welcoming. With morning and evening daily classes, I settled into a morning routine. Michael's classes were steeped in traditions that I love and resonate with. If you're an Ashtanga lover, or simply want a great place to try while visiting, I highly recommend seeking it out. Michael has a new book which I'm sure will be warmly received. A couple of days a week there is a Vinyasa class. I was incredibly impressed with the teacher, who is a funny, quirky, and yet at the same time stern, yet powerfully loving and wise teacher - Ellen de Jonge. I asked Ellen if she'd share a little about herself with you. I'm honored and thrilled to introduce you to her.. SS: How did you get started on your yoga journey? EDJ: I started my yoga journey 14 years ago here in Playa del Carmen. The reason I stepped for the first time on a yoga mat was kind of out of a suggestion from a good friend of mine. We all go through difficult times in our lives and 14 years ago I found myself in a rough spot. I heard it before; Yoga is good for body and mind, but my idea about yoga was sitting on a mat and talking to God. And that was something I had absolutely no desire in doing….. Anyway, I found myself going to that first class because I tried anything in that time of my life to get calm and get out of anxiety and panic attacks. After that first class, seriously it only took one class, I was hooked. I felt something was lifted of my shoulders and right after that first class I asked the teacher what book I should start reading because I was interested to make this my own. If after one class I could already feel a shift, what would happen if I do a class every day? Very soon after that first class I found myself in a study (that is still going on today) and became a yoga teacher. My main reason and wish to start sharing this wonderful science at that time was to help people who had the same issues as me. Show them that there is an answer and that you can feel “normal” again. Now many years later, many trainings are done, opened a studio and closed a studio, went to India, met the big guru’s,  still I feel like a beginner on this endless, humble journey that we call yoga. I found after practicing with many big names and brilliant teachers my teacher is Rod Stryker and his knowledge is endless so I am listening…... SS: What has yoga taught you about yourself? EDJ: Before I stepped on my mat I was “just walking through life” now I am living. That is how I see it now. A huge change took place while doing my daily down dogs. Almost like you could see inside yourself and know what is going on. The clear mind, or a bit less clouded, gave me opportunity to see what is important. It is possible with practice to gain self-knowledge and all of a sudden see the real you. SS: How do you use yoga to overcome obstacles? EDJ: When I started yoga 14 years ago I was in a big challenge in my life….yoga took my hand and lead me through it. I didn’t think that much about it in those days but now looking back I know it is was a life saver. Then this happened; 2 years ago I heard the sentence from my doctor nobody wants to hear; "Ellen you have cancer." I found myself in a surgery of 7 hours to remove a big tumor and luckily now I am completely clean. Yes that is a celebration! But waiting for results are nerve recking and almost makes you crazy. If I look back on it now, during those months, I was breathing. After surgery I was sitting in the hospital just breathing. I remember that moment that the sun came through a window and I was sitting in a chair in the hospital, unable to move yet, but I was breathing with such awareness that it felt like a present. The steady yoga breath….did I use that? Did I made the choice to use it? It came naturally. So YES I breathe to overcome. My daily sadhana strengthens me and I am using my mat practice many times to calm down, to refresh and let things go.

SS: What has yoga taught you about life? EDJ: My yoga study goes deep. That yoga is not asana is something that rang the bell very quickly and I was, and am, super interested in the mind stuff. Reading and studying scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Sutras shines a complex but bright light on life and how we see it. Don’t get me wrong, I am a grounded Dutch woman and love to make jokes about a lot. I don’t walk around with crystals and oils. I eat French fries (with mayonnaise), work out with rap music and am on the computer sometimes way to long. BUT the gift I receive from Yoga I treasure and handle it with care. Life is change, life is there every moment, life is what I create. Yoga taught me that. And that is big. ~ Ellen Namaste Stephanie

