Archive for August, 2010

Usefulness of Bikram Yoga

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Yoga has been at the heart of the Indian civilization for over thousands of year. The word ‘Yoga’ mean ‘to yoke’ or ‘unite’. A practitioner who practices Yoga regularly merges his/her soul, his/her consciousness with the universal one. This gives the person, the power to look beyond the imperfections, to achieve a state of total happiness. Yoga, over the course of time, has branched out into many forms such as Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Bikram Yoga and more. Each of these yoga forms aim to lead a practitioner to the same divine goal – connecting ones’ spirit with the Cosmic consciousness.

Bikram Yoga is also known as Hot Yoga. Bikram yoga has received worldwide popularity owing to its immense weight loss benefits. Initially, Bikram Yoga branched out from Hatha Yoga and it was founded by Bikram Choudhury and has found millions of popular. Music gives an added effect to the Yoga session. It enables the body to shape up faster and also enables the mind to quieten down. Spirit Voyage, the online music store that offers a range of yoga DVDs and meditation music CDs also offers many Yoga books that help a Bikram Yoga aspirant gather deeper insights on this yoga form.

Bikram YogaBikram Yoga has 26 postures which when practiced in the right sequence enable all the muscles and the tissues, along with the joints and the tendons to achieve optimum health. Each component of the body when it receives a benefit, it not only rejuvenates itself but also passes on the benefit to the other components of the body, thus giving it a thorough work-out. Bikram Yoga is also popularly known as Hot Yoga as it done in a hot room. Bikram Choudhury believes that a warm body is a flexible body. And a flexible body can be shaped easily. Doing Bikram Yoga or any other form of Yoga such as Kundalini Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga should be carried out with proper Yoga clothes. Yoga clothes enable the body to breath and yet carry out the intricate poses. The intense sweat that is created in the body enables it to flush out the toxins. The body must be hydrated throughout the session and also before and after it.

Pranayama is a major component in Bikram Yoga. Through it, one learns to control his/her breath and derive maximum benefits from the session. Meditation is also another major component. Meditation must be done before the Bikram Yoga session to prepare the body for it and also it should be done after the session gets over. The body needs to calm down after the strenuous workout and so does the mind. Listening to meditation music like Into Grace , A Hundred Blessings and Mantras from the Soul will definitely help. The albums have been created by world renowned artistes such as Snatman Kaur, WAH! Guru Amrit Kaur, Mirabai Ceiba and Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa and will invigorate your soul with new energy. While doing both the Yoga and the meditation routine, proper care must be taken as to the place where the session must be carried out.

Proper Yoga mats and meditation rugs are necessary accessories in a yoga routine. The Yoga mats offered by Spirit Voyage enable the body to carry out various intricate poses by offering proper grip. Also, meditation is an altogether a different experience with Yoga mats. The positive energies that are developed during the meditation routine are insulated from the earth’s vibration.

Since ages, yoga and meditation has contributed in a person’s mental and physical well being. With Spirit Voyage yoga DVDs and CDs, rejuvenate your inner self and experience an inner peace. Merge with the Supreme as guide yourself towards gaining a deeper the spiritual insight.

What is white tantric yoga? How does it work?

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

“Meditation is an art to break the habits, to purify the mind and to take care of the daily requirements.” – Yogi Bhajan

Yoga is an ancient tradition that has helped the humanity by providing key answers to the problems that have cropped time and again. This five thousand years old tradition has evolved with time and has helped many people lead their lives in a much better way. Yoga and its various forms such as Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga enable a person to seek spiritual heights lead them to deeper insights.

Tantric YogaMusic and the practice of yoga is intrinsically related to one another. Music, invokes has a direct influence on the body and its physiology. Thus music when incorporated in a yoga session, create a flow of melody which helps the listening mind elevate to higher realms. Spirit Voyage is an online music store that is committed to making the lives of people, better. It offers various Yoga DVDs and other meditation music CDs which creates a serene ambiance and help a person in achieving a deep meditative state.

White tantric Yoga was founded by Yogi Bhajan who wanted an individual to lead a happy life regardless of the many thoughts and emotions that occur to him/her throughout the day. Yogi Bhajan believed that an average human mind experiences zillions of thoughts, bilions of feelings, millions of emotions, thousands of desires, hundreds of fantasies, multi-realities and personalities. These unchecked thoughts are capable to eat us from within. White tantric Yoga aids a person to break through these blocks and lead a happy life. The person achieves a personal freedom and awareness and thus experiences success. Listening to meditation music CDs while practicing thsi yoga form makes the experience, much more blessed one. Some Cds such as Shakti by Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa and The essential touch by James Asher shall surely guide one in the righteous path in this regard.

A white tantric workshop typically consists of six to eight kriyas, each spanning 31 to 60 minutes. Various asanas, hand-postures, mental focus and breathing techniques are carried out. The key to white tantra lies in the fact that meditations are done in pairs, sitting opposite a partner. Some of the meditations are done while maintaining eye-contact while some of them are done while keeping the eyes closed. Using the diagonal energy, the Mahan Tantric, Yogi Bhajan, connects his subtle body to the subtle bodies of the participants through the course facilitator. Yoga DVDs like Angular Body energy by Yogi Bhajan and Kundalini yoga : a complete course for beginners immensely help a person by totally aiding the experience.

Apart from being a pioneer online music store, Spirit Voyage also offers a variety of yoga accessories such as yoga mats, yoga bags, meditation cushions, jeweleries and many more. The yoga mats help in maintaining a correct posture as well help in retaining the positive energies developed inside the body. Spirit Voyage also offers a wide range of yoga clothes. These yoga clothes are all white and off-white, stitched in natural fibers and are in line with Yogi Bhajan`s teachings. It is recommended that Kundalini Yoga practitioners wear natural fibers because they are good for the psyche, for energy levels and for the nervous system.

Yoga when it is practiced under proper guidance is a perfect affair. Spirit Voyage has a collection of music CDs and DVDs that shall help a yoga aspirant in many ways. These Cds and Dvds not only include devotional music but also incorporate various mantras and chants, intstrumental music, drum music and more. There are Yoga Audio Instructions Cds as well which includes spoken instruction in yoga, meditation and other health and wellness areas. Artists like Bhakti, Dya Singh and Snatam Kaur have lended their soulful voices. Expert practitioners recommend the use of proper Yoga clothes. Yoga clothes also honor the higher self which shows up after a session in Yoga.

White Tantric Yoga will purify and uplift the a being. It is one of the most powerful methods for breaking subconscious blocks. This yoga form clears up all elements of the subconscious mind so that the actions are based on a clear mind that understands itself. Thus the results of practicing White Tantric Yoga will be true happiness.

Deepen Your Kundalini Yoga Practice with Music and Meditation

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Kundalini Yoga musicKundalini is a power or energy which exists in every human body, though in a dormant state. This source of energy is like a coiled serpent. At the bottom of the human spine, this corporeal energy lies inactively as a libidinal and instinctive power. The purpose of Kundalini yoga is to awake and raise this sleeping serpent from Muladhara Chakra upto the Sahasrara Chakra through various yogic austerities such as asana, pranayama and dhyana. By awakening this Kundalini shakti, an individual becomes aware of his/her own body and mind. It awakens our inner knowledge as well as improves the inner growth. By enlightening the soul, it helps to connect with the cosmic power and thus let the human being feel the oneness with the universe.

For thousands of years, the secrets of Kundalini science was passed from gurus to few of the chosen disciples. Today, people from allover the world is showing interest in this ancient art of staying healthy, creative and spiritually aware. Meditation or dhyana is one of the most significant part of Kundalini yoga practice. Through meditation, one attains a higher level of self-consciousness which is the first step towards awakening the Kundalini. Specific meditative practice has been developed specially for this particular yoga form, is known as Kundalini meditation.

Kundalini Yoga musicMusic is considered as the best concentrator. Since ages, music and yoga practice is intrinsically related to each other. Right kind of music influences the senses of a human being. By creating a peaceful ambiance, music induces a meditative mood within a practitioner. Spirit Voyage, an online music store, offers a variety of yoga and meditation music CDs and DVDs. The Kundalini Music of Spirit Voyage includes Gurmukhi chant, mantras and Kirtan which are ideal for yoga and meditation. Spirit Voyage Kundalini Yoga DVDs incorporate the use of mantra, asana, mudras, and chakra energy work, for the purpose of awakening and raising the kundalini. These DVDs combine kriya with music and mantra along with many kundalini meditations. Kundalini Meditation by Harijiwan Khalsa, a guided meditation CD offered at Spirit Voyage, provides proper guidance on how to tap this hidden energy and welcomes the practitioner on a spiritual voyage of the transformative chakras.

