by Jasmine | Mar 30, 2014 | Yoga Music, Yoga Retreat, Yoga Teacher training
One of my favorite things to do at places like Whole Foods or the store in a yoga studio is to put on headphones and listen to some of the music they are promoting. One of my main tasks when I am at Kripalu or Omega is to plunk myself down and go through dozens of CDs and then only let my self buy my favorite 10%.
Just so you understand part of my biases, if a CD has a lot of slow-moving and then fast tempo songs I tend to discard those, even if I really dig them since I want to have one consistent mood when I am teaching or practicing and don’t have to get up and change the music….I just find that disruptive for myself. I tend to stay away from stuff that has loud bells or chimes in the middle of a long tranquil spell since it breaks the mood. It’s hard to hold tree pose when all of a sudden you hear a clanging, “GONG”.
Most of the music works well for other things like massage and other spiritual activities and some of them are just slow and sensual and great for just chilling and romancing. if you don’t like hearing someone chant Oooooommmmm for a full hour when you are practicing then you can check these out.
So here is my list of Yoga Music CDs Reviews, in no particular order.
Creation by David Young – This is a great all purpose yoga, massage or just chill CD. It has an even ambient tone and no surprises on it. He has a lot of other great romantic, spiritual music, some of which are more suited to yoga than others.
Mirabai Ceiba – A Hundred Blessings. Some of the tracks are in English and some in Sanskrit and one is even in Spanish. Their voices are soothing and quite melodic but the transition from a slow paced to a fast paced song might catch you off guard if you aren’t watching the pace of your class. Suitable for a vigorously paced yoga class for some of the songs.
Snataum Kaur – She does traditional Kirtan or chanting, some in English, some in Sanskrit. One of my Indian friends hates going and hearing westerners chant in Sanskrit…she says it hurts her ears to have Westerners butcher the sacred sounds of Sanskrit. (Hey Nikita, sometimes it hurts my ears to hear you butcher the English language with your Bengali accent) Kaur’s voice is very pure and angelic. My favorite CDs of hers are Prem and Celebrate Peace. I’ve been to a few of her concerts, which are not as pulsating as Krishna Das but still a moving and profound experience.
Sounds of Sleep for Infants – I’ve never heard anyone else play this at a yoga studio or any hippy-dippy event. It is basically the sound of heartbeat with some very soft music in the background which was produced so that parents could have a way to soothe their colicky infants to sleep. I actually like playing this for myself when I go to bed and then I got the idea to play this during the restorative part of the yoga class. It’s quite hypnotic and ambient. I wouldn’t play this during a vigorous yoga class but perfect for shivasana or for a restorative or gentle class.
by Jasmine | Jan 21, 2014 | Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
Yoga, an ancient practice that focuses on channeling good energy to different parts of the body by engaging in various poses, has become more and more popular over the years. The number of people who take part in this kind of workout routine has increased steadily over the years.
Common Injuries in Yoga and How to Avoid Them
Unfortunately, so does the number of people who suffer injuries from this kind of exercise. If you are not careful, transitioning between different yoga poses will take a toll on your body.
For this reason, you should see to it that you know everything about yoga practice and safety before you personally try out this workout routine. Here are some of the most common injuries that people experience when they do yoga, along with helpful tips as to how you can avoid them. Peruse through them and see to it that you keep yourself protected from these injuries when you do your poses.
Separation of Lower Back Ligaments
This kind of yoga injury is common among those who practice yoga, especially among those who try out complicated poses that are well beyond their level of expertise. Most of the time, injury that involves misalignment of lower back ligaments and of the SI join is experienced by those who try to straighten their legs without releasing the pressure on their hamstrings.
One surefire way to avoid this injury is to ensure that the different muscles in your legs are softened and relaxed prior to attempting a straight-leg pose. A couple of breaths in and out and a clear mind will give you the relaxation that you need to achieve the pose without hurting yourself. If you find that the pose is simply too hard for you, then you may cheat by bending your knees a little. Also avoid digging your hills too much into your yoga mat to avoid unnecessary pain.
Shoulder Pain and Strain
Those who focus on their arms and upper body by performing arm balance poses are prone to experiencing shoulder injuries. This kind of injury often results from uneven pressure all over the body. While it may seem that this kind of pose requires focus on the arms and shoulders, it is anything but that. Yogis who think this way will surely experience pain on their upper parts.
To avoid this injury, make sure that you observe and maintain proper body alignment as you do your poses. Also make sure that you use your back and your thighs to hold your pose. This way, you will be able to ensure that your shoulders and arms are not the only parts that are experiencing the pressure.
Twisting of Inter-Coastal Muscles
Yoga practitioners are prone to tearing their inter-coastal muscles, which are the muscles that are located between the ribs. Usually, this kind of injury is sustained from twisting poses. Those who suffer from this kind of injury are usually those who try to do their twists without maintaining the right posture.
To avoid this king of injury, see to it that you maintain the right and the best-aligned posture as you twist your body in both directions. See to it that you also do not overexert yourself and only twist your body as far as you can, to avoid exerting unnecessary pressure on your rib muscles.
by Jasmine | Nov 8, 2013 | Beginner Yoga, Meditation, Weight loss, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
Yoga for Vampires – DVD Reviews… Ones you can practice at home, whenever…..