Ellen de Jonge

I do a tremendous amount of research before I travel to see if there is a possibility I might meet a yoga teacher that I would like to share with you. I also look for yoga studios the world over. I'm also constantly gathering research for my next book. Just like my ongoing Yoga "Road Trips" I have certain rules and standards that I continue to implement and refine as yoga changes. With some of the teachers, I contact them first to ask if they would be open to meeting after the class I take in case they have a limited amount of time (like most people do). On the studios, though, I have a very strict policy on not letting them know I may be doing a story on them. The anonymity allows me to evaluate the studio and the teacher in a way that isn't altered. I have a growing awareness that social media is skewing our perceptions and I like to keep it simple and real. Integrity still matters. With that, I did find an Ashtanga studio online while researching yoga festivals in the Tulum and Playa del Carmen area. I spent one of the two Ashtangapalooza days at #Yogaloft in Playa del Carmen, run by a yoga teacher I've wanted to meet for some time, Michael Gannon. The easy to find studio is warm and welcoming. With morning and evening daily classes, I settled into a morning routine. Michael's classes were steeped in traditions that I love and resonate with. If you're an Astanga lover, or simply want a great place to try while visiting, I highly recommend seeking it out. Michael has a new book which I'm sure will be warmly received. A couple of days a week there is a Vinyasa class. I was incredibly impressed with the teacher, who is a funny, quirky, and yet at the same time stern, yet powerfully loving and wise teacher - Ellen de Jonge. I asked Ellen if she'd share a little about herself with you. I'm honored and thrilled to introduce you to her.. SS: How did you get started on your yoga journey? EDJ: I started my yoga journey 14 years ago here in Playa del Carmen. The reason I stepped for the first time on a yoga mat was kind of out of a suggestion from a good friend of mine. We all go through difficult times in our lives and 14 years ago I found myself in a rough spot. I heard it before; Yoga is good for body and mind, but my idea about yoga was sitting on a mat and talk to God. And that was something I had absolutely no desire in doing….. Anyway, I found myself going to that first class because I tried anything in that time of my life to get calm and get out of anxiety and panic attacks. After that first class, seriously it only took one class, I was hooked. I felt something was lifted of my shoulders and right after that first class I asked the teacher what book I should start reading because I was interested to make this my own. If after one class I could already feel a shift, what would happen if I do a class every day? Very soon after that first class I found myself in a study (that is still going on today) and became a yoga teacher. My main reason and wish to start sharing this wonderful science at that time was to help people who had the same issues as me. Show them that there is an answer and that you can feel “normal” again. Now many years later, many trainings are done, opened a studio and closed a studio, went to India, met the big guru’s,  still I feel like a beginner on this endless, humble journey that we call yoga. I found after practicing with many big names and brilliant teachers my teacher in Rod Stryker and his knowledge is endless so I am listening…... SS: What has yoga taught you about yourself? EDJ: Before I stepped on my mat I was “just walking through life” now I am living. That is how I see it now. A huge change took place while doing my daily down dogs. Almost like you could see inside yourself and know what is going on. The clear mind, or a bit less clouded, gave me opportunity to see what is important. It is possible with practice to gain self-knowledge and all of a sudden see the real you. SS: How do you use yoga to overcome obstacles? EDJ: When I started yoga 14 years ago I was in a big challenge in my life….yoga took my hand and lead me through it. I didn’t thought that much about it in those days but now looking back I know it is was a life safer. Then this happened; 2 years ago I heard the sentence from my doctor nobody wants to hear; Ellen you have cancer. I found myself in a surgery of 7 hours to remove a big tumor and luckily now I am completely clean. Yes that is a celebration! But waiting for results are nerve recking and almost make you crazy. If I look back on it now, during those months, I was breathing. After surgery I was sitting in the hospital just breathing. I remember that moment that the sun came through a window and I was sitting in a chair in the hospital, unable to move yet, but I was breathing which such awareness that it felt like a present. The steady yoga breath….did I use that? Did I made the choice to use it? It came naturally. So YES I breath to overcome. My daily sadhana strengthens me and I am using my mat practice many times to calm down, to refresh and let things go.

SS: What has yoga taught you about life? EDJ: My yoga study goes deep. That yoga is not asana is something that rang the bell very quickly and I was, and am, super interested in the mind stuff. Reading and study scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and the Sutras shines a complex but bright light on life and how we see it. Don’t get me wrong, I am a grounded Dutch woman and love to make jokes about a lot. I don’t walk around with crystals and oils. I eat French fries (with mayonnaise), work out with rap music and be on the computer sometimes way to long. BUT the gift I receive from Yoga I treasure and handle it with care. Life is change, life is there every moment, life is what I create. Yoga taught me that. And that is big. ~ Ellen Namaste Stephanie

