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Chakra Balancing with Sound Healing

 


How to Balance & Tune
Chakra Energy
Using Healing Sound Vibrations

Page Summary | Chakra Energy  | Sound Healing | Chakra Tone Chart


Chakra Energy  

Chakras are spinning wheels of subtle energy.  The major chakras span from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.  They guide the wellbeing of our bodymind and lifeforce energy.  You can learn more about chakras and their influences here.   Get info related to chakra elements, directions, sounds, senses, and other attributes here.

Chakra energy is often out of balance.  It can run too high or too low.  This can negatively influence your actions, relationships, as well as your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Use my Chakra Chart to help you in knowing if your energy is balanced, excessive, or deficient. A variety of helpful strategies are given to improve your wellbeing.

There is a lot you can do to gain balance and have better health by either increasing or decreasing chakra energy.  This can be supported through intentionally using sound, color, crystals, and mantra.  Yoga postures and pranayama (breathwork) influence the chakras. Healthy lifestyle choices make a difference.  Meditation, guided relaxation and imagery are very effective. Using hand and finger positions called Yoga Mudras are also powerful.


Sound Healing

Sound healing intentionally uses musical instruments and vocals to help with harmonizing the body, mind, emotions, and spirit into wholeness. A positive impact on wellbeing happens when these dimensions are tuned and in balance.

Sensing calmness, connections, mental clarity, emotional equilibrium, insightful awareness, and balanced energy often happen.

A variety of instruments can be used including Tibetan and crystal bowls, tuning forks, drums, bells, flutes, gongs, chimes, strings, and keyboards.  Vocal singing and toning are powerful as well.

The tones, frequencies, and vibrations used in sound healing are experienced both physically and energetically. Obviously, sounds are heard with the ears. Not so obviously, they are experienced and absorbed through the skin, by the cells, and in the energy field.

Sound healing facilitates vibrant health by activating the relaxation response, synchronizing and activating brainwave frequencies beneficially, and supporting heart coherence.  It has been shown to regulate the nervous system. Chakra energy is often toned and harmonized.  Chakra disharmony is discussed below.

Sound healing is based on age-old teachings and backed up by modern science.  It’s interesting, relaxing, and fun.


Chakra Tone Chart

This Chakra Tone Chart can help balance your chakra energy to improve your wellbeing.  These sound vibrations are based on ancient Vedic (Yoga) and Tibetan notes and tones, and western music.

Use this Chakra Chart to help you know if your energy is balanced, excessive, or deficient. It gives you a variety of helpful strategies to improve your wellbeing.

Try all the healing sound vibrations to find out what you like and works best for you. Notice your felt reaction to each of these scales, notes, and sounds to determine how your bodymind responds to each vibration.

  • The Sargam scale from Indian music goes from the lowest to the highest note of any scale (like solfege or do-re-mi).  This makes it very versatile. It allows you to start on any note depending on your vocal range or the instruments you have on hand.  For example, if you have Tibetan or crystal bowls, start on the lowest tone for the root chakra and play progressively higher tones for ascending up through the chakras.
  • Yoga (Vedic) tones are based on the western diatonic scale.
  • Tibetan tones and notes are based upon the perfect 5th interval.
  • Bija sounds encode the 5 elements into sound. They are used to stimulate and strengthen chakra energy when depleted.
  • Vowel tones diffuse, connect, and move energy.  They are helpful to calm and soothe energy and when energy is excessive.
    • Alternate vowels are sometimes used instead of those shown on the chart.  Try these variations out on yourself to find out which vowels resonant most for you.  They are Root – UH (as in huh).  Sacral – OOO (two).  Solar Plexus – OH (toe).  Heart – AH (awe).  Throat – EYE (eye). Third eye – AYE (play).  Crown – EEE (speak).