Here are some of my personal favorites. I have always been drawn to ones that work on developing a pretty six-pack, just so you know my bias. Also ones that are about 30 minutes long I usually like also. Here are my favorite Yoga DVD Reviews.
Mark Blanchard – Power Yoga. He is a Yogi to many celebs, including Andy Garcia among others. It is an intense work-out and many of the poses are not accessible to beginners or to those that are not very flexible or have a lot of upper body strength. If you do this on a regular basis you will get that sculpted, toned look. I think it is 90 minutes. His language is very inspiring. This is a great one for those that have a foundation of yoga and are up for a challenging practice.
Ten Zen Tummy Toners – Rodney Yee and Cameron Shayne. These are actually two 25 minute workouts, that you can combine or do separately, I actually bought this because I am a Rodney Yee fan but have ended up doing the Cameron Shayne workout more only because my knees have been hurting lately and the Rodney Yee one was making my knees ache more.
Shiva Rea – Creative Core Abs. I love the music and drumming in this and it is filmed with the dramatic backdrop of the desert. Her language is very beautiful too. It’s only 34 minutes. She does go a bit fast for beginners so this is probably better suited to at least intermediate or advanced level yogis since the poses are not always explained slowly. You do get the toned, sculpted look if you do this a few times a week on a consistent basis.
Yin Yoga – Paul Grilley. Yin Yoga is a very meditative, slow, patient practice. It’s almost like a meditation in slow motion. You’re not building up core strength in this kind of practice. Yin Yoga is great to do when you need to just take the edge off and want to have a deep inner experience. He is great at explaining anatomy and the benefits a quieter practice. He offers lots of modifications as well, which is not something most yoga DVDs offer. This is great value since you get 3 DVDs for a reasonable price. There is also an instructional part where he is just explaining the theory of Yin Yoga, which is great for Yoga Teachers. This would be a great one for beginners, inflexible or people that just feel really stiff.
Creative Yoga – Claire Diab. This is a great one for beginners and those with less flexibility. She does a great job of slowly and simply explaining the poses and offering modifications. She also has two segments on here that you can combine for a nice long juicy practice or a shorter one you can squeeze into your schedule. I used to do this one with my mom, who is not a regular yoga practitioner but finds all the yoga poses are accessible to her.
Yoga Music Reviews- Top 10 CDs I play in Class
by Jasmine | Aug 28, 2013 | Meditation, Yoga Music, Yoga Teacher training
Rock Your Asana Off….Cool Music to practice to. Yoga Music Reviews
One of my favorite things to do at places like Whole Foods (sometimes the CD listening station is tucked away so you have to look for it), Kripalu, Omega or the retail in a yoga studio is to put on headphones and listen to some of the music they are selling. One of my main tasks when I am at Kripalu is to plunk myself down and go through dozens of CDs and then only let my self buy my favorite 10%. I love having cool music to do yoga to so here are my yoga music reviews.
Just so you understand part of my leanings, if a CD has a lot of slow-moving and then fast tempo songs I tend to discard those, even if I really dig them since I want to have one consistent mood when I am teaching and don’t have to get up and change the music….I just find that disruptive for myself.
I tend to stay away from stuff that has loud bells or chimes in the middle of a long tranquil spell since it breaks the mood. It’s hard to hold half-moon pose when all of a sudden you hear a clanging, “GONG”. I also stay away from music that is heavy on spoken vocals, since that can also be distracting. Ambient music with a consistent tone tends to work best. Often, my students come up to me after class and ask what the music was, so I know I am on track with finding the right tunes.
Most of the music works well for other things like massage and other spiritual activities and some of them are just slow and sensual and great for just chilling and romancing. if you don’t like hearing someone chant Oooooommmmm for a full hour when you are practicing then you can check these out. I don’t tend to do a lot of oomming in my classes. I teach a lot of beginners and worried this might be scary for them. I like oomming myself, but can appreciate the non-hippy that is weirded out by this ritual in class. I wonder why they never play music in a Bikram class?
Never thought I would say the word ooomming ( if that is even a word) so much in one blog post.
So here is my list, in no particular order.
Deva Premal and Miten. For long-time yogis they will come as no surprise. For those newer to yoga, they have a soulful and sensual way of chanting ancient mantras. I have played this for lots of non-yogis when I was just chilling at home and they commented on how beautiful and soothing the music is. I think my favorite song is “There is so Much Magnificence”…..I contemplated playing this at our wedding reception. There is a deep healing quality to their songs and they seem to be very therapeutic whenever I am going through “stuff”.
The Gift of Love. Deepak Chopra. I worked at the Chopra Center for a year and was exposed to some really great stuff. There are actually a few different sets. I like them all. A lot of this music is fairly sensual as well and most of it is in English. Nice, modern beats to it. This CD works better for just chill hang out music since there are some spoken vocals on it that can be distracting.