Start your Kundalini yoga session with some warm up exercises. Add some deep spiritual and instrumental music in your session, and experience the transformation. There are vast Kundalini yoga music collection offered by Spirit Voyage. Spirit Voyage is an online music company where you will find the best of Kundalini yoga music Cds, Yoga DVDs and books. The company also offers different yoga accessories like yoga rugs, yoga mats and a diverse range of yoga wears for men and women. These yoga mats and rugs offer proper support to the practitioner while performing various asanas. Proper clothing is another important factor in yoga practice. Spirit Voyage offers varying range of yoga clothes such as Kundalini Fold-Over Yoga Capri, Shakti Activewear Scoop Yoga Tank, Men’s Cotton Kundalini Sweatpants, Aandaz Kundalini Cotton Shirt and more. These yoga clothes are specifically designed for active yoga practices with exceptional range of motion, moisture control fabrics that feature stylish cuts.

The soulful Gurumukhi chants, kirtan and mantras will create a serene atmosphere around perfect for a Kundalini awakening session. Pick a good Kundalini music from the vast collection which includes Merging Your Soul with the Infinite by Siri Atma S. Khalsa MD, Guru by Sat Shabd, Ignite Your Light by Satkirin Kaur Khalsa, Sat Nam – Meditation and Motion by Margaret Trezza and many more. The extensive yoga DVD collection ranges from children’s Kundalini yoga DVD to women’s Kundalini yoga DVD. With their helpful audio-visual guidance on each and every poses and postures, exploring the art and science sitting at home of Kundalini becomes much more easier.

Kundalini yoga and the serpent symbolism

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Kundalini yoga musicYoga has been one of the foremost ways of emancipating the lives of many people over the past five thousand years. It has been the harbourer of inner peace and has transformed the lives of many people. With the advent of the 20th Century, Yoga and its tremendous benefits has reached far and wide. There have been many instances when the people who initially started practicing Yoga have been literally hooked onto its far reaching benefits. People have found their innermost secrets and their true destiny and have found the path of inner peace. Yoga and its tremendous benefits have found many takers.

The term Yoga has derived from the sanskrit word, “Yuj” which means “union” or “to unite.” Soothing kind of Music, with its tune and rhythm invoke strong moods, influence the subtle energy fields within us and direct ones’ consciousness towards higher realms. Music enables the mind to ward off thoughts that are a hindrance to achieving the divinity. Since time immemorial, yoga practitioners incorporate music in their yoga sessions. Spirit Voyage is an online music company that boasts a huge collection of Yoga DVDs and CDs.

Yoga in any form, be it Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga or Ashthanga Yoga, yields the same positive result, by uniting the mind, with the body and body with the soul. Kundalini yoga and its origins have been shrouded in mystery since the dawn of the Indian civilization. Kundalini energy or the Kundalini shakti, as it popularly known, is a vast potential of the psychic energy that is dormant in us all. As stated in Yoga Kundalini Upanishad (1.82), “The divine power,Kundalini, shines like the stem of a young lotus; like a snake, coiled round upon herself she holds her tail in her mouth and lies resting half asleep as the base of the body.”

Kundalini yoga and the serpent symbolismThe coiled energy is symbolized as the coiled serpent in three and half circles. Spiralling around the central axis (sacrum or sacred bone) at the base of the spine, this serpent lies with the tail in its mouth. Kundalini sadhana aims at invoking this Kundalini energy. Teachers perfected the art of doing the correct postures and the proper breathing techniques to awaken the true spirits. The objective of the practice of Kundalini Yoga is to awaken the serpent or Sakti. When Kundalini Sakti is ready to unfold, she passes through the spinal chakras to unite above the crown of the head with Sahasrara Chakra. Sahasara Chakra is generally considered to be the chakra of pure consciousness or Siva – the Pure Consciousness or the Omnipotent.

Spirit Voyage lets you experience divinity with its range of Kundalini yoga music CDs and Yoga DVDs which truly help in a unique way to awaken this Kundalini spirit or Kundalini energy. Yoga DVD such as Kundalini Yoga DVD by Gurmukh provides an insight into the mystery that’s Kundalini Yoga. Through this Yoga DVD, she teaches the basic principles of the ancient art of Kundalini Yoga. This DVD also provides a hindsight into the eight chakras that are present inside the human body. Kundalini Yoga Awakening by Donna Amrita Davidge includes the elements of air and water to further your experience of the yoga practice. Kundalini Yoga for Relaxation is another Yoga DVD by Nirvair Singh Khalsa that includes two classes – warm up stretching, physical exercise, breath meditations and deep relaxations.

