Reflection

Even though I have been doing yoga myself for quite some time now, creating this blog really taught me a lot in regards to the subject! I learned some of the names of postures I didn't know initially, and it makes it easier to talk about it with my fellow yogi's!

I learned more about the physical benefits that led me to desire taking more classes! Who wants to be out of shape? So far, my favorite physical benefit of Bikram Yoga is my posture. I have never stood up so straight like I do now. I never thought that the reason why I slouched was because the muscles in my back and spine got so weak they couldn't hold me up right. Now that I am taking these classes on a regular basis, I have been able to see a huge improvement! Mentally through my meditation sessions, I have learned how to handle stressful situation. In the past I would just freak out, and wouldn't be able to get anything done when ever I got stressed. Now that I have developed a more peaceful mind, I am capable of getting more tasks done.

While collecting the information necessary for the project, I also learned so much in regards to the history of Yoga. Even pass the idea of Bikram Yoga I learned all about the other forms of yoga that existed way before Bikram yoga did! This was very interesting to me, I was unaware of how long yoga had been around, or where it originated from. Another cool fact I had was that, I didn't know Bikram was an actual person! This really blew my mind away that he had become so successful! It was very interesting to learn that Bikram made people become certified specifically through him before they could open up a business with the name "Bikram" in it.

Looking up information about yoga music was very intriguing. The reason was because I have always listened to music similar to mother nature and simply instrumental music way before I discovered meditation. This makes me wonder if it was my way to relax myself in a way I didn't know I was. Meditation does not have to be something learned, it can come naturally. With this said, I have been meditating way before I even knew what meditating was! I found the chanting called Kirtan extremely interesting. From a religious stand point, it must feel very powerful to listen to, since it takes quite a few people to produce a form of music.

I discovered a lot of information completing this project. It was both an intellectual journey as well as an emotional one. I learned so much about the history of yoga, and at the same time, I learned a lot about myself. I would have to say that i learned a lot more in this format of writing. I believe because the assignments were broken into separate blogs, it made it feel like several little projects in comparison to one big project. Plus, including the image online made it more interesting to look at, plus I could change the colors to appeal my person taste. Because of this, I found this online format a lot easier to do, and more fun than a traditional formatting process.

Importance of Music

An intimate touch of sound, if your'e really listening, can open up the body to become more aware of your being. Wether you are meditating or doing postures, soothing music can keep the mind and body calm and relax. Thus, increasing your ability to correctly hold postures, and helps you stay in sync with your meditation. When I meditate nightly I have to have soft flutes or singing bowls playing in the back ground. This really helps me to keep my mind at ease and also to remove other thoughts of stress from that day.

Singing bowls have a really deep smooth sound, and flutes have a higher pitch. When you put them together specifically, it is so relaxing! Sometimes people will even combined the wonderful sounds of instruments with mother nature. Sounds such as waterfalls, streams, thunderstorm, etc. The combination of these two really creates a harmony between human kind and mother nature. It helps to remind me that we are extremely connected with mother nature as long as we are willing to be.

Vocal music can actually distract the mind, and is not recommended for meditation. Vocals can trigger memories, and when meditating, you want to remove all possible thoughts. This is why instrumental music is recommended. Kirtan can also be added to instrumental music adding a more religious feel. Kirtan chanters called Kirtankar, are singing lord praises and that is why I say it is more tied to religion. The tones the chanters use are very similar to the music it is combined with! This makes it very relaxing to listen to, and even a non-religious person can enjoy the music for meditation.

This is a picture of a singing bowl! You simply take the wooden stick and glide it around the top edge of the bowl. This creates a deep soothing sound! Kind of like a glass of wine!

Khalsa, Karan. (12/30/2009). Article Factory. Importance of Instrumental Music In Yoga. Received 05/01/10 from: http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/health/importance-of-instrumental-music-in-yoga.html

(4/22/2010). Wikipedia. Kirtan. Received 05/01/10 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtan