The Difference between Sirsasana I and Sirsasana II

Out of the several different arm/hand positions for Head Stand, there are two that are the most frequently practiced: Sirsasana I – where your forearms form part of the foundation, and Sirsasana II – or Tripod Headstand where your hands are on the floor with your arms bent at 90 degrees.

People often have a preference, one that they like better than the other. Often this has to do with their ability to perform the pose. If your shoulders are tight, Sirsasana I is harder. If your arms are weak, Sirsasana II is harder. While preference is fine, there are reasons to work on both variations. Each headstand requires different competencies and each headstand prepares the body for different further variations.

Sirsasana I
Typically the first headstand taught is Sirsasana I. Because it is a closed chain movement, where the hands are brought together and the fingers interlaced, it makes a closed circuit of the forearms, it is the most stable of the two and it strengthens the shoulders for other inversions and arm balances. But, it requires shoulder flexibility, specifically the ability to raise the arms overhead. For some students, this is difficult. We hold a lot of tension in our shoulders and if we have a slightly rounded upper back, this inhibits the range of motion of the upper arm. Sometimes students exhibit what is referred to as deceptive flexibility. An example of that is when a student raises their arm overhead and their back arches. This makes it look and feel as if there is flexibility in the shoulder joint, but there is really compensation in the back. This range of motion is an important aspect of poses where the arms are in the overhead position such as: Down Dog, Warrior I, Chair Pose, Wheel, Handstand, Forearm Balance and Cow Face Arms. If you have shoulder tightness, these poses may present a challenge for you.

Sirsasana II
Being an open chain movement, where the elbows can move in and out, this pose is less stable than Sirsasana I. It requires less flexibility because the arms are straight out from the shoulders, rather than overhead, but you need more strength for Tripod Headstand than you do for Sirsasana I. If your shoulders and upper arms are weak, this position will feel wobbly. This upper body strength is relevant to other arm balance poses where the arms are also bent 90 degrees: Low Push Up, Crow, Side Crow, Peacock, Swan, Dragonfly and those crazy arm balances named after sages such as the Koundinyasa variations, the Galavasana variations.
Sequencing

Although the two Head Stands are related, notice there was no overlap in the poses I associated with each headstand. When I am sequencing a class, I think about logical progression of postures. Practicing yoga is about a progression of skills rather than a performance of asana. While you may be proficient in one version of Headstand, it is a good idea to practice both variations to increase your repertoire, strength and range of motion.

Making Choices to be Healthy

What do you really need to do to be healthy?  Is it the food you eat?  Exercise?  What about your creative health?  Financial health? Spiritual health?  Do you find time to relax or meditate?  I think all of these factors come into play and contribute to your health and sense of well being.  Lissa Rankin, a physician, speaker, founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute, and mystic depicts your health as a cairn, a human made pile of stones, with each stone representing an aspect of your health.

Medical Intuitive Caroline Myss has spent the last 35 years learning about how people can heal and why they don’t.  In many of her talks, I have heard her say that food and exercise don’t matter as much as the power of the choices we make on a daily basis.  She often says that you can eat cat food and still be healthy provided you are able to live in present time; that you don’t spend your energy rehashing the past and worrying about the future.  Her work centers on where we are losing energy.  Just like a financial debt, if you continue to drain your resources pretty soon you will have nothing left.

This sounds very much in line with the teachings of yoga and mindfulness.  We need to learn to live in the present moment. What does that mean?  Live with integrity.  Pass on your wisdom, not your woe, learn from your mistakes.  Make a choice to take risks.  How many risks have you already taken in your life to get where you are today?  Make a list of them to help you remember. Don’t wait for proof that your actions will turn out successfully, not all of them will.  But, as famous guru Shri Wayne Gretzky-ananda said, “I didn’t make 100% of the shots I didn’t take.”

Don’t look backwards for guidance.  The reason you are where you are is because that part of your life is over.  Look forward to new adventures.  Trust that your resourcefulness that brought you this far will continue to serve you.

Caroline Myss says that we need to pay attention to our words; our words are universes unto themselves.  Each word we use has the power to shape our world.  She teaches that there are toxic words and that these words should be banished from our vocabulary.  Ms. Myss suggests that there are three toxic words that we should banish from our vocabulary: blame, deserve and entitlement.

