No Breath, No Life

Over the years I've done varying forms of yoga. Kundalini is one of my favorites because it keeps the breath intrinsically tied to any movement, whereas other yogas are often taught without including the breath. I think all yoga started with the breath being the most important aspect, and the movements and exercise being secondary in importance, but it seems modern generation loss, teachers and agendas have changed that.

Kundalini also brings energy, healing and spiritual elements and transformation into the practice. After most sessions, whether at home or in a class, I felt a tingling at my crown chakra and had a lightness to my body and being. Many would call this experience a mini kundalini awakening. I don't know for sure what it was, but I will admit, I liked it.

I've enjoyed branching out, trying various yogas and even The Tibetan Five aka the Fountain of Youth, one of my favorite practices, period, but also one of my favorites for a busy lifestyle. You can do anywhere from 3 to 21 reps, and they take less than 15 minutes.

I have also done Bikram (hot) yoga and Iyengar (healing) yoga. 

Both good. I caution people with Bikram because I've known of many people getting hurt doing Bikram, as the temperature can get so hot in the room, it can prevent you from feeling when you're overdoing something. Marcus calls it the fast-food yoga because it's spread throughout the country, it's commercialized, and it's the same exact series of movements at every studio, regardless of the teacher or location. (Think about the appeal of fast food - you get the same thing, the same menu, the same taste, whether you eat it in Tucson or Syracuse - but it also can make you severely unhealthy and if you leave a fast food hamburger out, it doesn't decompose. If nature doesn't want to eat it, why would you?)

Bikram (from http://www.bikramyoga.com/BikramYoga/yoga_glossery.php)
Bikram Yoga: A rigorous form of Yoga performed in a room heated to at least 95 degrees. Each posture in the sequence is designed to safely stretch and open the body, in preparation for the next posture.

Iyengar I recommend for anyone because the teachers are trained to be very precise and careful with the movements and postures in the interest of proper alignment and healing. Less chance of getting hurt, higher chance of coming back because no matter what level you are, you'll have props and accoutrements to help you exactly as you are. 

Iyengar (from http://www.iyengar-yoga.com/iyengaryoga/)
Mr Iyengar has systematised over 200 classical yoga Asanas and 14 different types of Pranayamas (with variations of many of them) from the simple to the incredibly difficult. These have been structured and categorised so as to allow a beginner to progress surely and safely from basic postures to the most advanced as they gain flexibility, strength and sensitivity in mind, body and spirit.

I taught yoga for a while during college and just afterwards. I loved teaching mostly because I liked helping people - hearing how they've grown or improved or gotten healthier. It made me realize that maybe it's not about teaching for me, but more about inspiring myself and others in their own lives to grow, change, learn, be more present or loving or compassionate or healthy now than they were a moment ago. 

So... I got a master's degree in Spiritual Psychology. Then I got certified as a Hypnotherapist.  Mostly because I felt compelled to learn about and grow within myself and to help others. But also because I was searching for what I was meant to do.

For many, many years, most of my life or for as long as I can remember (whichever is longer), I wanted to be a singer, a songwriter, and a professional musician.

But in the last few years I realized the following.

Who am I to know exactly what my life is supposed to look like?

How do I know exactly how it's supposed to go?

The reason those two questions come up and repeat is simple. Whenever I've conjured an idea about how something is supposed to go - it often  goes differently and almost always better than I could've imagined. Marcus is like that. He's better than I could've imagined for myself. I had some ideas - I wanted someone who I could say anything to, and I wanted someone as invested in their own mental, spiritual and physical health as I am...  I used to say it'd be nice to find someone who I'm compatible with mind, body and soul.

But back to my purpose...

When I check in with myself, in meditation or moments of tapping into some ethereal, other force/source/entity, the message I get back is, think bigger.

My ego/reactive mind says, how could it get any bigger than being a professional, successful singer/musician/songwriter/rock star?

But I know enough to breathe and listen to that calm, unattached, jovial voice telling me to think bigger.

Maybe my purpose is to inspire myself and others. 

Maybe it's not specifically about music or singing, but about something closer to breath, presence, inspiration, teaching and growing.

So I was looking around, because I often get an itch to learn and explore more and remembered laughing yoga. I found this website and might get certified in yet another thing. Laughing Yoga. Teacher. Inspire-er.

Their website has this statement that I thought was worth sharing.

What shifted in you as you grew? 

What childhood ideas about who you are or what you should do have changed?

Do you laugh every day?

Do you think about your breath every day?

Source: http://www.universalyoga.org/index.html

YOGA OF BREATH

BREATH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. NO BREATH, NO LIFE. WE MUST WORK CONSTANTLY TO MAKE OUR BREATH VERY STRONG THROUGH DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES, RETENTION OF BREATH, AND CONCENTRATION & FOCUSING ON KEEP IN THE NASAL PASSAGES CLEAN AT ALL TIMES. THE STRONGER YOUR BREATH BECOMES, THE STRONGER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS AND THERE IS LESS OF A CHANCE OF BECOMING SICK OR DISEASED. THROUGH PROPER YOGA ASANAS & BREATHING YOU CAN BECOME HEALTHY, HAPPY AND RELAXED. YOU NEED THE RIGHT TEACHER WHO CAN TEACH YOU THE POWER OF THE BREATH. THAT IS WHAT YOGA IS. SHOP AROUND. YOGA IS NOT STRETCHING, STRESSING & DANCE MOVES. YOGA IS CLEANSING THE BODY, BREATH, AND MIND OF NEGATIVE ENERGY SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON TRUTH & CONSCIOUSNESS. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. ONE MUST DO SAHDNA & LEARN TO MEDITATE.