HEADACHE SEQUENCE
Prashanth | 4:19 PM |
Yoga
HEADACHE SEQUENCE
There are many different kinds of headaches, some (like tension headaches and migraines) are fairly common, others (like sinus headaches or headaches caused by brain tumors) are relatively rare. Various treatments—including drugs, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage, and stress-relief techniques—are recommended for dealing with headaches. Yoga asanas and breathing can help too, though mostly with tension-type headaches.
Everyone gets a tension headache now and again, but if you suffer from this type of headache habitually, it's important to consult a doctor or other health practitioner to treat the pain and work to resolve the ultimate source of the tension.
When treating a tension headache with asanas and breathing, it's important to start practicing as soon as possible after you start to feel the pain. Once the headache is established it will be very difficult to alleviate.
Whenever I work with a headache, I like to wrap my head with an Ace bandage. You can either firmly wrap your forehead only, or wrap both your forehead and your eyes (though if you do the latter, be sure not to wrap your eyes too tightly). This may sound a little strange, but the pressure of the bandage around the head and eyes as well the bandage's blocking of outside light help to release the tension.
Roll the bandage up into a tight roll, and start with the free end against the base of your skull. Wind the bandage around your head, either just your forehead or both your forehead and eyes and ears. Don't cover your nose. Whenever you need to see, to change positions or arrange a prop, slip your thumbs up under the bandage and push it up slightly off your eyes. Then when you're ready to do another pose, slip it back down over your eyes.
As you hold each position, imagine your brain "shrinking" away from the wrap. Imagine a space opening up between the front of your brain and the inner surface of your forehead, and let the brain "sink" onto the back of the skull case. Practice this visualization especially in the reclining positions. When trying to alleviate a headache, you should emphasize the lengthening of the exhalation of your breath.
The following sequences refer to certain props throughout-mainly a bolster, a strap, and/or a block. While you may be able to find substitutes around the house, I recommend investing in some good props, which can be purchased online or at your local yoga studio.
HEADACHE SEQUENCE (minimum time 25 minutes, maximum time 45 minutes)
1. Balasana (Child's Pose)
Perform either with your head on the floor, or with your torso and head supported on a bolster positioned between your thighs. The bolster's long axis should be parallel to your torso. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)
2. Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Support your head either on a bolster laid across your extended leg, or, if you're less flexible, on the front edge of a padded chair seat. Hold each side for 1 to 3 minutes; total time 2 to 6 minutes.
3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
Support your head on a bolster or block. (Total time 1 to 2 minutes.)
4. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Place your head and crossed forearms supported on a padded chair seat. (Total time 1 to 3 minutes.)
5. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Support the torso on a rolled blanket underneath and parallel to your spine. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)
6. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Support the torso on a bolster, and shoulders and head resting lightly on the floor. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)
7. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Let the pelvis be support either on a bolster or rolled blanket. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.) To avoid any possibility of straining your back when exiting, be sure not to twist off the support. Either 1) slide off the support first before turning to your side, or 2) bend your knees, press your feet against the wall, and with an inhalation lift your pelvis off the support; then slide the support off to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn onto your side.
8. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Take normal inhalations but lengthen the exhalations as much as is comfortable for you. If you normally take 5 counts on an exhalation, extend it to 7 or 8 counts if possible. At the end of the first 10 or so exhalations, pause for 2 to 5 seconds before drawing the next inhalation. (Total time 10 to 15 minutes.)
When in Corpse Pose you might also want to lay a weighted sandbag on your forehead. Lie in Corpse and position a block so that it's touching the top of your head It's long axis should be perpendicular to your head. Lay the weighted bag half on the block and half on your forehead. As with the wrap, the pressure of the weight on your head helps release the tension.
Source : yogajournal.com
There are many different kinds of headaches, some (like tension headaches and migraines) are fairly common, others (like sinus headaches or headaches caused by brain tumors) are relatively rare. Various treatments—including drugs, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage, and stress-relief techniques—are recommended for dealing with headaches. Yoga asanas and breathing can help too, though mostly with tension-type headaches.
Everyone gets a tension headache now and again, but if you suffer from this type of headache habitually, it's important to consult a doctor or other health practitioner to treat the pain and work to resolve the ultimate source of the tension.
When treating a tension headache with asanas and breathing, it's important to start practicing as soon as possible after you start to feel the pain. Once the headache is established it will be very difficult to alleviate.