Blame.  You have probably all heard the expression that no one has the power to ruin our day unless we let them.  We are responsible for our own happiness.  Other people may do things that intersect with our lives, but they are acting upon their own ideas and principles.  If we blame them for our unhappiness we are giving away our own power.

Deserve.  There are a lot of things that happen to us that we don’t deserve, stuff just happens. My mother didn’t deserve to get Alzheimer’s, it just happened. People don’t deserve to win the lottery, it’s just chance.

Entitled.  We really aren’t entitled to anything.  We often just think we should be.

The practice of banishing these words from your vocabulary is very similar to the complaining fast I invited students to go on a while ago.  Think of this as an elimination diet where you eliminate a food from your diet to see if your symptoms go away.  Try giving up one of these words for a day or a week and see if it has an impact on your life.  Just like a food, it may take longer than a day or a week to get it completely out of your system, however, so be patient and give it time.

At the end of her TED talk, Caroline Myss asks us to make this choice to be healthy.  She says, “Make the choice everyday to get up every day and bless your day.  Don’t be grateful for the things you have because these things can change.  Wake up every day and bless the fact that you are alive and things will never be exactly this way again; these people, this situation will never be exactly this way again.  Appreciate the gift of being alive.  If you can wake up this way every day, this shapes your life with grace and beauty."

What choices can you make to live a happier and more fulfilled life?

Overcoming Your Fears

Medical Intuitive Caroline Myss has spent the last 35 years learning about how people can heal and why they don’t.  In many of her talks, I have heard her say that food and exercise don’t matter as much as the power of the choices we make on a daily basis.  She often says that you can eat cat food and still be healthy provided you are able to live in present time; that you don’t spend your energy rehashing the past and worrying about the future.  Her work centers on where we are losing energy.  Just like a financial debt, if you continue to drain your resources pretty soon you will have nothing left.

This sounds very much in line with the teachings of yoga and mindfulness.  We need to learn to live in the present moment. What does that mean?  Live with integrity.  Pass on your wisdom, not your woe, learn from your mistakes.  Make a choice to take risks.  How many risks have you already taken in your life to get where you are today?  Make a list of them to help you remember. Don’t wait for proof that your actions will turn out successfully, not all of them will.  But, as famous guru Shri Wayne Gretzky-ananda said, “I didn’t make 100% of the shots I didn’t take.”

Don’t look backwards for guidance.  The reason you are where you are is because that part of your life is over.  Look forward to new adventures.  Trust that your resourcefulness that brought you this far will continue to serve you.

Caroline Myss says that we need to pay attention to our words; our words are universes unto themselves.  Each word we use has the power to shape our world.  She teaches that there are toxic words and that these words should be banished from our vocabulary.  Ms. Myss suggests that there are three toxic words that we should banish from our vocabulary: blame, deserve and entitlement.

Blame.  You have probably all heard the expression that no one has the power to ruin our day unless we let them.  We are responsible for our own happiness.  Other people may do things that intersect with our lives, but they are acting upon their own ideas and principles.  If we blame them for our unhappiness we are giving away our own power.

Deserve.  There are a lot of things that happen to us that we don’t deserve, stuff just happens. My mother didn’t deserve to get Alzheimer’s, it just happened. People don’t deserve to win the lottery, it’s just chance.

Entitled.  We really aren’t entitled to anything.  We often just think we should be.

The practice of banishing these words from your vocabulary is very similar to the complaining fast I invited students to go on a while ago.  Think of this as an elimination diet where you eliminate a food from your diet to see if your symptoms go away.  Try giving up one of these words for a day or a week and see if it has an impact on your life.  Just like a food, it may take longer than a day or a week to get it completely out of your system, however, so be patient and give it time.

At the end of her TED talk, Caroline Myss asks us to make this choice to be healthy.  She says, “Make the choice everyday to get up every day and bless your day.  Don’t be grateful for the things you have because these things can change.  Wake up every day and bless the fact that you are alive and things will never be exactly this way again; these people, this situation will never be exactly this way again.  Appreciate the gift of being alive.  If you can wake up this way every day, this shapes your life with grace and beauty."

What choices can you make to live a happier and more fulfilled life?

