This morning, like most mornings following a night I
didn’t work, I woke up early. Tired of sleeping :) I decided to
dedicate this beautiful, cool morning to some time with my mat. But this morning was different. Instead of a silent practice, I opted to
practice listening to one of my favorite bands from high school. This band, with their upbeat alternative
rock, was just the thing to balance out the quite.
I found a very unusual truth begin to emerge as I
worked my way through Surya Namaskara B… I was really enjoying the music and my
practice seemed to find an organic rhythm with the tempo of the song. I realized that this is what yoga, at its
core, should be about: having fun in the present moment and absorbing the
experience.
I felt that my forward bends were deeper and my
jump-backs more graceful. While, I will
still undoubtedly love my silent practices, I have discovered a joy in being
immersed in sound.
This is a beautiful confirmation of the power of music and sound. Just like the time of day can impact our mood and quality of experience, different types of music/sound/silence can influence our physical practice...on and off the mat. I also love practicing with music/sound. For me... Bach brings peace, Prince brings playfulness, Jayashree's recitation of the Yoga Sutras brings deep centering. Yes, Yoga is about being present and absorbed in the Now...and there are many tools that are available to help us get there...music/sound is perhaps one of the strongest if not the strongest. And the silence that follows absorption in sound...the heart of bliss! Thanks for posting!!
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