All You Have To Do Is Play

The title sounds like a metaphor for not taking practice too seriously, but this article is hoping to give you some new ideas about what music you should practice to and why. When I first attended a yoga class almost forty years ago there were no mirrors in studios and certainly no music. There is new and exciting scientific reasons behind why. As I became interested in this I dove into a whole world of sound and the relationship to it and our brains. What I also learned was that I was in way over my head. Although I had played an instrument in high school, I was never taught about the connection of mind, body, and spirit as it relates to sound. I first looked into binaural beats. The effect of binaural beats and brainwave entrainment brings about one of the states associated with meditation — usually alpha or theta, or sometimes the gamma state. Why isn’t anyone playing this in yoga classes, I thought? Perhaps even complimenting a specific mind altering sequence (as I was taught that was why Ashtanga has a set sequence). But traditional #Ashtanga still does not include music. Here in the U.S., though, it’s rare to find a class outside of Ashtanga that does not include music. Why not gamma state mind and/or mood enhancing music if people are so used to sounds in class? Could there really be more “life enhancing - spiritually enhancing" sound in a yoga class that is not chanting, sacred devotional music, #Kirtan, #healingbowls or anything we’ve heard in a class before? Not even mantra. Mantras originated in the Vedic religion of India, and was around a long time before we were all moving to a teacher’s favorite playlist. Yes, sound is integral in the history of yoga but I predict its influence will continue to change and grow. I had to know more. There is a growing pool of sources and information with people playing around with brain states to create specific architecture in the brain. There’s even been a recent discovery of a brain state called Gamma. Gamma brain waves are a frequency pattern of normal brain activity that measures between 25 and 100 Hz, with around 40 Hz being typical in humans. Gamma waves were essentially unknown before the development of digital EEG (electroencephalography) recorders, since analog electroencephalography could not measure brain waves at that high. Neuroscientists are beginning to discover the marvelous properties of the brain when it produces the gamma frequency. Gamma brain waves are the fastest brainwave frequency with the smallest amplitude. They are associated with the “feeling of blessings” reported by experienced meditators, and with peak concentration, sensory perception and extremely high levels of cognitive functioning. Neuroscientists believe that gamma waves are able to link information from all parts of the brain – the gamma wave originates in the thalamus and moves from the back of the brain to the front and back again forty times per second – not only that, but the entire brain is influenced by the gamma wave. This rapid “full sweep” action makes the gamma state one of peak mental and physical performance. Gamma is the brainwave state of being “in the Zone,” that feeling that you can do anything. We all want that, so I began searching for the fastest route to bliss. Hamid Jabbar took my hand and led me through this new world I was learning. Hamid teaches meditation, yoga, sound, and bodywork. He has spent the better part of his adult life investigating Eastern philosophical and practical systems of Yoga, Ayurveda, Buddhism, Thai bodywork, Japanese energy work, and other traditional healing methods. He went to NYC on a music scholarship, so I felt confident I was on the right track. He plays various types of gongs, flutes, chimes, percussion, and is also exploring human voice as a method for transcending consciousness. Following is a quick Q&A with him: SS: How is sound integral to our wellbeing? #HamidJabbar: “As humans, we are anatomically wired and evolved to rely upon sound, both in our environment and in communication. We evolved to use sound to identify both threats and non-threats. For example, the sounds of birds chirping tells us subconsciously that everything is alright and our body naturally calms down. When it gets quiet suddenly and the birds are no longer chirping, our body becomes on edge. Similarly, the sound of our mother’s voice when we are young is hard wired to soothe us. These examples help us to see that on a physical level, our nervous system responds to sound in ways that we are not fully aware of, but that are significant. In the sound therapy world, sounds that calm the nervous system can be used to intentionally bring about physical calm and the proper functioning of our nervous system. On a mental level, we know that the mind can be entrained to certain sounds—both beneficial and non-beneficial sounds (consider the effects of construction noise, which are unsettling). And on a spiritual level, sound can be used to take us into ecstatic states, something that all spiritual traditions recognize. It is helpful for some people to ask the following question: What is my diet of sound? Just like our diet of food, are we consuming sounds that are beneficial or sounds that ultimately cause us problems. It’s about being aware of ones diet, eliminating the junk, and then bringing in the healthy sounds.” SS: Kirtan, Mantra and most of the meditative playlists we're accustomed to are soothing. We instinctively know this. but why? HJ: “There are so many reasons! Just as background, much of what we find soothing is hard wired as part of our nervous system. Mammals have evolved to have floating inner ear bones. That is, we have tiny bones inside our ears that are detached from our jaws. This allows us to hear a wide range of frequencies. Less evolved creatures like reptiles have connected inner ear bones and use bone conduction for hearing, which limits the range of frequencies. When the first mammals evolved, they were small and their biggest threats were large reptile predators. Their inner ear structure allowed them to hear the low rumbles of approaching danger while also the higher pitches of their family members. Humans do the same thing today, subcionsly. We can sense danger in certain frequencies and safety in others. Frequencies in the range of our mother’s voice are calming simply because we are hardwired for this—Kirtan and folk music tend to have this quality. Also, more recent studies are showing that natural harmonic overtones, which