FitSugar

Raise Your Voice and Lift Your Heart: Chanting Music

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:45:00 -0700

I am a fan of Kirtan, aka chanting using Sanskrit mantras. It is great way to meditate, relax your body and mind, and uplift your mood by opening your heart. I know that sounds a bit "wop-woo," but it is true. People have been feeling its benefits for centuries since Kirtan is one of the oldest sacred music traditions of the world.

Many yoga studios offer monthly or weekly Kirtan sessions with musicians playing the sitar, harmonium, and tabla. Performed in a call-and-response fashion, you don't have to know the words but just repeat the phrase the leader sings. If you can't find Kirtan in your area, these CDs are the next best thing. Pilgrim Heart is my absolute favorite.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Counting

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

The thing I love about Ashtanga yoga classes is that they are the same every time you go. Same poses, same order, same amount of breaths in each pose, and the class is always an hour and a half. There are no surprises, so you always know what to expect.

The teacher keeps everyone at the same pace by counting out loud. Many Ashtanga yoga instructors count in Sanskrit, the original language of yoga. Here are the numbers 1-10 written out, and what kind of breath you do for each one.

1: ekam (yekum) - Inhale
2: dve (dway) - Exhale
3: trini (treeny) - Inhale
4: catvari (chatwary) - Exhale
5: panca (pancha) - Inhale
6: sat (sut) - Exhale
7: sapta (supta) - Inhale
8: astau (ashtow) - Exhale
9: nava (nawa) - Inhale
10: dasa (dasha) - Exhale

Here is Pattabhi Jois (the father of Ashtanga Yoga) teaching Second Series with 6 students following. You can here him count in Sanskrit to get in and out of poses, but he counts the 5 breaths in English during the pose. Check it out.

Fit's Tips: Second Series is very challenging, and traditionally taught after mastering Primary Series, so don't be turned off by these difficult poses. If you've never tried an Ashtanga yoga class, take Primary Series first. You'll start off slow and build your way up when your body is ready.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Animal Names

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:45:00 -0700

When you take a yoga class (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructor will call out the names of the poses in their original language, Sanskrit. Here's a list of some animals in Sanskrit and the poses they're named after. Knowing these Sanskrit words really helped me to remember the names of certain yoga poses.

Baka - crow, crane or wading bird, as in Bakasana (Crow pose)
Bheka - frog, as in Bhekasana (Frog pose)
Bhujanga - snake or serpent, as in Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Gomukha - face resembling a cow, as in Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose)
Kapota - dove or pigeon, as in Salamba Kapotasana (Supported Pigeon pose)
Kukkuta - rooster or cock, as in Kukkutasana (Cock pose)
Kurma - tortoise, as in Kurmasana
Matsya - fish, as in Matsyasana (Fish pose)
Mayura - peacock, as in Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock pose, also called Forearm Stand)
Nakra - crocodile, as in Nakrasana (Crocodile pose)
Svana - dog, as in Adho Mukkha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Simha lion, as in Simhasana (Lion pose)
Vatayana - horse, as in Vatayanasana (Horse pose)
Vrschika - scorpion, as in Vrschikasana (Scorpion pose)

Humans were not the first to do yoga. Way back in India, animals were observed in nature, and noted for their particular abilities and accomplishments. To imitate these qualities was considered a high sign of spiritual enlightenment, that's why so many yoga poses are named after animals. Check out this post to see animals doing yoga.

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Body Parts

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:45:00 -0700

When you take a yoga class (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructor will call out the names of the poses in their original language, Sanskrit. Here's a list of some body parts in Sanskrit, so you can get familiar with them. Knowing these Sanskrit words really helped me to remember the names of certain yoga poses.

Pada - foot or leg, as in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A (Extended Hand to Big Toe pose or Standing Hand to Big Toe A)
Angustha - big toe, as in Supta Padangustasana (Sleeping Big Toe pose)
Hasta - hand, as in Padahasthasana (Foot to Hand pose)
Sirsa - head, as in Sirsasana (Headstand)
Janu - knee, as in Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee pose)
Karna - ear, as in Karnapidasana (Ear Pressure Pose)
Anga - limb, as in Trianga Mukha Eka Pada Paschimottanasana (3 Limbs Facing 1 Foot Western Intense Stretch Posture or Half Hero Forward Bend)
Pincha - chin, as in Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Stand)
Sava - a corpse, dead body, as in Savasana (Corpse pose)

If you're lucky, your instructor will only use the Sanskrit names of poses, so after hearing them over and over again, they'll become ingrained in your brain. It's still okay to call poses by their English name too - it doesn't matter what you call them, just as long as you're doing them, right?