Ekova – This usually would not come up in a Yoga class. These beats are faster moving and funkier…they feel almost african at times since there are some deep rhythmic beats in some songs. I wouldn’t recommend this for massage but for a a more vigorous yoga class.
Spa Sonique – Don’t let the overly feminine cover with purple flowers scare you (for men). This has some very beautiful beats, great for massage or a romantic night as well.
Wah! ( Not a typo) If a chanting Indian Guru and Natalie Merchant had a baby this is who would pop out. Her music is chanty, soulful without being too “out-there”.
by Jasmine | Aug 22, 2012 | Alternative Health, Beginner Yoga, Reviews, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Teacher training
Anyone else out there taken Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga? I’ve been doing this at home the last few days with his DVDs. I like the pace, simple but descriptive enough instructions. He also gives an in-depth anatomy and bio-mechanics. He also has all kinds of graphics about anatomy and the body. It’s a lot of yoga, instruction and education on one DVD. There are actually a few practices on each DVD. For example, I have been watching the Yoga for Low Back Pain DVD and there is a sequence just for low back pain and sciatica, a sequence for hip pain and also a strength building sequence for low back pain and hip tightness.
Yoga master Gary Kraftsow developed protocols for a recent National Institutes of Health-sponsored study of treatment for back pain. This two-DVD series is based on this work and on his 30 years of experience as a yoga therapist. The detailed instruction, gentle repetitive movements, and focus on moving with awareness and the breath make these ideal practices for a wide range of people, including those who may not have pain but can benefit from strengthening and stabilizing their backs.
Yoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips
There is also a more detailed practice workshop on there but the pace is slower and he is more explaining how to do the pose, which means he only shows how to do the pose on one side so you can’t follow the flow of it since you are left to your own devices to do the pose on the other side. That’s fine if you want very detailed instructions on how to do each movement but it’s not as flowy if you just want to do the practice.
He has quite a few poses where you are kneeling on your knees, which is fine for me. I’ve found that my very overweight students are not able to do the kneeling poses or poses where you are on all fours since that is too much pressure on your knees and for some on their wrists.
by Jasmine | Apr 26, 2012 | Stuff I like, Yoga Teacher training
- Benefits of Yoga for Depression and Anxiety with Viniyoga
I just got back from my first Viniyoga training with Gary Kraftsow at the NYC Yoga Journal conference last weekend. I’ve been practicing hatha yoga for over 15 years and have mostly gone to classes that just had a bunch of sun salutations in them.
Yoga has been a way for me to release tension and tightness but I think I was not trained in proper alignment and anatomy and after doing thousands of up-dogs, down-dogs, shoulder-stands and warrior poses without proper body mechanics, I have a feeling I injured my body pretty badly. I’ve had chronic neck stiffness and headaches for many years now and the last year my knees have been pretty bad. I was starting to dread teaching so much since I would have to ice my knees after my classes and I would not be able to sleep due to my screaming knees.
Yoga Positions and Styles for Headaches and Stiff Necks
I started to take some Iyengar classes and that seemed to help my throbbing knees. I went to a doctor that specialized in athletes and knee pain and based on his recommendations and my Iyengar classes I was finding a higher level of manageability for my knees but my neck and headaches were persistent ( despite rounds of holistic practitioners and conventional western medicine I could not figure out how to get rid of my head-aches and neck stiffness)
Imagine having someone whack you on your head with a sledgehammer all day long and just about every day. Now imagine someone is sticking a little knife at the back of your neck.. Welcome to my body. I used to want to run away from my body but there was no where to run to. Deep sleep provided the only vacation from my body. I used to hate waking up in the morning since I had to wake up to my neck and forehead screaming at me.
Enter Viniyoga…..
I am not sure if I had ever heard of Gary before this weekend. I think his name was familiar to me from Yoga Journal. I remember reading once about Viniyoga but whatever I read didn’t grab me and I was never interested in exploring it any further.
I went to his first workshop on upper body, neck and shoulder pain. We did some unusual poses that were similiar to other poses I had done before but there were key differences. Gary kept emphasizing coordinating our breath to our movement, (otherwise it’s just calisthenics) . We twisted, We triangled. We saluted and we warriored. After about 30 minutes of breath-centered poses, I slowly but deeply started to feel some relief. It would take hours for my body to integrate what we did and later I started to feel more relief.
Yoga Workshop for headaches, neck pain and shoulder tightness
I was comfortable just being in my body. I felt present. I felt at home. I didn’t want to run away from myself or my body.
I went to Gary’s all day intensive even though the title sounded uninspired. ” Yoga for Depression and Anxiety.” We dove deeper into some of the physical and emotional mechanisms behind anxiety and depression. We explored chanting and breath centered movement. It was like a moving meditation. I could feel deeply ingrained patterns of limitation, pain and constraint being worked though levels of my fascia and psyche.
I felt a sense of liberation. I was freed up to have new thoughts and new feelings.
I taught some of these methodologies the next week in my classes and was delighted to see the look of relief on my students’ faces after I had introduced them to viniyoga.
I can’t wait to dive deeper into the warm waters of Viniyoga.