are present in nature are soothing to our mind and body. Most meditation music uses harmonic overtones, whether or not the musician is conscious about why they are doing that. Instruments like gongs, bowls, bells, and the instruments of Kirtan like harmonium are all overtone producing instruments, so these help in creating spontaneous meditative states in listeners.” SS: Teachers are using music to enhance classes, but why does some music take us "out" of an internal experience? HJ: “Some music, particularly western pop styles are now being used in yoga because they give an up-beat feel. One reason they can take us away from our internal practice is that we hear lyrics and our left brain starts to think about the lyrics or, worse, sing along in our head. When we get into that left brain mode, we lose touch with all the subtle physical sensations in the body. The words themselves if spoken in our native language can light up the language centers of the brain and simply prevent a meditation from occurring. This is one reason mantra calms the mind is because after a while of repetition the mantra simply becomes an internalized sound that doesn’t distract us. Kirtan and music in our non-native language like Sanskrit also acts more like sound than language on our mind, which can keep us from becoming occupied with words and meaning. Other reasons pop can take us out of our practice is that it almost universally uses equal temperament tuning. This is a complex topic but it’s one reason western pop music does not take us to the same place as eastern styles. Most non-western music is based on scales that use the natural harmonic series (discussed in response to question 1) and those scales are naturally more meditative to us because they follow the sounds that are found in nature. In the west we use a scale that is not natural—it was invented solely because the piano required a single tuning for all keys—but these scales are actually out of tune and both our body and mind know it when we hear it." But what of other ideas like cardiac coherence to design a music playlist for a yoga class? Coherence is a measure of the pattern in the heart's rhythm, and reflects an orderly and harmonious synchronization among various systems in the body such as the heart, respiratory system and blood-pressure rhythms. I found out, though, that you need headphones for your brain to experience certain sounds, so I went back to digging and found Handpan and Hang Drum music by Ravid Goldschmidt. The unique heritage of the Handpan in Bern Switzerland. The founders constructed a complex musical instrument called The Hang®, meaning “hand” in Bernese German. No surprise the Hang is played by hand. Drawing inspiration from the steel drum family, it has a distinct ethereal sound. Once the Hang had become hard to find it ceased to be produced. Following the disappearance of the Hang from the market, musicians began to discover the use of the acoustically transcendental, distinctively refined handpan. While similarities exist in the physical appearance of the handpan and the Hang, dedicated loyalists who play the handpan or the Hang would argue that the two instruments are fundamentally distinct from the other, specifically in physical structure and tuning methods. The Hang Drum also has a new cousin; the Gubal. Just search on YouTube for Hang Drum music for Yoga and Meditation. I can’t wait to hear what you think. While looking for more music that could help me access gamma state, I stumbled on another source I just couldn’t ignore, Nacho Arimany, who is sharing sounds revolving around the harmonic pattern of growth and evolution. What’s the future of music in a yoga class look like? Hard to say, but perhaps people like #NachoArimany and his work will be part of the evolving landscape of the yoga world: “By synchronizing the brain with the harmonic pattern of growth and evolution, we create and renew internal balance with a specific space in the body where the true resonant voice of the individual flow, creating free energy in the whole system with deep transformation.” – Nacho Arimany In the future will there will be fusion classes of yoga that uses something like the The Arimany Method? It’s a movement and voice technique that helps to create specific architecture in the brain based on the properties of the Golden Ratio. By listening to resonant sounds, moving in specific patterns and harmonizing with our voice, we experience body and brain alignment. The result is a calmer, more productive body and brain; like what we experience in yoga. Yoga is self-soothing, but we want to make sure the music we share in a class isn’t self-numbing. Yin teachers I spoke with are even using more meditative music, including percussion. Percussion (without language) is also an important contributor to enhancing our life experience. It allows us to remain in the experience, instead of taking us out of our experience. That’s a central focus of yoga, to teach people how to access their wise, internal world. I’m on a mission to convince people that the whole reason they’re at yoga is to get to Shavasana. It’s where all the magic happens. It’s where I can meditate. And that’s where I learned I could find gamma. Want to access gamma state? Many studies have been performed on experienced meditators, most notably Tibetan Buddhist monks and Celestine nuns. Both groups demonstrated the ability to produce gamma waves during meditation. Something remarkable happened when the monks in the study were asked to focus on feelings of compassion: their brain almost immediately went into the gamma frequency in a very rhythmic and coherent pattern. Food for thought… perhaps compassion meditation makes one’s brain “fire” at the rhythm of universal consciousness? The studies showed a significant increase in brain activity in the left prefrontal cortex (associated with self-control, happiness and compassion) and greatly reduced activity in the amygdala – the brain’s fight or flight center. This suggests that meditation can increase your states of happiness and you become a more compassionate person. As you meditate with the help of yoga, meditation music, or the sources listed above, and begin feeling that wonderful warmth of one-ness where you lose the sense of self and “melt” into universal consciousness, hang on to that feeling. Focus on it. Expand on it. Embody it. Feel love emanating from you and permeating you. Focus on love…and you will soon feel the ecstasy and bliss of gamma. Namaste Stephanie