Vinyasa: The Link Between Poses

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Yoga is all about connecting your breath with your body, and vinyasas help that happen. Vinyasas link static yoga poses together, so your practice becomes more of a deliberate, fluid dance instead of just a bunch of random poses thrown together. Vinyasa is a series of 5 movements, kind of like a shortened Sun Salutation. You do a vinyasa between different poses and between the right and left sides of poses as well. Vinyasas are like the glue that holds yoga poses together.

Check out this video to see the flow of the 5 movements.

How did it get its name? To find out, read more

"Vinyasa" is a Sanskrit word that literally means "uniting breath with movement." Each of the 5 movements in a vinyasa is synchronized to an inhale or exhale, and those movements help to make the connection between your breath and your body even deeper. This helps to make yoga more of a moving meditation, by increasing your awareness and ability to focus. Vinyasas also make yoga more challenging, because those 5 movements really work your upper body and core. Vinyasas also enable you to maintain heat, which opens your muscles and allows you to get deeper into poses. Doing a vinyasa between each pose brings the body back to a neutral pose, so you're like a clean slate - ready for the next pose.

Here's a simple description of a vinyasa and how the breath is connected to each of the 5 movements:

Inhale - LIFT your feet and hips off the ground.
Exhale - 4-Limbed Staff (Chaturanga) pose.
Inhale - Upward Facing Dog.
Exhale - Downward Facing Dog.
Inhale - Jump your feet through your legs and get ready for the next pose.

Now here's a more descriptive explanation:

Inhale - From a seated position (whichever pose you are doing), plant your palms firmly next to your hips and bend your knees up to your chest. Cross your right leg in front of your left just below the knees (not at the ankles), engage your abdominal muscles and LIFT your feet and hips off the ground.
Exhale - If you can, keep the lift and don't even let your feet touch the ground as you kick them back to Chaturanga. Since that's really tough, try at least to do the LIFT for a moment, then touch your feet to the ground and kick back to Chaturanga.
Inhale - Scoop your chest forward between your arms and come into Upward Facing Dog.
Exhale - Press into your hands and lift your hips up to the ceiling coming into Downward Facing Dog.
Inhale - Look between your hands, bend your knees, jump off the balls of your feet and come into a seated position, ready for the next pose. If you can, you want to try and jump your feet through your hands and land softly on your bum. If that's not happening, take 2 jumps instead of 1. Jump your feet to your hands, then jump your legs in front of you and land on your bum.

You'll do this vinyasa in Ashtanga yoga classes and in other yoga classes too, such as Jivamukti. There's even a style of yoga called "Vinyasa" (also called "Flow"), that involves doing vinyasas between poses, and that's how it got its name.

Check out this video of a guy doing the LIFT back to Chaturanga without even touching the ground. Those are some serious core muscles!

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Basics

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:30:00 -0700

When I go to certain yoga classes (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructors don't demonstrate the postures. They walk around assisting students, and call out the names of the poses - in SANSKRIT! Here's a little lesson so the next time you go to a yoga class like this, you can have more of an idea of what poses you're supposed to be doing.

Asana - "pose," as in Tadasana (Mountain pose)
Urdvha - "upward," as in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog pose)
Adho - "downward," as in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Utthita - "extended," as in Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle pose)
Baddha - "bound," as in Ardha Bada Padmottanasana (Standing Half Bound Lotus pose)
Kona - "angle," as in Supta Konasana (Sleeping Angle pose)
Upavistha - "seated," as in Upavistha Konasana (Seated Angle pose)
Parivritta - "revolved," as in Parivritta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle pose)
Supta - "sleeping," as in Supta Kurmasana (Sleeping Tortoise pose)
Namaste - A sweet gesture meaning "The light (or spirit) in me greets the light in you." "Namaste" is also a greeting than means hello or goodbye.

So now you'll recognize some Sanskrit words when you take your next yoga class. With a little practice, these words will flow right off your tongue. It's fun to learn the Sanskrit names of poses, but you can still call them by their English names - You won't get in trouble with the Yoga Police.

Source

Opening Your Heart With Kirtan

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Meditation may not come easy to a lot of people - trying to sit still and quiet may prove to make you cranky, irritable, and uncomfortable.
Kirtan might work better for your personality. Without the work of mentally quieting the mind, kirtan can carry us effortlessly to a place of quiet stillness.