Handy Links

  • Learn about chakras and their influences | Get your Complete Chakra Chart
  • Chakra Balancing with Sound Healing. Use the Elemental Chakra Tone Chart to balance your chakra energy by either increasing or decreasing their energy with sound, color, and special mantras. The Vedic (Yoga) and Tibetan notes and tones are given. It’s fun.
  • How to balance chakra energy with toning and hand & finger movements called mudras.
  • Get info related to chakra elements, directions, sounds, senses, and other attributes 
  • Chakra Energy Flow Meditation
  • Understanding OM | AUM
  • Book a Musical Sound Bath session 

Chakra Tone Chart and Hand Diagram © 2022 | This chart was compiled by Julie Lusk in 2022 and continues to be refined as new material is revealed. | Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief and Julie’s other books were used as references. Other resources include How to Heal with Singing Bowls by Suren Shrestha (Tibetan notes*) and the work of Sreedevi Bringi and Tony Nec.



Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices - Book & CD set
Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices - Book & CD set
Awaken joy, peace and inspiration with this yoga meditations book. Yoga Meditations contains a wide variety of mind-body practices, such as: * Guided relaxation exercises * Breathing practices * Yoga Nidra * Meditations and guided imagery * Affirmations * Yoga postures and meditations for each chakra * Yoga wisdom for contemplation Get a FREE Wholesome Energizers CD in every book! CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...
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Chakra Chart
Chakra Chart
Finally! A complete Chakra Chart with all the chakra names, locations, colors, sounds, yoga postures, breathing techniques, psychological & energetic influences and more. There's handy tips for using the chart on the reverse side. It's 8 1/2 by 14" and laminated. CLICK on the blue title link above to find out more...
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Price: $11.99Price: $13.99 

Chakra-Based Guided Meditations

Real Relaxation: Yoga Nidra CD

Real Relaxation Yoga Nidra takes you into a deeply relaxing and powerful restful state of being fully aware while being in the state of deep yogic sleep.  It helps with balancing chakra energy, and can improve immunity, heart health, relieve stress and give you inner peace and balance.

Get it from Amazon, iTunes, Spotify & other online stores




 

Yoga Nidra’s Benefits

June 27, 2016 by Julie Lusk

yoga nidra's benefitsYoga nidra’s benefits are remarkable.  Yoga nidra means “yogic sleep.”  It’s a comprehensive meditative practice for going far beyond deep relaxation to a place of natural peace and quiet that is tremendously healing for the body, mind, and spirit.  Unique skills are developed for handling stress and tension in the short term and for the long run.  Yoga nidra feels extremely peaceful and is very refreshing.  It’s based on classical yoga and backed by contemporary science.

Here are some of yoga nidra’s benefits from Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief  by Julie Lusk, pgs. 42-43, NHP 2015):

  • Activates the relaxation response and deactivates the stress response. This improves functioning of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (ANS) and the endocrine system (glands and hormones).
  • Improves your overall health
    • Increases immunity and the ability to fight germs and infections (Kumar 2007)
    • Cellular rejuvenation and repair
    • Improves heart functioning by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol (Pandya and Kumar 2007)
    • Decreases pain
    • Improved control of fluctuating blood glucose and symptoms associated with diabetes (Amita et al. 2009)
    • Significant improvement of anxiety, depression and well-being was reported in patients with menstrual irregularities and having psychological problems (Rani et al. 2011)
    • Manages pre- and post-surgical conditions (Kumar, page 56)
  • Reduces insomnia and improves sleep
  • Increases energy, especially when needed most
  • Reduces worry and enhances clear thinking and problem solving
  • Improves and refreshes your outlook
  • Mood swings and emotional upsets are replaced with greater emotional understanding and stability
  • Intuition is developed and creativity increases
  • Improves meditation and enhances its benefits
  • Integrates, heals, and revitalizes your body, mind and spirit
  • Enhances your Self-awareness and ability to experience witness consciousness
  • Transforms thoughts and feelings of separation into a direct experience of wholeness.

Experience yoga nidra’s benefits for yourself.  Like most worthwhile things, regular practice yields the best results.  This book and audio set is everything you need to get started and will support your practice for years to come.

  1. Listen to Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation | Audible – iTunes – Amazon
  2. Read about it and get free audio downloads in Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief (New Harbinger, 2015).
  3. Experience yoga nidra on video/audio.
  4. Attend a virtual yoga nidra class held weekly on Zoom.
  5. Take a yoga nidra teacher training course and earn a certificate.
  6. Get yoga nidra downloads here.

NEW! Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation
NEW! Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation
Experience peace and deeply restorative rest that heals your body, mind & spirit. Features 24 Yoga Nidra scripts written by author Julie Lusk and 12 of the world's master teachers. Enjoy 6 levels of relaxation for a joyful meditative experience. Learn to use yogic sleep to revitalize your inner reservoir of intuitive understanding and unconditional joy. Audiobook available. CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...
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Price: $19.99

Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief - Print Book & Audio download
Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief - Print Book & Audio download
Yoga Nidra can stop tension in its tracks with a wonderfully, powerful & unique state of deep relaxation, mental clarity & insightful awareness. These practical, empowering relaxation exercises, meditations that soothe and visualizations that renew are based on classic yoga and backed by modern science. They’ll help you unwind, replenish, and feel refreshed with durable peace and unconditional joy. CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...
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Price: $17.95

Yoga Nidra Essentials CD
Yoga Nidra Essentials CD
Find your calm spot. Brighten your energy. Enjoy a more meaningful life. Experience 6 levels of relaxation. Reclaim optimal health for your body, mind & heart. Laura says "My focused mind easily. I was 100% worry-free. It's wonderful." By Julie Lusk, 6-time author. Digital downloads available.
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Price: $9.99Price: $16.99 

References:

Amita, S. et al. 2009. Effect of Yoga Nidra on Blood glucose Level in Diabetic Patients.  Indian Journal of Physiological and Pharmacol, Vol. 53 (1): 97-101.

Kumar, Kamakhya. 2013. A Handbook of Yoga Nidra. New Delhi, India: D.K. Printworld

_____ 2007. The Healing Sleep; Yoga Magazine (Body Mind Spirit); Published from York Street, London; Issue 50

Lusk. 2015. Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief. Oakland: New Harbinger

Panda, Nursingh Charan. 2003. Yoga-Nidra: Yogic Trance Theory, Practice and Applications. New Delhi, India: D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd.

 

Filed Under: Misc Musings, Relaxation Exercises, Stress Relief / Management, Yoga Nidra Tagged With: yoga nidra benefits

Best Yoga Mantras & Chants

Their Meaning for Meditation & Singing

Useful Links:

  • More yoga meditation sayings, quotes and poems
  • Yoga articles on a wide range of interesting topics
  • Meditation articles



Yoga Teacher Student Prayer 
OM Saha Na Vavatu
Saha Nau Bhunaktu
Saha Viryam Karavavahai
Tejasvi Navadhi Tamastu
Ma Vidvishavahai
OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

~~May we be protected together.
May we be nourished together.
May we create strength among one another.
May our study be filled with brilliance and light.
May there be no hostility between us.
Om peace, peace, peace.

OM  ~~King and Queen of all mantras ~
OM/AUM is the sound of infinity and immortality. Contains supreme wisdom.  Go here to delve into the interesting meaning of its visual image and significance of its sound vibration.

Gayatri Mantra
Om bhur bhuvah svaha
Tat savitur varenyam
Bargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yona prachodayat

~~I reflect on the unity of Divine Spirit, which pervades everything in the earth, the atmosphere and heavens.
May this Supreme Consciousness protect me and illuminate my intellect that I may realize my inherent oneness with That.
I meditate on the great luminous light that enlightens all three worlds.
May it enlighten all.

Namaste’
~~ I honor the light in you and in all – used as a greeting and goodbye

 

Lokah samasta sukhino bhavantu
~~ May the entire universe be filled with peace and joy, love and light.
~~ May all beings everywhere be happy and free.  In some way, may I contribute to that happiness and freedom for all.

Jai Sri Sadguru Maharaj Ki. Jai!
~~ May the light of truth overcome all darkness! Victory to that Light!

Asatoma Sad Gamaya ~ Tama Soma Jyotir Gamaya ~ Mritorma Amritam Gamaya
~~ Lead us from the unreal to the real. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra ~ Om Triambakam Mantra
Om Triambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritat
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
~~ We worship You, All-seeing one. Fragrant, You nourish bounteously. From fear of death may You cut us free, to realize immortality.