Pose of the Month for August - Transition from Prasarita Padottanasana to Sirsasana II

Sirsasana II with wide legs

This month our focus will be on two poses;  Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) and Tripod Head Stand (Sirsasana II).  We will work on each one separately and on the transition from one to the other.

In Wide Legged Forward Fold we will be working on the flexibility of the hamstrings and inner thighs as we work on elongating the torso and getting the head to the floor.  This pose prepares you for Head Stand by getting the head lower than the heart and getting you accustomed to having the head on the floor.  If you don’t do Head Stand this is a good alternative or a preparatory pose.

We will also work on Sirsasana II.  This is Tripod Head Stand where the head and hands are on the floor and those three points form the points of an equilateral triangle.  Sirsasana II takes more arm and shoulder strength while Sirsasana I takes more shoulder flexibility. Some people prefer one version of Head Stand over another, however, they each have their purposes and functions and it is nice to be well versed in both.  Mastering Sirsasana II is important for performing many of the arm balancing postures such as Crow, Galavasana and the Koundinyasana variations.

The alignment of the head, neck and shoulders are important in Head Stand.  No matter which Head Stand you are in the part of the head that should be on the floor is the very top of the head.  To find this spot, place the heel of your hand on the bridge of your nose and then stretch your fingers up over the top of your head.

The spot where your middle finger touches is the spot that should rest on the floor in Head Stand.

The head and torso should be in a straight line when you are coming into Head Stand so there is no strain on the neck.

Dolphin

The transition from Wide Legged Forward Fold to Head Stand requires a lot of core strength and stability so expect to see some abdominal work and some plank work.  If you are not a person who likes working on your core because it just seems hard, let me encourage you to stick with it.  There is a big payoff here when you can finally float your feet off the floor and move into Head Stand. It can be an exhilarating and empowering experience.

While we are always looking for the balance of effort and ease in every pose, in the beginning these transitions feel hard and students are tempted to grit their teeth and hold their breath.   If you ever find yourself gritting your teeth in a pose it might mean that you are trying too hard and trying to force yourself into the pose.  That is a signal to back off, breathe and try again.  Wait for the pose to come to you.  Holding the breath while in Head Stand is contraindicated because it can build up too much pressure in the head and the eyes in particular.

We will work on the transition to Head Stand in Stages:  First, we will practice Dolphin, then bent knees:

And finally moving up into full Sirsasana II.  We will also work on coming down from Head Stand.  Coming down is easier than going up and it is how you learn control.

As always, remember to breathe and honor where you are, have fun and be playful as you experiment with your edges.  Develop a curious sense of exploration and see where it takes you.

I look forward to seeing you in class!

Karin

Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Mani Padme Hum as Temporary Tattoos

My friend and yoga student, Dan Telep died on August 5th, 2014, a few days before his 80th birthday. He went out for a bike ride and that day and never came back. He died doing one of the things he loved doing. He said his doctor told him that if he was still riding his bike at the age of 80, the odds were that he would probably die on his bike. I’m sorry to have lost Dan, but I am glad that he went out the way he did, full of life and adventure.

The mantra I have chosen for the month of August is in memory of my friend. Dan told me that he chanted “Om Mani Padme Hum” while riding his bike. It helped him push the pedals and get up hills. It was Dan that inspired me to ride the MS City to Shore Bike Ride. I had always wanted to do it, but I always found an excuse to not do it: “It’s too far. What if I can’t do it? What if it rains, or is cold, or, ….” Losing Dan motivated me to stop procrastinating and get going!

This chant is often called “The Jewel in the Lotus” because the mantra is said to contain the essence of the teaching of the Buddha which is that life is filled with suffering. Once we really learn that suffering exists, we can look deeper and discover its cause. When we discover that the cause is dependent on certain conditions, we can explore the idea of removing those conditions. This is the process of becoming enlightened; to understand what we need to do in order to save ourselves and others from suffering.While this mantra has no direct translation, its six syllables are said to represent The Six Paramitas of the Bodhisattvas, or The Six Perfections. These are six lessons we need to learn to overcome suffering:

The first syllable, Om, is supposed to bless you and help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity. Ma helps perfect the practice of ethical behavior. Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pad helps to achieve the perfection of perseverance. Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration and the last syllable, Hum, helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom.

Chanting this mantra with dedication and devotion can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech and mind of a Buddha.