Whenever I work with a headache, I like to wrap my head with an Ace bandage. You can either firmly wrap your forehead only, or wrap both your forehead and your eyes (though if you do the latter, be sure not to wrap your eyes too tightly). This may sound a little strange, but the pressure of the bandage around the head and eyes as well the bandage's blocking of outside light help to release the tension.
Roll the bandage up into a tight roll, and start with the free end against the base of your skull. Wind the bandage around your head, either just your forehead or both your forehead and eyes and ears. Don't cover your nose. Whenever you need to see, to change positions or arrange a prop, slip your thumbs up under the bandage and push it up slightly off your eyes. Then when you're ready to do another pose, slip it back down over your eyes.
As you hold each position, imagine your brain "shrinking" away from the wrap. Imagine a space opening up between the front of your brain and the inner surface of your forehead, and let the brain "sink" onto the back of the skull case. Practice this visualization especially in the reclining positions. When trying to alleviate a headache, you should emphasize the lengthening of the exhalation of your breath.
The following sequences refer to certain props throughout-mainly a bolster, a strap, and/or a block. While you may be able to find substitutes around the house, I recommend investing in some good props, which can be purchased online or at your local yoga studio.
HEADACHE SEQUENCE (minimum time 25 minutes, maximum time 45 minutes)
1. Balasana (Child's Pose)
Perform either with your head on the floor, or with your torso and head supported on a bolster positioned between your thighs. The bolster's long axis should be parallel to your torso. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)
2. Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Support your head either on a bolster laid across your extended leg, or, if you're less flexible, on the front edge of a padded chair seat. Hold each side for 1 to 3 minutes; total time 2 to 6 minutes.
3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
Support your head on a bolster or block. (Total time 1 to 2 minutes.)
4. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
Place your head and crossed forearms supported on a padded chair seat. (Total time 1 to 3 minutes.)
5. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Support the torso on a rolled blanket underneath and parallel to your spine. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)
6. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Support the torso on a bolster, and shoulders and head resting lightly on the floor. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.)
7. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Let the pelvis be support either on a bolster or rolled blanket. (Total time 3 to 5 minutes.) To avoid any possibility of straining your back when exiting, be sure not to twist off the support. Either 1) slide off the support first before turning to your side, or 2) bend your knees, press your feet against the wall, and with an inhalation lift your pelvis off the support; then slide the support off to one side, lower your pelvis to the floor, and turn onto your side.
8. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Take normal inhalations but lengthen the exhalations as much as is comfortable for you. If you normally take 5 counts on an exhalation, extend it to 7 or 8 counts if possible. At the end of the first 10 or so exhalations, pause for 2 to 5 seconds before drawing the next inhalation. (Total time 10 to 15 minutes.)
When in Corpse Pose you might also want to lay a weighted sandbag on your forehead. Lie in Corpse and position a block so that it's touching the top of your head It's long axis should be perpendicular to your head. Lay the weighted bag half on the block and half on your forehead. As with the wrap, the pressure of the weight on your head helps release the tension.
Source : yogajournal.com
BEGINNERS YOGA
Prashanth | 4:18 PM |
Yoga
BEGINNERS YOGA:
Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Surya Namaskar -- 3 Rounds (Sun Salutations)
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Dandasana (Staff Pose)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Upavistha Konasana (Wide Angle Pose)
Navasana (Boat Pose)
(Locust Pose)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Reclining Twist
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
ADVANCED BEGINNERS
Virasana (Hero or Heroine Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations)
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
Makrasana (Crocodile Pose)
Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand)
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Marichyasana III (Marichi's Pose, Variation III)
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Surya Namaskar -- 3 Rounds (Sun Salutations)
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Dandasana (Staff Pose)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Upavistha Konasana (Wide Angle Pose)
Navasana (Boat Pose)
(Locust Pose)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
Reclining Twist
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
ADVANCED BEGINNERS
Virasana (Hero or Heroine Pose)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations)
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)
Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
Makrasana (Crocodile Pose)
Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulderstand)
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Marichyasana III (Marichi's Pose, Variation III)
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Yoga Sequences for Beginners
Prashanth | 4:12 PM |
Yoga
Yoga Sequences for Beginners
Asana (pose) sequences come in different shapes and sizes.