Niralambaya Upanishad (Anusara Chant)
Om Namah Shivaya Gurave
Satchidananda Murtaye
Nishpranchaya Shantaye
Niralambaya Tejase
~~ My heart opens to the power and source of grace that takes form as truth, knowledge, bliss. Always present, boundless peace. Shining source, limitless and free.

Om Sarvesham Swastir Bhavatu
Sarvesham Santir Bhavatu
Sarvesham Purnam Bhavatu
Sarvesham Mangalam Bhavatu
Sarve Bhavatu Sukhinaha
Sarve Santu Niramayah
Sarve Bhandrani Pasyantu
Ma Kaschid Duhkha Bhag Bhaver
~~ Auspiciousness be unto all.
Perfect peace be unto all.
Fullness be unto all.
Prosperity be unto all.
Happiness be unto all.
Perfect health be unto all.
May all see good in everyone.
May all be free from suffering.

Serve, Love, Give by Master Sivananda
Serve. Love. Give. Purify. Meditate. Realize. (x2)
Be good. Do good. Be kind. Be compassionate. (x2)
Adapt. Adjust. Accommodate. (x2)
Inquire who am I. Know thyself and be free. (x2)
Om Tat Sat, Om Tat Sat, Om Tat Sat, Om
Om Shanti. Om Peace. Om Shalom Om. (x2)

Mantras for Japa (repetition)
108 Beads on a Mala, 125,000 for mantra siddhi

Om Meaning of the Symbol Om in Different Religions ...(symbol)
~~King and Queen of all mantras ~ sound of infinity and immortality. Contains supreme wisdom.

Om Namo/Namah/Namaha ~Shri
~~ Used to invoke, appreciate and honor a deity Swaha – giving of self, let go

Om Shanti Om Shanti Om or Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om
~~ for peace

Shanti
~~ Peace

So Hum
~~ I am that. Universal mantra sound of the breath ~ so is inhalation, hum is exhalation.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
~~ to the divine in-dweller in all. Oneness
~~ Om and salutations to the divine One who dwells in all

Hari Om
~~ Purifies and removes obstacles. Opens the heart. Awakens prana (natural energy) in the body.

Sita Ram ~ opens the heart and celebrates love

Om Shri Saraswati-ya Namaha ~ for help & inspiration in art, music, literature

Om Shri Kali Durga-ya Namaha ~ dispels negativity, provided protection

Om Shri Rama Namaha ~ Ram is a name for God. It engenders God consciousness, truth, blessings

Om Namah Shivaya ~ honors the divine within oneself & others – destroys negativity & replaces with positive

Om Gum Ganipati-ya Namaha ~ to remove obstacles and bring success

Om Shrim Lakshmi-ya Namaha ~ for noble abundance, prosperity, beauty, grace

Om Tara Tu Tara Tu Ray Swaha ~ for rescue & benevolent help – for compassion
strength & healing

Gate Gate Para Gate Para Sum Gate Bodhi Swaha ~~ Gone beyond the beyond to enlightenment (Buddhist)

Om Mani Padme Hum ~ the Jewel of the lotus of the heart (Buddhist)

LINK:Yoga articles on a wide range of interesting topics.
LINK:  Meditation articles & info

Bija Mantras for the Chakras

Chakra Bija Sounds for Activation
The “A” in each sound is pronounced as a “U” as in “Lum.”
Emphasize the first letter blended with the vowel instead of the “M.”  Holding the “M” causes them to sound too much alike and decreases effectiveness.

Learn a Chakra Meditation using the Bija mantras and Vowel sounds that utilize hand movements, color, sound, and intention. 

1 Lam

2 Vam

3 Ram

4 Yam

5 Hum

6 Om

7 Silence or Ommmmmm

Vowels to share and spread energy

1   O as in toe

2   U as in two

3   Ah as in awe

4   A as in play

5   E as in speak

6   M as in mmmmmmm

7   Silence or Ommmmmm or NG as in wing  

Shakti Bija Mantras To invoke the Feminine Divine

Aim
Saraswati,
Art, Music, Literature, Wisdom

Hrim
Parvati
Purification,Transformation

Klim/Krim
Kali
Fiercely conquers obstacles, energizes

Dum
Durga
Warrior of Protection

Shrim
Lakshmi
Abudance, Beauty, Grace

Tam
Tara
Mercy, Compassion, Removes fear. Protects.

