tamaraoyoga

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I talk about joint limitations and why you can’t do splits in my new blog post. Check it out!

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Please check out https://www.artyogaretreats.net. We’re working hard on this, and hoping to have our first retreat in May. If you’re looking to really ground and center yourself, get creative, and do some yoga, this is the perfect retreat for you! This year, we will be hosting it at beautiful SunMountain Center in Manitou Springs, CO. 

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I finally started bringing my personal website together. Here’s my first blog post on there. I hope it helps those who are looking to start their yoga journey.  

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The Benefits of Chanting

Whether it’s just a simple OM ॐ or AUM, or a full mantra, there are a full array of physical and mental benefits when you are creating sacred sounds. 

When you are chanting, you are creating sound, which creates vibrations throughout your entire body. These vibrations have the potential to cause changes at the cellular level. 

AUM

OM or AUM is not just some ordinary sound. It is a mantra signifying creation, preservation, and destruction; the sound of the universe. Or, perhaps, a universal sound found in every language. 

I’ve heard some teachers say that when we are sounding out the AUM, the last mmmm sound that we create as we close our lips, has to do with destruction. Not in a negative way, but it is the destruction of our obstacles. 

Mental Benefits

The problem that I have heard most people complain about is not being able to stop their thoughts or overthinking. Patanjali defines yoga as yogas-chitta-vritti-nirodha or quieting the mind through the practice of yoga. Chanting can do the same for you.

When you are chanting, you are focusing on the mantra, you are focusing on the sound, which in turn doesn’t allow you to create unnecessary thoughts. Being able to gain a sense of calm and stillness is the ultimate goal, chanting can help you reach that. 

Physical Benefits

Earlier, I mentioned being able to change yourself at the cellular level. There is a science behind this, which I don’t feel completely qualified to get into, but there are plenty of articles online if you are interested in doing more research. 

What I can tell you is that sound has a therapeutic quality for the body. It can slow the heart rate, brain activity, and slow down your breathing. 

Being overactive and having high levels of stress can have a detrimental affect on the body, especially if this is your constant state of being. Finding time to chant and focus on a mantra can really help to slow down the activity in the body and bring you to a place of peace. 

My Favorite Mantra

Chanting the Gayatri Mantra most every morning has really changed how I begin my day, and how I move throughout my day. I’m not sure why this particular mantra has affected me the most since I started my chanting practice, but it deeply resonates within me. 

ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः ।

तत्स॑वि॒तुर्वरेण्यं॒

भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑धीमहि ।

धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्र��ो॒दया॑त् ॥

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tatsaviturvareṇyaṃ

bhargo devasyadhīmahi

dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt

This mantra has been translated in many different ways, but it is a dedication to Savitur, the sun deity. You can read more about it here and here. 

There are a lot of different versions of this chant on YouTube, but I really enjoy this one.

Closing Thoughts

The Gayatri Mantra is just one example, as there are many different chants and mantras, so if you are a beginner, this can be overwhelming. I would suggest starting with OM/AUM, then perhaps finding a qualified teacher to study with if this is something that interests you. 

As you begin to get deeper into your practice, remember that even on the days that you don’t feel like practicing, those are the days that you need it the most. 

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About Rejection

“If you are influenced by the opinions of others when you reach decisions, you will not succeed in any undertaking.” - Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

I’ve been rejected many times in my life. There will always be people who do not or do not care to see the potential in you. But, for every person who doesn’t care, there is someone who does. Sometimes, when you’ve been trying, and trying, and trying, and you are just about to give up, all it takes is for one person to believe in you to keep your momentum going. 

Rejection isn’t only about other people rejecting you, it’s also about how you reject yourself. That can come in many forms, whether it be procrastination, self-loathing, or simply just giving up. We can not please everybody, that is a given, but we do have to live in our own bodies. So, be kind to yourself, and lift yourself up, even when you feel like no one else will. 

When you see the potential in yourself and believe in yourself, eventually others will, too.

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“People can react very strongly when feeling their limitations. In asana practice, some students crumple to the floor in sobbing heaps and give up; others become enraged and force their way past their limitations, injuring themselves; still others cower in fear... The solution is simple: Do not identify with the limitations you come across while practicing asana, or in your daily life.” - Jivamukti Yoga, Sharon Gannon & David Life 

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The Power of Breathing

“By self-control over the maintenance of breath, one may radiate light.” - 3.39, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

One of the things I learned about during my yoga teacher course was prānāyāma or the regulation of the breath. I was aware of it before from it being taught in some of my yoga classes, but not in depth.

Breathing is Energy

The general population has a shallow breath. If you monitor the way that you breath, it’s not very deep, and just enough to keep you alive. Shallow breathing limits your energy. 