All You Have To Do Is Play

The title sounds like a metaphor for not taking practice too seriously, but this article is hoping to give you some new ideas about what music you should practice to and why. When I first attended a yoga class almost forty years ago there were no mirrors in studios and certainly no music. There is new and exciting scientific reasons behind why. As I became interested in this I dove into a whole world of sound and the relationship to it and our brains. What I also learned was that I was in way over my head. Although I had played an instrument in high school, I was never taught about the connection of mind, body, and spirit as it relates to sound. I first looked into binaural beats. The effect of binaural beats and brainwave entrainment brings about one of the states associated with meditation — usually alpha or theta, or sometimes the gamma state. Why isn’t anyone playing this in yoga classes, I thought? Perhaps even complimenting a specific mind altering sequence (as I was taught that was why Ashtanga has a set sequence). But traditional #Ashtanga still does not include music. Here in the U.S., though, it’s rare to find a class outside of Ashtanga that does not include music. Why not gamma state mind and/or mood enhancing music if people are so used to sounds in class? Could there really be more “life enhancing - spiritually enhancing" sound in a yoga class that is not chanting, sacred devotional music, #Kirtan, #healingbowls or anything we’ve heard in a class before? Not even mantra. Mantras originated in the Vedic religion of India, and was around a long time before we were all moving to a teacher’s favorite playlist. Yes, sound is integral in the history of yoga but I predict its influence will continue to change and grow. I had to know more. There is a growing pool of sources and information with people playing around with brain states to create specific architecture in the brain. There’s even been a recent discovery of a brain state called Gamma. Gamma brain waves are a frequency pattern of normal brain activity that measures between 25 and 100 Hz, with around 40 Hz being typical in humans. Gamma waves were essentially unknown before the development of digital EEG (electroencephalography) recorders, since analog electroencephalography could not measure brain waves at that high. Neuroscientists are beginning to discover the marvelous properties of the brain when it produces the gamma frequency. Gamma brain waves are the fastest brainwave frequency with the smallest amplitude. They are associated with the “feeling of blessings” reported by experienced meditators, and with peak concentration, sensory perception and extremely high levels of cognitive functioning. Neuroscientists believe that gamma waves are able to link information from all parts of the brain – the gamma wave originates in the thalamus and moves from the back of the brain to the front and back again forty times per second – not only that, but the entire brain is influenced by the gamma wave. This rapid “full sweep” action makes the gamma state one of peak mental and physical performance. Gamma is the brainwave state of being “in the Zone,” that feeling that you can do anything. We all want that, so I began searching for the fastest route to bliss. Hamid Habbar took my hand and led me through this new world I was learning. Hamid teaches meditation, yoga, sound, and bodywork. He has spent the better part of his adult life investigating Eastern philosophical and practical systems of Yoga, Ayurveda, Buddhism, Thai bodywork, Japanese energy work, and other traditional healing methods. He went to NYC on a music scholarship, so I felt confident I was on the right track. He plays various types of gongs, flutes, chimes, percussion, and is also exploring human voice as a method for transcending consciousness. Following is a quick Q&A with him: SS: How is sound integral to our wellbeing? HH: “As humans, we are anatomically wired and evolved to rely upon sound, both in our environment and in communication. We evolved to use sound to identify both threats and non-threats. For example, the sounds of birds chirping tells us subconsciously that everything is alright and our body naturally calms down. When it gets quiet suddenly and the birds are no longer chirping, our body becomes on edge. Similarly, the sound of our mother’s voice when we are young is hard wired to soothe us. These examples help us to see that on a physical level, our nervous system responds to sound in ways that we are not fully aware of, but that are significant. In the sound therapy world, sounds that calm the nervous system can be used to intentionally bring about physical calm and the proper functioning of our nervous system. On a mental level, we know that the mind can be entrained to certain sounds—both beneficial and non-beneficial sounds (consider the effects of construction noise, which are unsettling). And on a spiritual level, sound can be used to take us into ecstatic states, something that all spiritual traditions recognize. It is helpful for some people to ask the following question: What is my diet of sound? Just like our diet of food, are we consuming sounds that are beneficial or sounds that ultimately cause us problems. It’s about being aware of ones diet, eliminating the junk, and then bringing in the healthy sounds.” SS: Kirtan, Mantra and most of the meditative playlists we're accustomed to are soothing. We instinctively know this. but why? HH: “There are so many reasons! Just as background, much of what we find soothing is hard wired as part of our nervous system. Mammals have evolved to have floating inner ear bones. That is, we have tiny bones inside our ears that are detached from our jaws. This allows us to hear a wide range of frequencies. Less evolved creatures like reptiles have connected inner ear bones and use bone conduction for hearing, which limits the range of frequencies. When the first mammals evolved, they were small and their biggest threats were large reptile predators. Their inner ear structure allowed them to hear the low rumbles of approaching danger while also the higher pitches of their family members. Humans do the same thing today, subcionsly. We can sense danger in certain frequencies and safety in others. Frequencies in the range of our mother’s voice are calming simply because we are hardwired for this—Kirtan and folk music tend to have this quality. Also, more recent studies are showing that natural harmonic overtones, which