harunobu suzuki, Beauty at the Veranda
You can add vocalization to almost any pose to develop your sound and calm your emotions
You can add vocalization to almost any pose to develop your sound and calm your emotions, says Suzanne Sterling, a yoga teacher and kirtan leader. Using traditional Sanskrit seed sounds like “om” and “ah,” find a comfortable pitch and sing gently on the exhalation as you move through your daily practice. Most beneficial to the voice are poses that release upper-body tension, relax and open the throat, and promote alignment. Here are a few to try:
Simhasana (Lion Pose) is a great way to revitalize and relax all the muscles involved in vocal production. If you vocalize as part of this pose (the lion’s “roar”), keep it gentle and move completely through your vocal range, high to low. Don’t force the sound.
For passively relaxing the throat, seek out poses that tilt the chin toward the chest. “Shoulderstand is a great pose for the throat,” says Ann Dyer, a nada yoga teacher and vocalist based in Oakland, California. If you can’t do Shoulderstand, try Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose).
For actively opening the throat, you want gentle bends that tilt the head back. Dyer recommends Matsyasana (Fish Pose) and Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose).
adapted from Yoga Journal by Karin Beuerlein, a writer in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Yoga and Meditation Chime Timers - Elegant and Soothing
Using a kitchen timer or beeper watch is less than ideal when practicing yoga. And it was with these considerations in mind that we designed our digital Zen Alarm Clock and Yoga practice timer. This unique “Zen Clock” features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings the meditation or yoga session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. The Digital Zen Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra. The beauty and functionality of the Zen Clock/Timer makes it a meditation tool that can actually help you “make time” for meditation yoga in your life.
meditation timer and clock
Now & Zen’s Meditation and Yoga Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
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