For thousands of years Hindu spirituality has understood the profound effect that sound has on our well-being. From this tradition comes The Yoga of Sound, which draws on yoga's long history of applying sound to reduce stress, maintain health, and invoke spiritual awakenings. In lucid exercises presented both in the book and on accompanying downloadable audio tracks, Russill Paul shows how everyone can learn the art of mantra and how these practices can help to optimize the flow of energy within the body and enhance emotional well-being.
Meditation exercises for listening to the four levels of sound, to still the body, quiet the mind, open the heart, and connect with the Divine • Details the teachings on nada yoga from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika with clear, step-by-step instructions to find and hear the inner sacred sound of nada • Explains the 4 levels of sound through a series of practical meditation exercises • Includes instructions for a daily nada yoga meditation practice as well as ways to strengthen your advanced practice The ancient practice of nada yoga is not complex. It is the yoga of listening. It is a journey from the noise of the external world inward to a place of peace and bliss, to the source of the transformational power of sound--the nada. By meditating on the inner sacred sound of the nada, we can release ourselves from mind chatter and obsessive thinking. We can still the body, quiet the mind, and open the heart to create a state of mind where joy naturally arises. Sharing his experiential understanding of the classic Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Baird Hersey offers precise, step-by-step instructions on how to find the inner sound of the nada. He explains the first three levels of sound--first, how to truly hear the ordinary sounds of the world around us (vaikhari); second, how to quiet the sounds of the mind (madhyama), such as sound memories and internal dialogue; and third, how to access visual sounds (pashyanti), tapping in to our ability to see sounds and hear colors. Mastering the first three levels prepares one for the fourth level of sound (para), the heart of the practice that connects one to the inner sound of the nada. The author provides detailed exercises to guide you through each level of sound and instructions for a daily nada yoga meditation practice. Hersey explains that by focusing our minds on this internal sound we reunite our essential self with the eternal and infinite. In this re-union we find bliss in both body and mind, an uplifted spirit, and heightened states of consciousness.
Since ancient times, humankind has known the soothing and purifying power of music. Today, we too often forget the unifying spirituality of sound, allowing it to clutter our lives but never hearing its true and transcendental beauty. Here, the renowned Agni Deva offers traditional chants not as accompaniment to life but as a pathway to holiness. In speaking the name of God, one finds God incarnate in sound and brings the light of God into the world. The many names of gods in Vedic literature each represent a path to liberation, if one is able to utter them with consciousness and dedication. Yoga of Sound is an invitation and portal into a vast, beautiful world of traditional song to be listened to, not merely heard. It includes a CD of traditional kitrans and an introduction by Patrick Bernard, the creator of Sublime Relaxation and author of The Secret Music of the Soul.
Modern science and ancient wisdom traditions agree that the universe is a symphony of vibrational frequencies. In this comprehensive work, the author elaborates the essential truths about cosmic sound, and how we can employ important mantras for healing, transformation and inner awakening.
This book is a wonderful introduction to all aspects of the gong and the yoga that is associated with it. The interesting history of the gong, its uses in Western and Eastern music, how to play it and the gongs effects on the body's energetic system are all discussed.
Millions of people practice some form of yoga, but they often do so without a clear understanding of its history, traditions, and purposes. This comprehensive bibliography, designed to assist researchers, practitioners, and general readers in navigating the extensive yoga literature, lists and comments upon English-language yoga texts published since 1981. It includes entries for more than 2,400 scholarly as well as popular works, manuals, original Sanskrit source text translations, conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, and master's theses. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author for easy access, while thorough author, title, and subject indexes will help readers find books of interest.
Based on original Sanskrit sources, this book gives an authentic account of the methods of yoga in its different forms, including the challenging "left-hand" paths, as well as practices best suited to Western students.
Essential Mantras of Yoga Sādhana with Meaning and Detailed Commentary. The journey of a Yoga enthusiast begins with a steep ramp of prayers, postures, and meditation. Little time is spent learning the deep meaning of prayers chanted before and after the Aṣṭāṅga. These Saṃskṛtam prayers, usually from Vedas, Upaniṣads, and Bhagavad-Gītā, can be hard for a beginner to understand. A vast majority of resources provide a cursory, incomplete, and incorrect meaning of the mantras. There has been a long-felt need for a handbook that consolidates and describes Yoga and all the Yoga mantras. This book is a practitioner’s guide meant for beginners and experts alike. Starting with an explanation of basic concepts of Yoga, the book describes the various mantras used in Yoga without any inaccuracy in form or meaning. The meaning of each mantra is followed by a detailed description and commentary. The illuminating commentaries are based on explanations provided by Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, Vyāsa, Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, and Sāyaṇā. A ready reckoner in your fruitful journey of Yoga Sādhana!
Richly illustrated with over 400 full-color photos, this practical book is designed for everybody. The authors show posture adaptations for differnet body types and a myriad of programs for different individual needs. In addition to a progressive easy-to-follow 8-week series of lessons, the book offers innovativeways to use yoga throughout the day.
The ever-increasing popularity of Yoga and related practices makes a desktop reference like this indispensible. With over twenty-five hundred entries and extensive illustrations, it combines comprehensiveness with accessibility. The book is arranged and written in a manner that will inform rather than overwhelm the lay reader, while at the same time offering valuable references for the professional researcher and the historian of religion. This new edition includes information about contemporary Yoga teachers. It also provides fuller descriptions and illustrations of Yoga poses, and features additional cross references.