are present in nature are soothing to our mind and body. Most meditation music uses harmonic overtones, whether or not the musician is conscious about why they are doing that. Instruments like gongs, bowls, bells, and the instruments of Kirtan like harmonium are all overtone producing instruments, so these help in creating spontaneous meditative states in listeners.” SS: Teachers are using music to enhance classes, but why does some music take us "out" of an internal experience? HH: “Some music, particularly western pop styles are now being used in yoga because they give an up-beat feel. One reason they can take us away from our internal practice is that we hear lyrics and our left brain starts to think about the lyrics or, worse, sing along in our head. When we get into that left brain mode, we lose touch with all the subtle physical sensations in the body. The words themselves if spoken in our native language can light up the language centers of the brain and simply prevent a meditation from occurring. This is one reason mantra calms the mind is because after a while of repetition the mantra simply becomes an internalized sound that doesn’t distract us. Kirtan and music in our non-native language like Sanskrit also acts more like sound than language on our mind, which can keep us from becoming occupied with words and meaning. Other reasons pop can take us out of our practice is that it almost universally uses equal temperament tuning. This is a complex topic but it’s one reason western pop music does not take us to the same place as eastern styles. Most non-western music is based on scales that use the natural harmonic series (discussed in response to question 1) and those scales are naturally more meditative to us because they follow the sounds that are found in nature. In the west we use a scale that is not natural—it was invented solely because the piano required a single tuning for all keys—but these scales are actually out of tune and both our body and mind know it when we hear it." But what of other ideas like cardiac coherence to design a music playlist for a yoga class? Coherence is a measure of the pattern in the heart's rhythm, and reflects an orderly and harmonious synchronization among various systems in the body such as the heart, respiratory system and blood-pressure rhythms. I found out, though, that you need headphones for your brain to experience certain sounds, so I went back to digging and found Handpan and Hang Drum music by Ravid Goldschmidt. The unique heritage of the Handpan in Bern Switzerland. The founders constructed a complex musical instrument called The Hang®, meaning “hand” in Bernese German. No surprise the Hang is played by hand. Drawing inspiration from the steel drum family, it has a distinct ethereal sound. Once the Hang had become hard to find it ceased to be produced. Following the disappearance of the Hang from the market, musicians began to discover the use of the acoustically transcendental, distinctively refined handpan. While similarities exist in the physical appearance of the handpan and the Hang, dedicated loyalists who play the handpan or the Hang would argue that the two instruments are fundamentally distinct from the other, specifically in physical structure and tuning methods. The Hang Drum also has a new cousin; the Gubal. Just search on YouTube for Hang Drum music for Yoga and Meditation. I can’t wait to hear what you think. While looking for more music that could help me access gamma state, I stumbled on another source I just couldn’t ignore, Nacho Arimany, who is sharing sounds revolving around the harmonic pattern of growth and evolution. What’s the future of music in a yoga class look like? Hard to say, but perhaps people like #NachoArimany and his work will be part of the evolving landscape of the yoga world: “By synchronizing the brain with the harmonic pattern of growth and evolution, we create and renew internal balance with a specific space in the body where the true resonant voice of the individual flow, creating free energy in the whole system with deep transformation.” – Nacho Arimany In the future will there will be fusion classes of yoga that uses something like the The Arimany Method? It’s a movement and voice technique that helps to create specific architecture in the brain based on the properties of the Golden Ratio. By listening to resonant sounds, moving in specific patterns and harmonizing with our voice, we experience body and brain alignment. The result is a calmer, more productive body and brain; like what we experience in yoga. Yoga is self-soothing, but we want to make sure the music we share in a class isn’t self-numbing. Yin teachers I spoke with are even using more meditative music, including percussion. Percussion (without language) is also an important contributor to enhancing our life experience. It allows us to remain in the experience, instead of taking us out of our experience. That’s a central focus of yoga, to teach people how to access their wise, internal world. I’m on a mission to convince people that the whole reason they’re at yoga is to get to Shavasana. It’s where all the magic happens. It’s where I can meditate. And that’s where I learned I could find gamma. Want to access gamma state? Many studies have been performed on experienced meditators, most notably Tibetan Buddhist monks and Celestine nuns. Both groups demonstrated the ability to produce gamma waves during meditation. Something remarkable happened when the monks in the study were asked to focus on feelings of compassion: their brain almost immediately went into the gamma frequency in a very rhythmic and coherent pattern. Food for thought… perhaps compassion meditation makes one’s brain “fire” at the rhythm of universal consciousness? The studies showed a significant increase in brain activity in the left prefrontal cortex (associated with self-control, happiness and compassion) and greatly reduced activity in the amygdala – the brain’s fight or flight center. This suggests that meditation can increase your states of happiness and you become a more compassionate person. As you meditate with the help of yoga, meditation music, or the sources listed above, and begin feeling that wonderful warmth of one-ness where you lose the sense of self and “melt” into universal consciousness, hang on to that feeling. Focus on it. Expand on it. Embody it. Feel love emanating from you and permeating you. Focus on love…and you will soon feel the ecstasy and bliss of gamma. Namaste Stephanie

