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Yoga & Meditation

YOGA: The benefits of chanting (Mantra Yoga)

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By Geeta Maraj
January 1st, 2014 Edition

We often view chanting as a spiritual practice. The term chanting brings to mind Buddhist monks in their saffron robes, creating a form of vocal melody that is soothing to the ear. However, chanting is more common than we realize and is present in every culture. This ancient practice continues to stand the test of time for its multifarious benefits to our health, mental focus, perseverance and spiritual advancement.

A chant can vary from a single syllable or word to a series of words. In Hinduism the word or phrase that is chanted is known as a mantra. Today mantra is used loosely to meaning a ‘formula’. Indeed this formula holds such power that it is worth exploring its benefits to our health and well-being.

All religions whether consciously or otherwise, practice some form of chanting. In Christianity, reciting the name of ‘Jesus’ at the end of each praise to God constitutes a mantra. In Catholicism, saying ‘Hail Mary Full of Grace’, repeatedly, is a form of mantra recitation. In Islam, ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great) remains a popular mantra for Muslims. Similarly in Buddhism ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ (the jewel in the lotus of the heart) is chanted to produce the same result of deep spiritual potency.

Through chanting, thoughts become more focused, thereby creating greater mental and emotional strength. A chant also serves to control the busy mind, and can be used as a way to conquer health issues, such as depression, hypertension and cardiac problems. The ultimate goal of chanting or mantra recitation however, is to find a spiritual connection to a supreme being, and even in this doing, we ultimately discover our personal inner power and strength.

From a yogic perspective, the practice of chanting is called Mantra Yoga, also referred to as Japa Yoga. Mantra Yoga is one of the approximately 40 different types of yogic practices, all of which are interconnected. Mantras can be chanted in many forms. They can be spoken verbally (Vaikhari Japa), recited mentally (Manasika Japa), whispered or hummed (Upamsu Japa), or written (Likhita Japa). These various types of japa can be combined to improve focusing of the mind.

Chanting serves to quiet the busy mind. A busy mind causes stress to be built up in the body and is the key cause of many ailments that are a norm in today’s society. With a calmer mind, daily tensions and frustrations are subdued and we become more accepting of our experiences. In time, one finds, through mantra recitation, issues such as, depression, stress and anxiety, gradually dissipate as we learn to disconnect from aggressive and angry tendencies. With a calmer mind, we evolve into beings of greater compassion and love, consequently tapping into our natural inner state of peacefulness, calmness, courage, and patience.

Unlike meditation, which requires self-discipline, will power and a serene environment, mantra yoga can be practiced at any time under varying situations. The healing power and health benefits arising from chanting are especially valuable during onerous experiences as it helps to disconnect us from the situation at hand. This is advantageous in preventing one from becoming overtly involved with the mundane trivialities of everyday life, protecting us against anger, stress and depression.

In Hinduism, the eventual goal of mantra recitation is achieving what is termed ‘ajapa-japam’. The first letter “a” means without, “japam” means repetition of a mantra. Hence ‘ajapa-japam’ means, subconsciously repeating a mantra without mentally commencing the chant. In other words, it is the means by which the consciousness repeats a mantra when the mind is preoccupied by the routines of daily life. Such a skill is achieved only through constant practice of mantra yoga. The benefit of ‘ajapa-japam’ is that one subconsciously nourishes the inner spiritual Self. An added benefit to ‘ajapa-japam’ is that when faced with a trying experience, your subconscious slips into a mental chant, which you slowly become aware of, and quickly gain detachment from the exigent situation.

Chanting is a unique and irreplaceable mean to overcoming many of life’s daily challenges. The fact that it has existed in all cultures lends additional weight of its importance to our well-being. Chanting builds inner courage, self-esteem, keeps our heart rate under control, helps to prevent organ damage through stress build up in our body, and additionally strengthens our spiritual focus. Through the practice of Mantra Yoga, we have the capability of freeing ourselves from the ailments that the stresses of daily life produce

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Yoga & Meditation

From the mat to life

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BY: TRISHA CURLING 

You might hear a lot of people say “yoga changed my life”.  If you aren’t a regular practitioner, this may sound questionable. How can a series of poses “change your life”? It sounds a little dramatic. It’s important to start from a place however, where you understand that yoga is more than a series poses. Within the journey of physical practice, there are many lessons that are waiting to be learned. It really does have this ability to make this change in your life, but you must first be open to it.

Let’s say your desire to start comes from a place in you that is purely physical, this is great because there are many benefits to receive like weight management, relief from pain, and increased mobility (just to name a few).

Let’s examine some of the ways your physical (asana) practice can have an impact in other ways:

Patience

Your asana practice calls for you to detach from your ego. Yes, the practice is in many ways goal oriented, but staying in the present and feeling the pose for what it is in the moment has its’ own way of taking you where you need to be.  It’s nice to set goals of achieving particular poses and it is very rewarding to see how your body’s ability can change, but it’s the patience to get there that may be challenging or even frustrating sometimes. It’s putting the time and consistency into performing foundational poses that will help you to build the necessary skills, and/or prepare your body for what’s to come next. If you come back to what the practice is asking you, to detach, to exercise patience, then what you desire will come to you. We can take this lesson off of the mat.  If you are working towards a career, or some type of financial goal, being present and taking time to take the necessary steps will only help you to build the proper foundation in order for you to have lasting results.

Reduce worry

For that hour you may spend doing an online or in person yoga class, it truly feels like meditation. You are so focused on your breath, the transitions, and the poses, that you have no time to focus on past or future events. You are totally engrossed in the moment. It feels great, there is no room for worry. A beautiful shift happens once you realize that it does not have to end when the class is over. This deep work that you are doing on the mat creates new patterns in the brain and nervous system. You are effectively teaching yourself how to do this more often. It becomes more natural in other life situations to bring your focus into the present. It does feel difficult sometimes, but just the mere awareness and then attempt to do so will help you to gain perspective in certain situations. Instead of worrying about what may happen, you learn to relinquish some control of the outcome.

Both of these things barely skim the surface of the benefits you take with you off of the mat, but I’m sure you can imagine the spillover into multiple areas of life.

Go to the mat for one reason and walk away feeling the benefit of many.

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Yoga & Meditation

Your Psoas and Your Yoga

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BY: TRISHA CURLING 

You have this nagging pain in your back, that seems to flare up just a little bit more after sitting for long periods of time. You find yourself having to get up from your desk at work to stretch and move around, just enough to find that wonky position that will help to relieve you from pain, even if it’s for just a moment. There can be a number of reasons that are contributing to it, but let’s have a look at your psoas.

This muscle is a primary hip flexor and is sometimes referred to as your Iliopsoas due to the way in which the Iliacus and psoas major are “joined” together.  It’s also the only muscle in the body that connects the spine to the lower limbs.

This muscle can often become tight and weak. A couple of the reasons this may happen is because there is a consistent level of inactivity. If you are sitting for lengthy amounts of time and/or you are not giving your body the opportunity to move in a variety of angles to both strengthen and lengthen this muscle, it can contribute to this tightness and weakness.

You can also consider whether or not significant lordosis of the spine is an issue for you. This tightness and weakness can cause a “pulling” of the spine forward, therefore “tipping” the pelvis forward causing an excessive anterior pelvic tilt that causes compression in the lumbar spine that contributes to your back pain.

Here is a yoga pose that may help to offset the positioning of the pelvis and contribute to the lengthening and strengthening of the psoas.

Crescent Lunge (Anjenyasana)

From a standing position, step one foot back far enough down your mat in order to maintain lots of length in the back leg. Keep a nice bend in the front knee, all while maintaining alignment of the knee straight above the ankle or just behind it. Feet should be on parallel lines (about a hip’s distance apart so that your front hip bones are looking straight forward). Next, float your arms straight up by your ears with your palms facing one another. Keep your shoulders and hands relaxed. Also, begin to lengthen down through your tailbone while pulling your front ribs towards your back ribs. Stay there for a few breaths. This will help you to feel that length in the front of the hip in your back leg.

To increase some of the benefits, you may also vary your positioning in the pose. If you have the right leg forward, you can drop your right hand down beside you and stretch your left arm towards your right shoulder. You can take this one step further by reaching that same left arm diagonally towards the right corner of your mat.  Be sure to hold these for a few breaths and repeat on each side.

It doesn’t mean that this will “fix” your pain, but practicing yoga consistently, varying your movements, and paying attention to posture throughout your day will all contribute to putting you on a path that will help to minimize. Consulting with your physician is always #1 on the list but finding yoga postures that feel helpful for YOUR BODY and practicing them consistently will help you to find ease and less pain.

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Health & Wellness

Splits for Life

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BY: TRISHA CURLING 

Splits or Hanumanasana carries a beautiful story and was told to me for the first time by a brilliant yoga teacher and friend from Sweden, by the name of Ingrid Andrén (Owner of Studio Move It). I won’t get into the whole story, but she took us on a journey through her entire class.

By way of the story, she helped us to understand that “This pose asks you not merely to stretch your legs but also to bring true devotion into your practice. Hanumanasana expresses the expansiveness possible…the sense that you can overcome any obstacle when your yearning to help is combined with reverence and respect…In Hanumanasana you strive to reach much further than seems humanly possible.” (Aadil Palkhivala, Yoga Column: Hanumanasana, Yoga Journal, Aug 28, 2007).

When you hear “splits” you might think, forget it, that’s not possible. You might be right, but you also might be wrong.  It’s true that not every pose is for everyone and there are a number of reasons why this could be, but the journey and process arguably outweighs the end result.

There are a number of poses that will help to prepare you for Hanumanasana.  Keep in mind, however, that if splits are not the pose for you, along the way you will gain benefits like increased flexibility, strength and confidence.

Here are two poses that are essential to incorporate in your regular practice.

  1. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana): In a seated position on your mat, extend both legs out in front of you. If the legs cannot be completely straight, take them out as long as your body will allow. Next, on an inhale, lengthen through the spine by sitting up tall. On your exhale, lean your chest forward while keeping the shoulder blades slightly drawn in towards one another. Your chest should feel as though it is reaching to touch the tips of your toes. Take your arms forward to grasp your feet. You may want to place a yoga strap around your feet if you cannot reach them. This will allow you to grab each side of the strap with your hands to walk yourself forward with more support. Stay in the pose for a few breaths and enjoy the gentle lengthening of your hamstrings and calf muscles.
  1. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana): From Downward Facing Dog, shift your weight forward while stepping the right foot in front between your hands. At the same time, lower the back knee down, uncurl the toes and place the top of your foot on your mat.  Brace your waist (feel as though you are lifting your pubic bone towards your chest), lengthen your tailbone down, and inhale as you lift your arms up. Stay for a few breaths to feel the lengthening of your hip flexors and repeat on the other side.

All while practicing the physicality of the postures, it is impossible to leave behind the confidence and conquering that become part of your mindset. The sense of power and accomplishment accompany these preparation poses as much as Hanumanasana itself.

The most important takeaway that Andrén left us with at the end of her class was, “Don’t tell Hanuman how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your Hanuman is..”  I hope this serves you in both your journey to splits and in life.

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