Om Mani Padme Hum is often the mantra depicted on Buddhist prayer wheels.

P.S.  People have been asking me for links to the mantras I have been playing in class.  Here they are:

The first one is the version by M.C. Yogi called Prayer Wheel.

The second one is Secret Sounds by Veet Vichara and Premanjali

FAQs about Starting a Yoga Teacher Training Program

Do I have to want to become a yoga teacher to take a yoga teacher training program?

No.  Some people take teacher training as a way to learn more about yoga in general and their own practice in particular. However, there will be a portion of the program where you will need to step up and teach to your fellow classmates.  It is often surprising to students how much they feel like they know their teacher’s script by heart but when it comes time to tell someone else how to come into Warrior II, they can’t find the words.  One of the best ways to make sure that you know something inside and out is to have to explain it to someone else.

I love yoga and think I want to teach it, but I don’t see myself teaching yoga in a large class in a studio or a gym.

Teaching yoga, as I do, in a large group class in a studio or gym is not the only way to teach yoga.  There are many ways to specialize in teaching yoga:

• You can teach privates only.

• There are opportunities to teach in the corporate world; lots of companies offer yoga as a perk to their staff.

• Find your own special niche: pre-natal yoga, yoga for people in recovery, women who have been abused, kids, teens, seniors, retirement communities, teaching people in nursing homes, people who have MS.

However in order to branch out into any of these specialties you will need a basic 200 hour program under your belt, first.

I can’t touch my toes, stand on my head, do a split or wheel.  Can I still become a yoga teacher?

OMG!  Yes!  I couldn’t touch my toes for the longest time when I first began teaching yoga.  I thought I wasn’t good enough, or a “real” yoga teacher because of that.

But, what I saw as a detriment actually became a skill.  If the yoga poses come easily to you, you might not understand why others can’t do the things you can do.  I had to figure out how to touch my toes and that skill helped me explain to others what they needed to learn and do in order to become more flexible, too.  I learned a lot about flexibility, both mental and physical, anatomy, alignment, the physiology of stretching plus patience and surrender, too.  All of these lessons served to help me become a better teacher. I knew about the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve a pose.  I also knew about the dangers of caring too much about achieving a pose and pushing too hard and getting injured in the process!

While there are some people who can do everything, most people seem to be better in one group of poses over another, and they have to work hard at those other poses to make progress and to stay balanced.  If that is the way you are, then you will have to learn how to modify and use props and to be inventive as to how to get at the pose from another angle.  You also learn lessons of patience, acceptance and surrender.

If you can’t do advanced poses, you probably won’t attract those students to you who want to do those poses, but this is a good thing.  I recommend that new teachers: “teach only what you know”.  As your practice and skills develop, you will be able to teach more poses.

An important thing to note is that most people may not be looking to be able to place their foot behind their head.  It takes a lot of time and commitment to be able to do those kinds of poses.  About a year ago, I took a survey of my yoga students asking them what they wanted out of their yoga practice.  The top five responses had more to do with finding peace and serenity than they did with doing advanced poses.

How long should one have been practicing yoga before beginning a yoga teacher training program?

When I first started training yoga teachers, I thought people should have at least three years of practice before embarking on a teacher training program.  The more you know about yoga and the more adept your practice is, the more you will absorb from the training program.  However, one of my friends and students said that she signed up for teacher training after only one yoga class.  Now, she had been teaching other forms of fitness before.  But, once she found yoga, she just fell in love with it.  I like to encourage students to follow their passion.

Before the founding of Yoga Alliance and the 200 hour certification requirement, it used to be that you apprenticed with a teacher for at least ten years before you would start to teach.  When that teacher felt that you knew enough to teach, they would encourage you to do so.   People don’t want to wait that long these days.   But one of the things that makes sense from that model is the idea of practicing for a long enough time to get past the honeymoon stage of the practice.  If you practice for long enough something usually happens that creates a disturbance in your practice: an illness, injury or outside commitment.  Sometimes circumstances make it difficult to get onto your mat.  If there is a hiatus in practice, beginning again can be humbling.  Going through that cycle is extremely educational.

Am I too old or too young to do a teacher training program?

The beginning of the Yoga Sutras starts with Atha Yoganusasanam, which means “Now Yoga”.  This can be interpreted to mean that now is the right time to start yoga.  If you are considering becoming a yoga teacher, only you know if it is plausible for you to move forward towards that dream.  With more than 36 million yoga practitioners in the US, it seems that there should be plenty of yoga students to go around.  You might have questions of time or finances, but age should not be a limiting factor.

I don’t think you can be too old or too young to begin to teach yoga.  You will probably attract students who are close to you in age as your interests in the type of practice will be more similar.  Younger students may be more fearless and want to have a faster paced, harder workout.  Older students may appreciate a little more time to move into poses.  They may be more cautious and have more physical limitations.  As a more mature yoga teacher, age  will give you experience, wisdom and sympathy for the diversity you may come across in a yoga class.

I have back pain (or neck, shoulder, knee, hip, etc. …) Should I do a yoga teacher training program?

If this is something that you chronically struggle with, but it doesn’t keep you from living your life, then I don’t see why not.  Honestly, though, only you can answer that question.  If your injury or syndrome incapacitates you, then perhaps now is not the best time and you should wait until you are feeling better.  However, I can tell you that your experience is common.  A lot of yoga students and yoga teachers will suffer from these common ailments from time to time.  Your experience can actually help students.

Look up Matthew Sanford.  He is a yoga teacher who is paralyzed from the chest down.  He has a book entitled Waking.  It is a must read.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at mkeisen@verizon.net.

Mindfulness as part of my Teacher Training Program

Meditation is a part of my Foundations program; it is how we begin each of the ten sessions.  This year we will follow a mindfulness program.  Mindfulness is the conscious act of observing your thoughts.  It is said that we have somewhere between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day and over 98% of those thoughts are exactly the same thoughts we have had on any previous day.  Of those thoughts, 80% are negative!  These thoughts take us into rehashing our past or rehearsing and worrying about our future.  If we spend so much time in these thought patterns we are not being present for what is happening to us in the moment.

In the words of St. Augustine, “Men go forth to marvel at the heights of mountains and the huge waves of the sea, the broad flow of the rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the orbits of the stars and yet the neglect to marvel at themselves.”

Mindfulness is a powerful vehicle for greater understanding of how our minds work and the causes of suffering – those negative thoughts; and as such it can be an effective tool to end suffering.  Being mindful of your own thinking is very important.  It is said that intention is the crux of all actions and that our intentions shape our thoughts, words and deeds.  If our intentions are wholesome, the results will be fruitful and skillful; if the intentions are unwholesome, the opposite will be true.  This is how and why our minds, through our intentions and thoughts, are the creators of our own happiness and unhappiness.

Consider these statements:

Intention shapes our thoughts and words.
Thoughts and words mold our actions.
Thoughts, words and actions shape our behaviors.
Behaviors sculpt our bodily expressions.
Bodily expressions fashion our character.
Our character hardens into what we look like.

You may have heard the expression that by the time we turn fifty, we get the face we deserve.  This is an interesting insight into how the mind affects the body.

By recognizing our habitual thinking patterns, mindfulness can help improve our sense of well being. It can often be difficult to sit in meditation and come face to face with our fears, shame, guilt and other negative thoughts.  Mindfulness offers a space to step back and observe these thoughts without attaching to them.   With time, we can learn to acknowledge difficult feelings and thoughts, see their origins more clearly, and experience deeper states of acceptance and peace.

Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Every mindful step we make and every mindful breath we take will establish peace in the present moment and prevent war in the future.  If we transform our individual consciousness, we begin the process of changing the collective consciousness.”  How can we ever expect to bring peace to the world if we don’t begin with ourselves?

Practice

Here is a simple mindfulness practice you can do. Pick some task you normally do on a daily basis, like brushing your teeth or washing the dishes, and try to keep your attention on the task as you do it, bringing all of your sense to the experience.  If you are brushing your teeth, feel and listen to the bristles of the toothbrush against your teeth and gums, and smell and taste the toothpaste in your mouth.  If you are washing the dishes, know that you are washing the dishes and take in the feel and the sound of the water, the smell of the soap.  Notice any visual delights you might normally gloss over, such as the iridescence of the bubbles.  Try it out and see what you notice.   You can leave a comment in the section below.

