I'm fully embracing the benefits of practicing yoga and meditation online, by introducing sounds. You can imagine what it's like for me as a teacher, to suggest sound to a class (back when we could meet in person) and I could see and feel people's throats tighten up. Mine would in response and the sound exercise I had planned, would be far from relaxing as I croaked and coughed my way through it.
Well not anymore! When we practice online students are muted, so they can let loose, their voice is free. It's so liberating and a really welcome addition to practice.
Why am I introducing sound? Because it's a healing tool. (Yes, really).
Listen...
Take a moment to listen closely...
What sounds can you hear right now? The chances are there are many of them. Our lives are filled with all sorts of sounds.
Our responses to those sounds help create who you are fin moment to moment, year to year (remember the album you had on repeat when you were 17? How much that music was a part of you. Listening to a few of those tracks again, many years later can take you right back to that moment).
At one extreme; irritating and annoying. At another; pleasant or deeply satisfying sound vibrations affect our thoughts, feelings and how we experience the world. (Calling a loved one when you're in distress and saying 'I just needed to hear your voice').
The sounds (or mantras) we're going to start to invite into practice are naturally occurring. A sigh of relief, an ahhhh of surprise and delight... an mmmm of cosiness, contentment. Get comfortable and confident with those, and then we'll introduce others. Mantra is a powerful tool for the mind and body.
I'll talk to you more about that in another blog... right now I need to put my finishing touches to the yoga and meditation course which starts today!