Another change I would make would be to increase the volume of my own voice.  I found myself dipping into a low auditory range more than once and have gotten similar feedback from students in the past. Do you have any suggestions as to how to cultivate this skill?

On another auditory note: the music (as I discussed) had both its ups and downs. Overall, the music complemented what I was doing, however, at times it pushed the class in a direction that did not resonate with what I was trying to create. I gradually learned to work with this, though it meant hovering over the mp3 player at times and drawing my attention away from the class. Overall, I’d consider using it again, selectively.

Based on my own perception and the majority of the response I received, the workshop went exceptionally well. A real highlight for me was getting to know the students, a few of whom had attended my first presentation at the Canebrake. Inwardly, I was very satisfied and felt that my abilities as a teacher really expanded as a result of this experience. I look forward to offering it again and will have the opportunity to do so in Dallas this fall.  As they say at the Yoga Barn, “Namaste Ya’ll.”

One could easily make a case for or against the roll of music in yoga practice.  On the one hand music/sound has played an intimate roll in the history of yoga (particularly in the nada and bhakti yoga traditions).  On the other hand the power of sound can unduly influence the environment and mind of the practitioner, distracting one from the immediate perceivable reality.

Without going into too many details, I have been privy to both ends of the spectrum; having experienced the acute and transformational power of sound, largely from classically based Indian genres, to having my nadies and vritties accosted by the likes of Michael Jackson, Def Leopard, and Huey Lewis.  Rock On.

Yoga and many other spiritual traditions have recognized the inborn power of sound in transforming consciousness. Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound, has developed a wide variety of techniques to expand consciousness through the medium of sound. Mantras, chanting and deep-listening help to create a ritualistic container to evoke the sacred.  According to Nada Yoga there are four essential layers to the evolutionary sound current:

How long could you survive without eating?  What about drinking?  How long could you go without breathing?

Respiration is probably the most important source of nourishment we receive and one of the most under recognized or utilized. Is it possible that, by modifying our breathing pattern, we can dramatically increase or health in the same way that changing our diet or environment influences our state of well being?  The short answer, absolutely.

In no other form of activity is there a greater emphasis placed on the breath than in yoga.  Not only to the postures bring tone and flexibility to the body, but also increase the elasticity of the rib cage, remove congestion from the diaphragm and increase the supply of oxygenated blood to targeted regions of the body.

This increased circulation nourishes specific organ systems, depending on where the pressure in the pose is or is not being applied.  For example, in doing an inverted posture such as headstand, the brain is saturated with increased circulation and oxygen, thereby increasing mental alertness and clarity.  This same principle can be applies to all of the other postures, each with their distinct attributes and effects.

I once worked with Jenny, a lung cancer survivor, who, after four rounds of chemo-therapy, some deep soul searching and 3-4 yoga classes reported a measured increase her breathing capacity by 15-20%. What’s more, she discovered a means by which she could begin to reinhabit and trust her body again.

There are many, many yogic techniques that pattern the breath in specific ways that are conducive to increased vitality and equanimity. As a simple experiment I invite you to sit up strait, breath evenly through both nostrils and ever so slightly begin to extend the length of your exhalation, at a comfortable and sustainable rate.  Do this for a couple of minutes, release the breath from any modification and notice the effect.  Often the solutions to our problems are lying right beneath our nose, in this case, quite literally.