Nine Sequences:
* 45-Minute Beginners
* Advanced Beginners
* Headache
* Menstruation
* Depression
* Groins
* Shoulders
* Forward Bends
* Backbends
Every contemporary school of yoga, such as Iyengar, Viniyoga, Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa to name a few, has its own ideas about how to sequence an asana practice. Most sequences are linear, that is one posture follows another in a logical step-by-step direction, moving from less challenging to more challenging and back to less challenging. In general, a sequence like this opens with simple warm-ups that set a theme for the practice, intensifies to more challenging postures, slows to cooling postures and ends with relaxation (Corpse Pose).
But this is just one way to sequence. Typically each posture in the sequence is performed just once but you could also perform each posture two to three times, focusing on a different aspect of the posture each time. Take, for example, Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)-you can first perform the pose focusing on your feet or legs, then repeat it while focusing on the spine or arms.
You can also build the entire sequence around just one posture, like Triangle, returning to it again and again, and use the other postures in the sequence to investigate aspects of the main posture.
Here's an example of a general linear sequence (based on the Iyengar tradition of yoga):
1. Centering
Begin the practice with either a simple meditation or breathing exercise (in a seated or reclining position) to collect and concentrate your awareness.
2. Preparation
Perform a few simple exercises (such as hip or groin openers) that warm up the body in preparation for the theme or focus of the practice.
3. Sun Salute (Surya Namaskar)
Three to ten rounds.
4. Standing postures
5. Arm balances
6. Inversions
7. Abdominal and/or arm strength postures
8. Backbends
9. Shoulderstand
10. Twists and/or forward bends
11. Corpse (Savasana)
Of course, a full practice sequence like this would take at least 90 minutes to finish, which is probably too long for the average working student. A more reasonable length of practice time is about 45 minutes. Here are two possible practices-one for beginners and one for advanced beginners-that would fit nicely into this timeframe. To see a photo of or to find out how to perform, deepen, or modify the poses listed simply click on the pose names for full instructions.
Asana (pose) sequences come in different shapes and sizes.
Nine Sequences:
* 45-Minute Beginners
* Advanced Beginners
* Headache
* Menstruation
* Depression
* Groins
* Shoulders
* Forward Bends
* Backbends
Every contemporary school of yoga, such as Iyengar, Viniyoga, Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa to name a few, has its own ideas about how to sequence an asana practice. Most sequences are linear, that is one posture follows another in a logical step-by-step direction, moving from less challenging to more challenging and back to less challenging. In general, a sequence like this opens with simple warm-ups that set a theme for the practice, intensifies to more challenging postures, slows to cooling postures and ends with relaxation (Corpse Pose).
But this is just one way to sequence. Typically each posture in the sequence is performed just once but you could also perform each posture two to three times, focusing on a different aspect of the posture each time. Take, for example, Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)-you can first perform the pose focusing on your feet or legs, then repeat it while focusing on the spine or arms.
You can also build the entire sequence around just one posture, like Triangle, returning to it again and again, and use the other postures in the sequence to investigate aspects of the main posture.
Here's an example of a general linear sequence (based on the Iyengar tradition of yoga):
1. Centering
Begin the practice with either a simple meditation or breathing exercise (in a seated or reclining position) to collect and concentrate your awareness.
2. Preparation
Perform a few simple exercises (such as hip or groin openers) that warm up the body in preparation for the theme or focus of the practice.
3. Sun Salute (Surya Namaskar)
Three to ten rounds.
4. Standing postures
5. Arm balances
6. Inversions
7. Abdominal and/or arm strength postures
8. Backbends
9. Shoulderstand
10. Twists and/or forward bends
11. Corpse (Savasana)
Of course, a full practice sequence like this would take at least 90 minutes to finish, which is probably too long for the average working student. A more reasonable length of practice time is about 45 minutes. Here are two possible practices-one for beginners and one for advanced beginners-that would fit nicely into this timeframe. To see a photo of or to find out how to perform, deepen, or modify the poses listed simply click on the pose names for full instructions.
The Roots of Chanting and Mantra
Prashanth | 4:10 PM |
Yoga
The Roots of Chanting and Mantra
There's a long tradition in India of saluting the teacher or evoking divine power through a mantra to open a practice. Such a preamble helps the student to steady her resolve and to remind her of the goal of the work, which is always self-liberation. It also serves to signal the student's intent to humbly offer the upcoming practice as a sacrifice to the divine, which is the source of all true wisdom.
The recitation of mantra is known as japa, which literally means "muttering, whispering." According to schools such as Hatha Yoga and Mantra Yoga, the universe is created through the medium of sound, and all sound, whether subtle or audible, issues from a transcendent, "soundless" source called the "supreme sound" or "supreme voice" (shabda-brahman or para-vac). While all sounds possess some degree of shabda-brahman's creative force, the sounds of mantras are far more forceful than other sounds.
As a practice, japa is thousands of years old. In the beginning, mantras were drawn only from the thousands of verses in the Rig-Veda, Hinduism's oldest and holiest scripture. After some time, mantras were taken from non-Vedic sources as well, such as the numerous texts associated with the schools of Hindu Tantra, or those revealed to seers (rishis) in meditation. Mantra Yoga as a formal school is a relatively recent development, though "recent" in yoga years means between twelve and fifteen centuries. Instructional manuals commonly list sixteen "limbs" (anga) of practice. Many of them--such as asana, conscious breathing, and meditation--are shared with other yoga schools.
The building blocks of all mantras are the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Mantras can consist of a single letter, a syllable or string of syllables, a word, or a whole sentence. Etymologically, the word "mantra" is derived from the verb "man,' which means "to think," and the suffix "tra," which denotes instrumentality. A mantra then is literally an "instrument of thought" that concentrates, intensifies, and spiritualizes our consciousness.
Tradition estimates that there are 70 million mantras. This number shouldn't be taken too literally; it simply signifies that there are lots of mantras. Yogis assert that, to be most effective, a mantra should be received orally from a self-realized teacher (guru), not merely learned from a book, so that it's infused with the teacher's spiritual energy. And to preserve its reservoir of power, a mantra should be kept in strictest secrecy, and not revealed to anyone else.
Mantra traditionally has two purposes, which can be called worldly and spiritual. We usually think of mantra solely as an instrument of self-transformation. But in ancient times mantra was also used for mundane and not necessarily positive ends, such as communicating with and appeasing ghosts and ancestors, exorcism or warding off evil forces, remedies for illnesses, control of other people's thoughts or actions, and the acquisition of powers (siddha) or magical skills. As for its spiritual purpose, mantra is said to quiet the habitual fluctuations of our consciousness and then steer consciousness toward its source in the Self.
We're accustomed to the idea that mantras are recited aloud. But mantras can also be "not-spoken" or "not-muttered" (ajapa). One old text, the Yoga-Yajnavalkya (2.16), maintains that a whispered mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a spoken one, a mental mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a whispered one, and finally meditating on a mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than its silent recitation. Some teachers mention a third subcategory of ajapa-mantra, which is writing (likhita) out the mantra.
Yogis also categorize mantras as either "meaningful" or "meaningless." Mantras in the "meaningful" category have an obvious surface meaning along with the esoteric one. Examples of meaningful mantras are the "great sayings" (maha-vakya) drawn from the texts known as the Upanishads, such as "I am the Absolute" (aham brahma asmi) and "You are That" (tat tvam asi). Meaningful mantras have two functions: to instill within the reciter a particular spiritual doctrine, and to serve as a vehicle for meditation.
It's rather misleading to call the second category of mantras "meaningless." Meaningless mantras are only apparently so to noninitiates, who don't possess the key to their understanding. Those in the know, who have undergone proper initiation, understand the mantra perfectly well. Besides, the purpose of these mantras isn't to impart a particular doctrine but to affect a certain state of consciousness in the reciter.
Nowadays it's not always possible to find a guru to provide you with a mantra and teach you the proper way to recite it. But if you're interested in learning about mantra, first check your local yoga school for a mantra class or workshop, or at least an asana class in which japa is a regular feature. The best way to learn mantra is still directly from a teacher, even though he or she may not be totally enlightened. Another acceptable way to learn about mantra is from audio productions; I've listed three (and there are many more) in the Resources section below. To get started, you can also listen to audio clips on YogaJournal.com.
There are a few important things to remember when practicing japa. Always pay careful attention to the speed and rhythm of your chanting, and the correct pronunciation, aim, and esoteric meaning of the mantra. It's claimed hat a mantra that's mispronounced and used inappropriately is "asleep" or totally ineffective. It's also recommended that you practice japa at the same time every day and place every day, facing either north or east. The most propitious time is called the "hour of Brahma" (brahma-muhurta), which is set at different times by different teachers, commonly either at sunrise or an hour before. Of course, this might not always be possible, so any time and place will do, as long as you practice regularly.
There's a long tradition in India of saluting the teacher or evoking divine power through a mantra to open a practice. Such a preamble helps the student to steady her resolve and to remind her of the goal of the work, which is always self-liberation. It also serves to signal the student's intent to humbly offer the upcoming practice as a sacrifice to the divine, which is the source of all true wisdom.
The recitation of mantra is known as japa, which literally means "muttering, whispering." According to schools such as Hatha Yoga and Mantra Yoga, the universe is created through the medium of sound, and all sound, whether subtle or audible, issues from a transcendent, "soundless" source called the "supreme sound" or "supreme voice" (shabda-brahman or para-vac). While all sounds possess some degree of shabda-brahman's creative force, the sounds of mantras are far more forceful than other sounds.
As a practice, japa is thousands of years old. In the beginning, mantras were drawn only from the thousands of verses in the Rig-Veda, Hinduism's oldest and holiest scripture. After some time, mantras were taken from non-Vedic sources as well, such as the numerous texts associated with the schools of Hindu Tantra, or those revealed to seers (rishis) in meditation. Mantra Yoga as a formal school is a relatively recent development, though "recent" in yoga years means between twelve and fifteen centuries. Instructional manuals commonly list sixteen "limbs" (anga) of practice. Many of them--such as asana, conscious breathing, and meditation--are shared with other yoga schools.
The building blocks of all mantras are the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. Mantras can consist of a single letter, a syllable or string of syllables, a word, or a whole sentence. Etymologically, the word "mantra" is derived from the verb "man,' which means "to think," and the suffix "tra," which denotes instrumentality. A mantra then is literally an "instrument of thought" that concentrates, intensifies, and spiritualizes our consciousness.
Tradition estimates that there are 70 million mantras. This number shouldn't be taken too literally; it simply signifies that there are lots of mantras. Yogis assert that, to be most effective, a mantra should be received orally from a self-realized teacher (guru), not merely learned from a book, so that it's infused with the teacher's spiritual energy. And to preserve its reservoir of power, a mantra should be kept in strictest secrecy, and not revealed to anyone else.
Mantra traditionally has two purposes, which can be called worldly and spiritual. We usually think of mantra solely as an instrument of self-transformation. But in ancient times mantra was also used for mundane and not necessarily positive ends, such as communicating with and appeasing ghosts and ancestors, exorcism or warding off evil forces, remedies for illnesses, control of other people's thoughts or actions, and the acquisition of powers (siddha) or magical skills. As for its spiritual purpose, mantra is said to quiet the habitual fluctuations of our consciousness and then steer consciousness toward its source in the Self.
We're accustomed to the idea that mantras are recited aloud. But mantras can also be "not-spoken" or "not-muttered" (ajapa). One old text, the Yoga-Yajnavalkya (2.16), maintains that a whispered mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a spoken one, a mental mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than a whispered one, and finally meditating on a mantra is a thousand times more beneficial than its silent recitation. Some teachers mention a third subcategory of ajapa-mantra, which is writing (likhita) out the mantra.
Yogis also categorize mantras as either "meaningful" or "meaningless." Mantras in the "meaningful" category have an obvious surface meaning along with the esoteric one. Examples of meaningful mantras are the "great sayings" (maha-vakya) drawn from the texts known as the Upanishads, such as "I am the Absolute" (aham brahma asmi) and "You are That" (tat tvam asi). Meaningful mantras have two functions: to instill within the reciter a particular spiritual doctrine, and to serve as a vehicle for meditation.
It's rather misleading to call the second category of mantras "meaningless." Meaningless mantras are only apparently so to noninitiates, who don't possess the key to their understanding. Those in the know, who have undergone proper initiation, understand the mantra perfectly well. Besides, the purpose of these mantras isn't to impart a particular doctrine but to affect a certain state of consciousness in the reciter.
Nowadays it's not always possible to find a guru to provide you with a mantra and teach you the proper way to recite it. But if you're interested in learning about mantra, first check your local yoga school for a mantra class or workshop, or at least an asana class in which japa is a regular feature. The best way to learn mantra is still directly from a teacher, even though he or she may not be totally enlightened. Another acceptable way to learn about mantra is from audio productions; I've listed three (and there are many more) in the Resources section below. To get started, you can also listen to audio clips on YogaJournal.com.
There are a few important things to remember when practicing japa. Always pay careful attention to the speed and rhythm of your chanting, and the correct pronunciation, aim, and esoteric meaning of the mantra. It's claimed hat a mantra that's mispronounced and used inappropriately is "asleep" or totally ineffective. It's also recommended that you practice japa at the same time every day and place every day, facing either north or east. The most propitious time is called the "hour of Brahma" (brahma-muhurta), which is set at different times by different teachers, commonly either at sunrise or an hour before. Of course, this might not always be possible, so any time and place will do, as long as you practice regularly.
Guide to Common Chants
Prashanth | 4:04 PM |
Yoga
Guide to Common Chants
Ever wonder what you're chanting during a yoga class? Nervous about chanting the wrong thing? The Yoga Journal Guide provides translations, historical information, and audio clips for common chants.
1. Aum Om
The Primal Shabda
Om, actually pronounced "Aum," is an affirmation of the Divine Presence that is the universe and is similar to the Hebrew "Amen." There are many ways of chanting Aum, but this is an approach that will initiate you as a Shabda Yogi, one who pursues the path of sound toward wholeness and higher states of consciousness.
2. Lokah Samastha
A Chant for Wholeness
Lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu.
May this world be established with a sense of well-being and happiness.
3. Gayatri
Being Illuminated by Sacred Sound
Om bhur bhuvas svaha
Thath savithur varaynyam
Bhargo dheyvasya dhimahih
Dhyoyonah pratchodhay-yath
We worship the word (shabda) that is present in the earth, the heavens, and that which is beyond. By meditating on this glorious power that gives us life, we ask that our minds and hearts be illuminated.
4. Om Namah Shivaaya
Om Namah Shivaaya, Namah Shivaaya, Nama Shiva
I bow to Lord Shiva, the peaceful one who is the embodiment of all that is cause by the universe.
5. Bija Mantras
Seed Mantras
In the “seed” (bija) mantras each seed is conceived of as the sound-form of a particular Hindu deity, and each deity is in turn a particular aspect of the Absolute (Brahman). It’s said that just as a great tree resides in within the seed, so does a god or goddess reside in each bija. When we chant the bijas, we identify each syllable with the divine energy they represent.
Ever wonder what you're chanting during a yoga class? Nervous about chanting the wrong thing? The Yoga Journal Guide provides translations, historical information, and audio clips for common chants.
1. Aum Om
The Primal Shabda
Om, actually pronounced "Aum," is an affirmation of the Divine Presence that is the universe and is similar to the Hebrew "Amen." There are many ways of chanting Aum, but this is an approach that will initiate you as a Shabda Yogi, one who pursues the path of sound toward wholeness and higher states of consciousness.
2. Lokah Samastha
A Chant for Wholeness
Lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu.
May this world be established with a sense of well-being and happiness.
3. Gayatri
Being Illuminated by Sacred Sound
Om bhur bhuvas svaha
Thath savithur varaynyam
Bhargo dheyvasya dhimahih
Dhyoyonah pratchodhay-yath
We worship the word (shabda) that is present in the earth, the heavens, and that which is beyond. By meditating on this glorious power that gives us life, we ask that our minds and hearts be illuminated.
4. Om Namah Shivaaya
Om Namah Shivaaya, Namah Shivaaya, Nama Shiva
I bow to Lord Shiva, the peaceful one who is the embodiment of all that is cause by the universe.
5. Bija Mantras
Seed Mantras
In the “seed” (bija) mantras each seed is conceived of as the sound-form of a particular Hindu deity, and each deity is in turn a particular aspect of the Absolute (Brahman). It’s said that just as a great tree resides in within the seed, so does a god or goddess reside in each bija. When we chant the bijas, we identify each syllable with the divine energy they represent.
| Sound | Pronunciation | Awareness |
| Lam | Curve the tip of your tongue up and back, and place it on the rear section of the upper palate to pronounce a sound like the word alum without the initial a. | Base of the spine |
| Vam | Place the upper set of teeth on the inner section of your lower lip and begin with a breathy consonant to imitate the sound of a fast car. Pronounce the mantra like "fvam." | Genitals |
| Ram | Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of the front section of the upper palate, roll the r as in Spanish, and pronounce the mantra like the first part of the word rumble. | Abdomen |
| Yam | Inhale audibly through your mouth, and pronounce the word hum (as in humming); allow the breath to extend beyond the resolution of the consonant. | Solar Plexus and Heart Area |
| Ham | Inhale noiselessly through your mouth, and pronounce the sound like the word yum (as in yummy); allow the sound along with your breath to fill your mouth and throat cavity. | Throat |
| Om | Inhale audibly through your nostrils, and direct the stream of air to the point between your eyebrows. Pronounce the sound along with your exhalation as a subtly audible whisper, allowing the sound and breath to resonate in the cranial area. | Point between the eyebrows |
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