One of the oldest sacred music traditions of the world, kirtan is in the form of call-and-response chanting. It comes from India, and uses Sanskrit mantras.

If you walk into a kirtan setting, you'll probably find people either sitting in a circle or in a big group. There are usually live musicians, playing tabla drums, a harmonium, and possibly a sitar (an Indian instrument, kind of like a guitar).

One person usually leads the chanting, singing a phrase, and then the rest of the group repeats it after. One mantra or chant could go on for 20 minutes or longer. It's amazing to be a part of - and you can really lose yourself in the music, which is why it can be used as a form of meditation.

Kirtan can be a casual group of people gathered let's say at a yoga studio or someone's home. But there are also entire concerts devoted to kirtan, like ones led by Krishna Das.

Fit's Tips: If you love to sing, I'd definitely recommend checking it out. Contact your local yoga studio to find out if they have kirtan.

Want to see (and hear) what I mean? Then read more

Strike a Yoga Pose: Head to Knee A

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:50:03 -0800

Looking to loosen up inflexible hips and hamstrings? Here's a yoga pose that's a popular stretch among runners because it'll target the oh-so-tight backs of the legs.

Sanskrit Name: Janu Sirsasana A
English Translation: Head to Knee Pose A
Also Called: Flag

To learn how to do this forward bend variation read more.

Begin in a seated position with both legs straight out in front of you.
Bend your right knee and place the sole of your foot against your inner thigh, pulling your heel as close to your body as you can.
Sit up nice and tall, lengthening through the spine and keeping your left leg straight. Then fold your torso over your left leg. Rest your hands on the floor on either side of your leg or on your shin. Or if your hamstrings and hips are more flexible, reach for your foot - the right hand holds the left wrist.
Rest your forehead on your leg and stay here for five breaths, being sure to continue lengthening the spine as you relax the shoulders away from your ears.
Then release your hands, sit up, and either take a vinyasa to switch sides, or just switch sides from here. This time the left knee will be bent, and the left hand will hold the right wrist.

Have any burning questions about yoga? Then post them to the Yoga Stretch and Tell group.

Yoga Unites the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Fit Community — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:30:08 -0800

Barefoot chick from our Yoga Stretch and Tell community group wants to know what the practice of yoga means to you, and posted this:

I know most people do yoga to relax and tone their body and I think that is wonderful just of itself. But yoga [as defined in Sanskrit, the language of origin] actually means a union of mind, body, and spirit.

Besides the health and physical benefits does anyone also get into the spiritual aspect of yoga, or the meditative component of clearing your mind of thought? If you incorporate the spiritual dimension into your yoga or would like to talk about that part of the total yoga experience, I would enjoy hearing from you.

Have any questions or stories about yoga that you want to share? Join our Yoga Stretch and Tell community group and join the conversation! If you don't practice yoga, be sure to take a look at our other community groups - there's something for everyone.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Intense Side Stretch

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:26 -0800

For all you runners and bikers with tight hamstrings, this is the pose for you. It's one of my favorite stretches to target the backs of the legs, but it'll also give you a nice stretch on the sides of your body, as well as your chest and shoulders.

Sanskrit Name: Parsvottanasana
English Translation: Intense Side Stretch Pose
Also Called: Scissor

To learn how to do this pose read more.

Stand with both feet together in Tadasana. Step your left foot directly behind you about two feet.
Bring your arms behind you, bend your elbows and bring your palms together in reverse Namaste position (reverse prayer). Raise your hands up between your shoulder blades as far as you can. Pull your elbows behind you to press your palms together firmly.

Inhale to lengthen your spine, and as you exhale, fold at your waist. Keep both legs straight and lower your torso as far as you can, eventually resting it on your right leg. If it's easy, touch your chin or forehead to your shin.
Hold here for five deep breaths, then engage your leg muscles and inhale to lift your torso up. Repeat this pose with the left leg forward.

Have any burning questions about yoga? Then post them to the Yoga Stretch and Tell group.

Pilgrim Heart by Krishna Das	Krishna Das Live On Earth
Chants Of India by Ravi Shankar	Embrace by Deva Premal
The Essence by Deva Premal	Devi by Chloe Goodchild
CD Krishna by Wah!	Savasana by wah!
Shravanam by Bombay Jayashri	Kirtan! Jai Uttal