A Sequence to Stretch Your Hamstrings

Here is a preview of an audio yoga practice for you to try out.  This is an abbreviated session of a class I have uploaded to Audible Yoga. While I try to be as clear as I can, I imagine this will work best for students who come to my classes and are familiar with my cueing.

The full session is geared towards improving your hamstring flexibility with a little core work thrown in for good measure.  While it is a generic stretching practice, I am introducing it as an entry level sequence for Visvamitrasana.  The challenge pose is the Half-Squat with the optional stretch over the straight leg.   If you are interested in the full class, you can subscribe to my Audible Yoga page here.

Don’t be discouraged if you can’t do the Half-Squat right away.  Keep working on this sequence over time and let me know how your flexibility is improving.

There are 4 sections to the full practice.  This version contains only the standing sequence.   I drew stick figures of the poses if you need some visual help.  Make sure you have 2 blocks if you need them for Half-Moon Pose.

When you go back to the start make sure you do the other leg.

Let me know what you think of this mini audio class.  Leave a comment below.

Three things to do when your yoga teacher goes on vacation

I know students get attached to their teacher and are disappointed when there is a sub.  I'm the same way.  Especially if I travel to take a class with specific a teacher.  But if I practice being flexible (which is what we are trying to do in a yoga practice anyway - aren't we?) I find that I am usually pleasantly satisfied with what the unexpected has to offer me.  Often the struggle is just with myself.

Sometimes I won't go to a class if I know there is a sub, but if I show up for the class, I'll take it.  I think it is very rude to walk out once you are there and it is uncomfortable for the substitute teacher.  I know how I feel if someone walks out on my class.  I've watched people turn around and walk out if I ask people to grab a chair, or find a partner.  I've learned to let it roll off of me, though.  I'd rather not have the negative energy.

That's a roundabout way to say that I won't be teaching next week.  I will be spending some time away with my family.  The way I see it is you have three choices:

1. You can show up as usual.  You have a routine and it is important to stick to it.  If you do go, leave your expectations behind and be open to a new experience;  you may be pleasantly surprised and find you get exactly what you need.  If you do go to class, here is a list of who is subbing for me.  All of these teachers are wonderful.  Take the time to appreciate their offerings.

2. You can take the day off.  Sometimes the body needs a break in order to rest and recuperate.  Perhaps there are some things you have been procrastinating about at home.  This could be a good opportunity to get some things checked off your to-do list.

3. Practice by yourself at home.  Have you ever tried it?  Set aside some time - try the same amount of time you would normally spend in class.  Because you don't have to drive over to the yoga studio you will need less time than you do when you go to take class.  Set out your mat, put on some music and start.  If you follow this routine, you can easily get in an hour or an hour and a half practice. Remember 80% of the work is simply showing up.

   1. 5 minutes Ujjayi breathing or Mantra practice

   2. Seated warm up stretches and/or a couple of cat/cow movements

   3. Three (at least) Sun Salutes

   4. Standing poses.  It helps to know which pose is your peak pose.  Do poses that will help you warm up for that.

   5. Standing Balancing Poses

   6. Inversions or Hand Balancings.  Things like Crow, Handstand and Headstand are perfect here.

   7. Hip Openers

   8. Backbends - prone and supine

   9. Twists

   10. Forward Bends

   11. Shoulder Stand - If you choose to do it.

   12. Meditation

   13. Savasana

Let me know how it works out, with whichever option you choose.  You can leave a comment in the section below.  I'll be back to teaching my regular schedule on Monday, July 17th.  Until then....

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

“May all the beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom of all.”

By chanting this mantra, we move from our personal self and radiate a prayer of love for the world around us. It takes us from the egoic, little self, and its limited world view, and radiates from us global wellbeing. It is a reminder we are a part of the universe and can positively impact all of creation.

Though not a traditional Vedic mantra, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu is a Sanskrit prayer (or sloka). It has been used for many centuries to invoke greater states of compassion and peace. Often said at the end of yoga practices, it is an invocation for personal and collective peace. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” may be the closest western equivalent. Yet, the impact of this ancient mantra is far grander than simple human kindness.

Guru Jagat teaches “To vibrate these sounds within the body, we raise the frequency of our beingness.” We say these words not only for personal power but that they may raise our vibration. Once we achieve this elevated state, the mantra radiates from us to bless others. In this way we better affect the collective states of love on the planet.