Maria Cannistra

A resident of San Diego for over 22 years, Maria comes from a sports background of running, biking, swimming and outrigger canoe racing. Her dedication and passion for yoga took shape when she started her practice at “The Yoga Hut” in 2004. Her teacher, Rebecca Kovacs, was her inspiration and thus began her journey for the love of the practice. She received her certification from the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City where she was blessed to receive the traditional teachings of Dharma Mittra Yoga/Vinyasa Flow, from the very humble, Master Sri Dharma Mittra, the sustainer of grace. “Dharma teaches us to pay homage, to think of God while practicing yoga and living life. Dharma is simplicity and magnitude at the same time. He draws you in like a magnet and has a heart like the sun.” Maria’s enthusiastic approach and her love of yoga shines in her classes. She encourages her students to make the practice playful and to challenge themselves at the same time. Whatever level she teaches, she works with her beginners to feel the poses and the more advanced to encourage them to master a variety of poses. Maria believes every person has the ability to create a higher consciousness of the body, mind, and spirit; bringing compassion and love to the practice. Maria has been teaching for over seven years. Currently she teaches in Imperial Beach, CA at #ImperialBeach #Yoga (#Ashtanga) and Imperial Beach #Fitness. She teaches seniors in La Jolla, Calif at Sunrise Senior Living. She teaches Yoga on the beach where her students can experience the love of the outdoors while practicing. Yoga taught me that I am one entity within our universe. Yoga teaches me to live in the now. I have had to let go of past regrets and experiences that brought me pain. To live in the now is the most challenging. Animals do it naturally, I have had to learn it. To be happy, right here, right now with everything that surrounds me. To accept that all things are temporary. When life presents changes I may not expect, I learn to deal with the changes as they come my way. To remain calm in the storm and to stay grounded when my roots are lifted. I have learned to accept and to surrender. I know it is my responsibility to create the life that I want for me. I have faith and trust in the universe to follow my path. I know things will come into my life as needed and to trust myself. I am my best teacher. Yoga is about getting to know yourself. Yoga forces you to look within and get to know you if you are up for the challenge. When you know yourself, you have good relationships with others. You understand others better as you understand yourself. Your life is filled with challenges, yet you learn to ride the challenges as they come and go. When you get to know yourself, your life is rich with so many blessings that come your way. Sometimes, it is very challenging to look within as we may not always like what we see. We certainly have the capacity and if the desire is there, we can change things in our lives for the better. Getting to know yourself is a journey and so worthwhile for all the richness that it brings to our lives. Namaste Stephanie.