Kundalini yogaSpirit Voyage also specializes in other meditation music CDs which will surely make achieving that meditative state, a much more easier task. Meditation music CDs such as Kundalini Meditation by Harijiwan Khalsa and A Woman’s Kundalini Yoga starter gift pack will surely enable a person to experience Kundalini Yoga.

Spirit Voyage also offers a host of yoga accessories like yoga rugs and Yoga Mats that aids in perfect Yoga sessions. These Yoga mats provides good support to the practitioner, enabling the practitioner to perform Yogic pose without falling off. Proper Yoga clothes is an utmost necessity. The Yoga clothes offered by Spirit Voyage are flexible, durable and feature stylish cuts and designs.

Awakening the Kundalini energy can be surely done with the proper technique and under proper guidance. After all, Kundalini Yoga is the mother of all yoga and mother of all yoga known.

How to Use Mala in Meditation

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Meditation MantrasA mala is a string of beads, usually of 108 beads, used in meditation or prayer. It is also known as japa mala or meditation mala. Mala is used as a tool in different meditative practices to keep counting of chanting or reciting sacred mantras. In Hinduism, this practice of meditative repetition of a sacred mantra or the name of God silently or aloud is known as Japa. Japa mala helps the practitioner to focus on the soulful recitation rather than counting the numbers. Japa enhances the meditative practices. Using this string of beads for prayer can be dated back beyond the written history. Using mala is virtually common in all the major religions and other spiritual practices. In Kundalini yoga meditation, mala is considered as an important spiritual tool for its close connection with Nada yoga, the yogic practice of reciting sacred sounds and mantras.

Generally tulsi wood, rudraksh, crystal, sandal wood are the materials used to make malas. Certain properties of each of these materials leave subtle effects on the human subconscious mind. Each mala has an extra bead i.e. the 109th bead which is called by various names like Sumeru, Guru bead, stupa etc. A tassel hangs from this Guru bead, which symbolizes a thousand lotus petals. This helpful device holds the concentration of the practitioner even if there are disturbing and distracting noises in the surroundings. The traditional way of using a mala is holding it in the right hand between the thumb and the middle finger. Hang the mala between your fingers and rotate the beads one by one as you recite the mantras. Roll one bead after reciting the complete mantra once. in Kundalini yoga meditation, start from the next bead after the Guru Bead and move towards by rolling from one beads to another while repeating the mantra. Use the thumb to pull the next bead after reciting the complete mantra. Thus, you will reach the summit or the Guru bead after completing the full circle. Here one can start it again or make a special prayer with that Sumeru or Guru bead.

Meditation MalasPracticing mala meditation with mantras yields better result. Spirit Voyage offers Sanskrit mantras collection. This collection includes traditional mantras and instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, sitar, guitar, drums and more and are perfect musical choices to set the mood for yoga practice and meditation. Kundalini Mantra Instruction by Gurudass Kaur, The Essence, Moola Mantra & Mantras For Precarious Times by Deva Premal, Eternal Om by Robert Slap which will provide the pure sacred chants. The online music company, Spirit Voyage, offers a variety of meditation malas which will help you to attain the enlightenment. It ranges from Orange Agate Mala, Tiger’s Eye Mala, Amethyst Mala, Rudraksha Mala to Rose Quartz Mala, Carnelian Mala etc. If you are completely new to this spiritual world then take help of a experienced yoga teacher or else a good yoga DVD which will guide you each and every poses, postures and mudras. Collect a good DVD with audio-visual illustrations from the extensive yoga DVD collection offered at Spirit Voyage.

Meditation is a sadhana, a soulful practice. This soulful practice requires complete attention of the practitioner. This mindfulness is also required for other such practices, like yoga etc. If you are practicing yoga or meditation at home, then choose a quiet corner, play some tranquil meditation music and make yourself ready for the practice session. Wear some loose fit clean yoga clothes which are comfortable as well as suitable for such meditative practice. Your yoga clothes needs to be perfect so as to allow you full flexibility as you perform various poses. Spirit Voyage offers yoga wear which are comfortable as well as stylish. There are yoga tops and T-shirts for women and men. Always try to use a yoga mat or rug as yoga mats provide the support to the back, elbows and knees of the practitioner. One can also use meditation cushions or sheepskin instead of yoga mats. Browse through the yoga accessories section offered at Spirit Voyage and pick the best from their huge collection. You may also find some other useful yoga accessories like yoga bags, yoga bottles etc. Dive into the sea of spirituality by practicing mala meditation with the spiritual collection of this online record label music company and enjoy an eternal bliss.