Handy Links

  • More yoga meditation sayings, quotes and poems
  • Yoga articles on a wide range of interesting topics.
  • Meditation articles
  • Please check out my Yoga Meditations book. A whole chapter reflects the wisdom of yoga, yoga blessings and answers the age-old questions from the yogic point of view: 
    • Who am I?
    • What is my true nature?
    • What is my purpose?
    • How to handle suffering and more. 
    • Yoga Meditations also has over 60 meditations, relaxation and guided imagery exercises.
    • Free Wholesome Energizers CD is included inside the book


Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices - Book & CD set
Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices - Book & CD set
Awaken joy, peace and inspiration with this yoga meditations book. Yoga Meditations contains a wide variety of mind-body practices, such as: * Guided relaxation exercises * Breathing practices * Yoga Nidra * Meditations and guided imagery * Affirmations * Yoga postures and meditations for each chakra * Yoga wisdom for contemplation Get a FREE Wholesome Energizers CD in every book! CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...
Quantity:  
Price: $29.95

 

Not Sleeping Soundly?  Here’s Help

July 14, 2016 by Julie Lusk

Have you ever felt like you were ‘half-awake or only half asleep’ all night?  Me too.  It’s so frustrating, especially knowing that you have a big day ahead and want to be feel sharp and well rested. Perhaps you don’t want to miss a moment of your vacation or there’s an important conference you’re excited about.

half asleepAs it turns out, half of your brain can sleep while the other half stays awake, according to sleep scientist Masako Tamaki and her colleagues at Brown University and reported in Current Biology*.  They found that this usually happens when sleeping the first night in a new place, like a hotel, friend’s house, or while camping.  The second night is much better.

It’s our brain’s attempt to protect us by going into survival mode.  What happens is that the right half your brain sleeps while the left half stays alert, standing guard.  How strange is that?

Scientists measured the slow-wave activity of the brain, something that occurs during deep sleep.  They measured brain activity during light sleep by first playing a tone and then a different tone was played.  Surprisingly, the brain reacted to the variation in sound only on the left side of the brain – the right side stayed asleep.

Next, they played a sound loud enough to awaken someone. They found that when it was transmitted into the right ear, the subjects in the experiment woke up faster than if it was sent to the left ear.  The right ear is associated with the left side of the brain.

It stands to reason that it would be the left side of the brain that stays on duty since it is known to be objective, analytical, and rational and would be more prone to be protective whereas the right side is best at intuition and abstract thinking.  Could this phenomenon be at play when sleeping in an unsafe neighborhood or household?  What about when having to keep an ear out for a child or sick person.  More studies are needed.

Sleeping ‘half-way’ is involuntary and the brain’s way to keep you alert enough to save yourself if something bad happened and most likely associated with the flight-fight-freeze response to stress.  Because of this, scientists think there’s not much you can do about it other than to accept it rather than letting it bother you.  Some suggest going two nights ahead of your big day since it’s so hard to sleep that first night.

Here are my suggestions:

  • Make the room feel familiar and safer to you, tricking the brain into sleeping better. Try using a familiar scent – lavender is calming and aids sleeping.  If you’re used to sleeping with a fan whirling away, bring one with you.  Using your own pillow makes sense too.
  • Try yoga nidra. It’s a comprehensive practice done lying down to go far beyond deep relaxation and mindfulness to a place of natural peace and quiet that is tremendously restful.  Along with being a special type of meditation to increase uplifting levels of awareness, it can also be practiced at bedtime as a sleep aid.  Layers of stress are cleared out so they don’t follow you to bed and disturb sleeping.  In fact, while not a substitute for actual sleep, one hour of yoga nidra practice is equivalent to 4 hours of sleep. This is due to the types of brain waves experienced along the way. Proven relaxation skills, specialized breathing techniques, guided imagery, and mindfulness are systematically used. Learn more about yoga nidra here
    Use a yoga nidra recording. See below for recommendations. Download it to your listening device, put it on airplane mode, and listen by putting the ear buds or the device itself under your pillow.  It will transmit right through your pillow and not disturb your sleep partner.
  • Use a mudra. They are yoga positions for the hands.  Curl your fingers into a fist.  On the same hand, touch the tips of the thumbs to the tips of the first finger to form a circle.  Rest your hands with your palms pointing down.  It helps bring on sleep and reduces stress by promoting a sense of safety and security.  Learn more about mudras here.
  • Breathe slowly and smoothly. To calm your nervous system, breathe in to the count of four or five and then breathe out for five to ten.  When you get distracted, gently go back to focusing on your breathing.
  • Use the Moon Breath to calm your bodymind and brain by combining a mudra with breathing. Bend your index and middle finger of your right hand to your palm, leaving your ring and little finger softly extended.  Softly press your right thumb to your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril. Next, release your right thumb and press your ring finger to your left nostril while exhaling.  In other words, in left / out right / in left / out right and so on.  Learn more about this and other practices in Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening (WPA, 2005)
  • Follow the guidelines for good sleep hygiene.  Here’s the Mayo Clinic’s 7 tips for doing so.  Read How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep – The Ultimate Guide.  It’s excellent.

So even if you can’t sleep as soundly as you might like due to your brain’s insistence on staying half-awake, at least you now understand the reason why. The above suggestions may lull you to sleep, and if they don’t, you will at least make use of the time in a positive, productive way.

Sweet dreams!

Sleep Well | Yoga Nidra CD
Sleep Well | Yoga Nidra CD
Use deep relaxation, soothing flute music & ocean waves to go to sleep. "I slept like a log." Downloads available. By Julie Lusk, Yoga Nidra Meditations author.
Quantity:  
Price: $9.99Price: $16.99 

Reference:      Current Biology Volume 26, Issue 9, p1190–1194, 9 May 2016

Resources:     Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief by Julie Lusk (NHP 2015)

Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditations for Relaxation & Renewal (Health Journeys 2016)

 

Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has more than 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and Julie Luskworkshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at WholesomeResources.com

Filed Under: Mind-Body Mastery Tools and Techniques, Misc Musings, Relaxation Exercises

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation Research for Memory – Kirtan Kriya

March 20, 2011 by Julie Lusk

I just love synchronicity, don’t you? Right when I was looking for Sa Ta Na Ma meditation research – Kirtan Kriya – Amy Weintraub sent me a copy of her newsletter, LifeForce Yoga.  My eyes popped out of my head with delight because she had compiled an excellent review of the literature on this meditation technique that improves memory.  She generously said that I could share what’s below with you.  I highly recommend Amy Weintraub’s website at LifeForce Yoga: Manage Your Mood. You will also benefit from and enjoy registering for her newsletter and going to her workshops.

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation Research:  Kirtan Kriya Effects Cognitive Function, Memory and Stress

In three separate studies published this year and in one that is on-going, Kirtan Kriya, as taught by the Kundalini master Yogi Bhajan, was shown to increase short term memory, cognitive function and to reduce stress.  In separate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and one continuing at the University of California (UCLA), researchers measured cerebral blood flow in the brain (rCBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to determine which areas are more active and which are less during the practice.  One study compared long-term meditators to non-meditators.  Another study compared those practicing the meditation with those who listened to a Mozart violin concerto.  A third study compared the more active meditation to a relaxation exercise.

Kirtan Kriya is a 12-minute active meditation that include mudra (hand gesture), mantra (out loud, whispered and repeated silently), and visual imagery,

In the on-going study at UCLA, those practicing 12-minutes of Kirtan Kriya meditation are being compared with those using a 25-minute relaxation tape.  Preliminary results from the 39 caregivers who have already completed the study (23 practiced Kirtan Kriya, 16 listened to a relaxation audio tape) indicate:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Meditation / Guided Imagery, Mind-Body Mastery Tools and Techniques, Misc Musings, Stress Relief / Management, Wellness, Yoga Tagged With: brain yoga, hand gesture, improve memory with meditation, Kirtan Kryia meditation, research studies on Kirtan Kryia meditation, research studies on sa ta na ma medtation, Sa Ta Na Ma meditation

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