The Retreat by BE WELL

#Bewell #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

intrepidsasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ intrepidsasana = you are here to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously. #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

peerasana

YogaWisdomOfTheDay ~ peerasana = Surround yourself with people who are positive influences, who lift you up and invigorate you. #love #smile #yogajourney #yogalove #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogaislife #yogajournal #yogadaily #yogaasana #yogafam #yogagram #yogaaddict #yogisofinstagram #myyogalife #author #yogagirlsdaily #YogaWisdom #goals #lifegoals #quotes #inspiration #motivation

Sacred Sound by Alanna Kaivalya

Like beautiful songs that you want to play on an instrument, Alanna Kaivalya’s non-fiction book Sacred Sound: Discovering The Myth & Meaning of Mantra & Kirtan reminds me of why I (and everyone) loves sounds. She shares the why’s and ways of how sound resonates with us on a soul level. The instrument is your voice. As a former musical instrument player, I enjoyed this book immensely. As a yoga teacher myself, I was inspired to read the book because I struggle to feel comfortable with kirtan. I have an unhealthy relationship with signing in a group setting. I can carry a tune, but because of my musical background I can only dream about a voice that creates an emotional connection with self and others. This deep yearning for connection is filled through yoga and I find that I have “hidden” well in a large space with many yogis and loved the experience. Because of this, I wanted to know more. I found Alanna’s clear, conversational voice mixed with valuable amounts of the complex history of Nada Yoga (sound yoga) to be extremely useful and have bought the book for the yoga teachers that I am mentoring. I especially appreciated the mythology behind the words, helping the reader understand the “psychological and spiritual information” and how it is “conveyed through mythology.” I, too, am a big fan of Joseph Campbell but found this unique connection between yoga and the connection to mythology to be presented in a fresh and all together new way. You can feel the passion that she has for this work in her prose. The practices included are fun and easily understood but equally impressive and importantly is her digital library of audio files with audible pronunciation for each of the mantras and kirtan chants. Priceless. I came to see how “these mantras are containers of yogic wisdom that enhance not only our practice but who we are as human beings” as she shares. This is a book that I will add to the list of “Yoga Books You Must Have In Your Yoga Library” list that I pass along to students and teachers all over the world. Like using specific styles of yoga or specific yoga poses for healing, medicine-in-the-moment or an overall sense of wellbeing, this book makes chanting easy and accessible. Alanna shares that “You can do it any time, any place, and once you develop a relationship with the different mantra and how each of them interacts with you in your life, you can choose which one can help you during the day whenever you need a certain kind of recalibration or balance.” So I guess as I pull up next to you in my car with the top down, I’ll hear more of you chanting after pouring over this book again and again. Namaste, Stephanie

Chair Yoga, Kristin McGee

We are designed for movement, yet most people sit most of the day. Healing from a sports injury, and confined to a knee brace, I was in an unusual position of being forced to sit most of the day. To continue my yoga practice, I picked up a copy of Kristin McGee’s book, “Chair Yoga.” I had assumed that chair yoga was only for older people. Kristen eloquently teaches that some people go from sitting at their breakfast table to sitting on a train and/or plane for a commute to an office chair then home again to sit at their dinner table before moving to the couch to relax. That’s a lot of sitting, and it’s the norm. Whether a busy working person or mobility challenged McGee’s book is easy to understand and upbeat. It’s clutter free but packed with wisdom. In addition to the simple to follow instructions, I especially like the “Try this” and “Works for…” as a quick reference guide (which also saves time for the chair bound and time crunched). Great for a short flight or subway commute. Kristen conveys the information in a way that shows she’s a seasoned yoga instructor, but peppers in light moments to keep it fun and interesting. I really loved the torso section, was shocked and inspired by the challenging hip section. I was surprised at my ignorance as to how much you could do seated and then lo and behold – standing poses with the chair. Nice inclusion. Little did I realize I’d been doing chair pose pigeon at my kitchen counter top for years. This self-help wellness book is a great gift for someone you know who is sitting too much but wants to try yoga. Of course it’s also great for older people, but now I’m educated in the methods as to how which it could be an ageless practice. Make sure and check out the 5 and 10 minute sequences. Namaste, Stephanie