Healing Power of Rhythm and the Voice

Last weekend I had the pleasure of drumming for a yoga and chakra balancing workshop at my sister's yoga studio (Mystic Yoga Shala).  Instructor Jim Conlan led students through a series of chants in coordination with various rhythms and yoga postures.  My sister and I played along with a cd by famed percussionist Glen Velez comprised of 7 different rhythms that are believed to stimulate and balance the 7 chakra energy centers of the body.
I wasn't able to chant while playing the rhythms, but the concentration it took to play them was a meditation in itself and put me in a yogic state I haven't experienced in a long time while drumming.  I hope to do much more of this kind of drumming in 2011!

Ancient Health Knowledge of India Finally Catalogued and Shared on Web

Via Utne and the Ecologist.

"the government of India recently finished a massive database that puts thousands of years' worth of traditional Indian remedies, medicines, and practices in the public domain" - Utne

I didn't know this, but apparently people in the U.S. and Europe have tried to patent plants, herbs and even yoga poses that have been used for healing in India and other countries for thousands of years. Crazy, right? Patenting was attempted on the spice, turmeric, neem trees and even basmati rice. The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library exposes some of these past attempts at intellectual thievery and thwarts any future bio-piracy by establishing a classification system for wisdom inherent in India's ancient healing arts and sciences .

Right now, you can find information only on the principles, therapies and medicines of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha, but eventually a section on Yoga and all of its 1,500 yoga poses will be included.

"India has effectively made its store of wisdom ‘public property’, which can now be accessed and used by anyone, but patented by no-one." - the Ecologist

Downward Doggin' to the Drums

After months (or maybe it's been years - I'm embarrassed to say) I finally took a yoga class at my sister's yoga studio, the Mystic Yoga Shala. It was a Power Vinyasa class in a 90 degree heated room and definitely not for someone as inexperienced as myself, but I was lured by the idea that they would have live drumming during the class. There were two guys playing djun-djuns, djembes, asikos and other various cool sounding percussion during the entire session! Pretty cool. One thing my sister commented on after the class was over, was how listening to the drums seemed to make the holding of the postures take less effort, or possibly maybe she meant that it was easier to focus and therefore hold and transition between the postures (??) Well, whatever it was, it certainly worked for me, because I don't think I knew how much effort I was putting in to the class while I was taking it. Two days later I can't believe how much of a huge tenderized piece of meat I feel like!

This particular class was partially benefiting and bringing awareness to a very cool organization called Africa Yoga Project

Their mission is "to empower youth, build a global community
and increase well-being in East Africa", particularly in Kenya where they have "introduced hundreds of students in Kenya to the practice of yoga, as well provided educational scholarships, job training food stipends, temporary housing and health services".

I thought there answer to "Why Yoga?" was particularly awesome too:
"Yoga reveals our authentic selves, perfect and flawed, uncovers our limitless potential to embrace change and to take action. The practice of yoga does not only work for upper class westerners, but for Kenyans too. Yoga transforms limitations into power.
Yoga revolutionizes our body, our emotions, our relationships and our ability to serve the greater good"

Nuf said.