Your breath has everything to do with your energy. Your body has five kośa or five layers, prānāyāma being the second layer. When we inhale, we are taking things in (prāna), and when we exhale, we are eliminating (apāna). Which is why it’s important that we utilize our nose for this activity. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people are mouth breathers, which can be detrimental to your health.

Being able to breathe properly is extremely important and can regulate your thoughts, pain, healing/recharging yourself, controlling emotions, and so on. It can also help you achieve those difficult poses over time.

Prānāyāma Techniques

There is an order to things. Generally, you begin with kriyā, these are cleansing techniques. Jala neti (cleansing the nose with a neti pot) and sūtra neti (cleansing the nose with a rubber string) would fall into this category. Next are preparatory exercises, such as simha mudrā or lion’s breath, as it’s more commonly known. Then, we get to the prānāyāma exercises. I won’t go into too much detail, but I’ll list my favorite ones.

Ujjāyī

This is probably the most well-known technique. Ujjāyī is generally used for building internal heat and increasing your energy. If you’ve been in a yoga class, you’ve probably heard the teacher say to have “ujjāyī breathing” while you’re performing your postures. 

First of all, this is probably not the best way to breath during an asana practice. There is a method to this technique and it should be done before or after any physical activity, not during. 

To do this, you inhale through both nostrils, retain the breath, then close off your right nostril and exhale through the left. That is one cycle. I usually inhale for 4 counts, retain for 4 counts, then exhale for 8 counts. This is more comfortable for me, but your time limits might be different.

Candrabhedana

Candabhedana is a cyclical breath. You start by inhaling through the left nostril, retain the breath, exhale through the right nostril, inhale through the right nostril, retain the breath, then exhale through the left. This is one round. 

This is a nice calming breath and is a good follow-up after kapālabhāti or fire breathing. You should also count your breathing for this one. The general rule is for the amount of time you spend inhaling, you should double the amount of time you exhale.

Śītalī

Last, but not least, is śītalī. This is a breath that I really enjoy, especially for its calming and cooling effects. When I can’t stop the chattering in my mind or when I’m feeling a bit overheated, I like to do this one. 

For śītalī, you must be able to roll your tongue. Then you inhale slowly through your tongue, retain the breathe, and exhale out of both your nostrils. 

Recommendations

Obviously, this is not an in-depth resource, just a blog post. But, if this is something that interests you, I’d recommend reading The Science of Breathing by Yogi Ramacharaka. It’s a short read and he goes in-depth on breathing and how to regulate it, why it’s important, as well as some different techniques. 

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I’ve been having fun playing around with the yoga wheel. It’s helped my balance a bit when I’m trying to go into handstand without it. 🤸🏽‍♂️

Recently, I started reading 📖 Jivamukti Yoga by Sharon Gannon and David Life. There’s a chapter on ahimsa (non-violence). I, personally, have some strong views on this, but this served as a reminder to me: “Yoga is not for everyone. Not everyone is dissatisfied with his or her condition. Some people are not consciously seeking the source of their own being. But, for those who are... The body/mind...is purified through ethical vegetarianism 🌿 and the practice of ahimsa.” 

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A little piece of paradise: Jungle Yoga

There are many yoga retreats out there, but none quite like this one. I’ve been going to this yoga retreat two years in a row so far, and have already paid for the third year. 

Jungle Yoga, which is located in Khao Sok National Park Thailand, usually have many different teachers heading their retreats, and I usually go for the one with Raphael, which is heavily focused on alignment vinyasa, yoga philosophy, and chanting. I would also recommend my friends, Kim and Frank for their Yin Lifestyle Retreat. 

Anyway, pictures speak louder than words, so here are some photos from the retreat!

All I can say is, it’s definitely worth going. Especially, if you want to take a break away from your smartphone, phone calls, emails, internet, Wi-Fi - all that stuff. It’ll clear your mind, and you’ll be feeling completely refreshed after it’s over.

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Thoughts on Yoga and Diet

Last night, I was reading The Bhagavad-Gita: As It Is, and I came across a passage on page 338:

“One who loves Krsna will give Him whatever He wants, and he avoids offering anything which is undesirable or unasked. Thus meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Krsna. If He desired such things as offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, “I will accept it.” 

Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings and are prescribed by Lord Krsna Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods.”

Since I started diving deep into my practice, I have become stricter with my diet. I have been vegan/vegetarian for the past 15 years, but that doesn’t mean I have always been healthy. Clean eating is something near and dear to my heart and is important for any yoga and/or spiritual practice. 

Something that I have always had difficulty understanding is how can you call yourself a yogi, if you are eating meat, fish, and eggs? Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion. I think that most people view yoga as simply the asana, or the physical postures, but yoga is so much more than that. It is, in fact, a spiritual practice - a cleansing of the mind, body, and soul.

One of the teachings is ahimsa or non-violence. We should not injure living beings, as to hurt another is to hurt oneself. We must show compassion, as well as devotion or ishvara pranidhana (offering the fruits of one's actions to the Divine). 

So, how can you become a yogi, if you can not show compassion starting at the at the food table?

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I think snakes are so beautiful. I encountered this snake during a walk. I hope no one hurt it.

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Tibetan Singing Bowls: What are they?

Last year, I went through a certification in using Tibetan singing bowls and how they can heal people with emotional and physical trauma. They are also used for shamanic healing of negative energy, as well as meditation. My background is in PTSD, so naturally, I gravitated toward this. I want to write a little about what they bowls are and what they’re used for. I would highly recommend this sort of therapy for anyone and everyone, even if you don’t have any problems and just want to relax.

What are they used for?

Tibetan singing bowls are generally used for sound therapy and chakra therapy or balancing to relieve a wide range of symptoms emotionally and physically. They are not a cure all, and obviously, if you have a serious problem, always consult a doctor. 

Typically, there are 7 different bowls each with a different musical note: B, E, A, D, G, C, and F. Each note corresponds with a different chakra point on the body and has a different meaning. I’ve also included which physical ailments each note is generally used for.

B: Crown Chakra - Spiritual Energy 

For headaches, insomnia, and tension.

E: Third Eye Chakra - Intuition

For face problems.

A: Throat Chakra - Creative Energy

For throat problems.

D: Heart Chakra - Life Force

For chest and shoulder problems.

G: Solar Plexus - Emotion and Desire

For all back pain, hips, and stomach.

C: Sacral Chakra - Vital Energy

For issues with the stomach and buttocks.

F: Root Chakra - Will 

For issues ranging from the toes to the thighs, from the feet to the hamstrings.

What are the bowls made of?

Traditionally, the bowls are made of 7 metals - one metal for each of the seven planets. (There are also crystal singing bowls, but I’m just going to talk about the traditional ones.)

Gold - The Sun

Silver - The Moon

Copper - Venus (70% of the bowl is made of copper)

Iron - Mars

Lead - Saturn

Mercury - Mercury

Tin - Jupiter

How do they work?

One of the more popular ways that Tibetan singing bowls are used is for meditation. Usually, you would have your audience lying down so that they are able to receive the sound frequencies from the bowls as they are being played. You can also put the bowl directly on the body, which gives an even deeper vibration within. This is how these bowls really work - they release a vibration or frequency that penetrates the cells of the body. 

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Simplicity in Yoga

I spend a lot of time reading, watching videos, and thinking about simplicity and minimalism. I just had the thought about how important these things can be in a yoga practice. As you might know, from my previous posts, I suffered an injury. This was mainly because I was trying to do too much; I was trying to keep up with everyone else that I admired in my classes. I ended up pushing myself to a point where my body started breaking down because I wasn’t listening to myself and accepting my own limitations.

You don’t have to do all the things. Honestly, you could just do 30 minutes of sun salutations every day, and if done correctly (correct breath and alignment) you can still achieve benefits from your practice. And, if you want to do more, if you want to do all the advanced poses and stand on your ears, go ahead. But, make sure you are taking the time to work on how to achieve those things. Do not force your body to do things that it can not do because you want instant gratification.

Do what is right for your body. Focus on your breath. Close your eyes and feel how your body is moving, if there is any discomfort, think about how you can tweak your alignment and create comfort for yourself. It is about becoming in tune with not only your mind, but your physical body as well - to feel a connection with yourself.

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My Meniscus Injury Part 2: Recovery

After my injury, I was worried about staying in shape. The injury happened at a time when I felt that I was in peak shape; finally reaching my fitness goals. If you’ve had/have a similar injury, maybe you had/have the same worries that I did. Here are some things I started doing.

At first, I couldn’t put any kind of pressure or weight on my left knee, so I started working on my upper body strength. Before my injury, I was struggling with forearm stand and handstand. I practiced these two poses exclusively every single day until I could begin to stand properly (about three weeks later). I also did some upper body weight training with some weights I had at home. In a way, that was a blessing in disguise, as I can now perform both poses.

As soon as the inflammation on my knee went down and I could walk (more like limp) again, I started focusing on very low impact cardio workouts. I still couldn’t quite do yoga since bending my knee was extremely painful, so I focused more on a workout where I could move the rest of my body, with little to no pressure on my injury. In addition to this, I practiced my physical therapy exercises focused on strengthening the leg muscles and stabilizing the knee. And, of course, I continued practicing forearm stand and handstand. 

Lastly, I went back to doing yoga, but with a lot of modifications. It took about 6 and half months for my knee to heal to a point where I was able to perform as well as before my injury. There are things I was told I would never do again, but I’m able to do them now, albeit carefully. So, don’t lose hope, take it step by step, take time to educate yourself on anatomy, and listen to your body.