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Yoga Nidra for Stress Relief book ~~ On the Way!

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Here’s how it all happened ~~ thanks to my lucky stars!

Last February, while I was teaching at Sivananda/Bahamas, I had my Vedic astrology chart read by Krishna Das. This was a fiThumbs Up!rst for me.

After describing me better than my own Mother could, he went on to say that the stars and planets and moon were lining up in May exactly as it was when I was born as well as at the age of 30. He said it was going to be a very productive time for me and would bring with it writing, teaching, learning, traveling and such.

I questioned him about the areas that I might concentrate on and gave him a list of things I’m interested in.

Right away, he said that yoga nidra would fit in perfectly with my chart. Next, I asked if I should pursue opportunities and he replied that would not be needed since opportunities would find me.

Can you only imagine the look on my face when I got an email “out of the blue” in May from New Harbinger Publications asking me if I would like to write a book for them on … Yoga Nidra for Stress Relief!  Yoga Nidra is the totally relaxing and deeply healing aspect of yoga.

After checking them out and doing some discernment and soul-searching, I agreed. Next, they wanted a book summary, outline, authors bio, and a couple sample chapters. That took me a few months.  The contract has now been finalized!

Could you please help me?  Something that will really help the book come alive are stories.   Would you be willing to share what Yoga Nidra feels like for you?  Do you have a Yoga Nidra story about how it has helped you in some way?  If so, please send them to me. 

Why wait until the book and the new audios are released (it takes a long time).  To celebrate, my Real Relaxation: Yoga Nidra CD is on sale for $5 off.  This special offer is valid during December 2013.

Here is a (pdf) FAQ sheet on Yoga Nidra on

1) What is Yoga Nidra?

2) Is it different than meditation and hypnosis?

3)  How it is done.  How often.

4) Benefits

5) Resources.

ENJOY!

 

 

Playing Tips | Flute Care | Troubleshooting | Native American Style Flutes

MusicSmith Flutes | A Native American Style Flute | Handmade by Dave Lusk

Native American flutes were first created and played by Native American people. They are instruments of beauty, magic, ceremony, healing, and entertainment. They bring out the music that dwells in all of us.

This instrument has a full, warm sound. Made from western red cedar, it’s protected with non-toxic waterproofing, inside and out. Each flute is embellished with a unique design handcrafted with a wood-burner. A thumb-rest is offered. This innovation stabilizes and balances the flute while playing by positioning your lower hand correctly. Place the thumb of the lower hand against the bottom of the thumb-rest. The index finger covers the hole right above.

Playing your Flute |There are no wrong notes! All notes harmonize melodically. Reading music is not needed.

  • Press your lips against the mouthpiece to gently seal it.
  • Cover the holes with the finger pads, not the tips or nails.
  • Adjust the air pressure until notes sound clear.
  • The note played with all the holes closed is the key of the flute.  It’s called the flute’s fundamental note.
  • Use the fingerings shown below. Cover and uncover the holes one at a time in order.
  • The third hole down on a 6-hole flute always stays covered to play the minor pentatonic scale and uses all the notes shown on the chart.
  • For a major scale, start and land on the second note up from the bottom of the flute.
  • Start going up and down the flute, slowly and evenly. Gradually pick up speed. Next, vary the rhythm. Play melodies by playing the basic scale but put intervals between the notes. For example, cover all the holes followed by another finger pattern. Doing so will always sound melodic and harmonic.
  • Embellishments and more scales can be added for more musicality once you’re proficient.
  • Have fun!

Tip: The third hole down always stays covered in the minor pentatonic scale and uses all the notes shown on the chart. For a major scale, start and land on the second note up from the bottom of the flute. Once proficient, embellishments and more scales can be added.

Basic Fingering Chart

Caring for your Flute | Keep your flute at a steady temperature. Do not let it get too hot or cold. Temperature variations expand and contract wood. This can cause your flute to crack. If the flute is cold, warm it with your hands and gently blow warm air into it. Do not leave it in a car when it’s either hot or cold. Avoid direct sunlight.

Remove the block after playing to dry the flute out. Wipe off any moisture. To retie the block, position the front edge of the block at the back edge of the sound hole. Tie tightly. Experiment with its placement for the best tone. Push it slightly forward to raise the pitch higher (sharp), move it back to lower it (flat).

Caring for Yourself  with Hand Warm-ups | Here’s an easy 5-minute series of hand movements & mudras to help your fingers, wrists & hands with easy-to-remember names for each one. Great for musicians & anyone with stiff, painful fingers, hands or wrists. Learn the Hakini Mudra, Beak, Bug, Claw, Paw, Seed, Web, Wings, and the Eagle & Hridaya mudras. Thank you Christine Stevens at Upbeat Drum Circles for interviewing me.

Troubleshooting | Fuzzy, unclear, sour, airy, or shrillness

  • Cover the holes completely or else it will squeak or sound airy.
  • Adjust air pressure. Are you blowing too softly or too much?
  • Make sure the block is tied down tightly (see above).
  • Poor tone quality occurs when moisture collects inside the flute, especially between the mouthpiece and the block. To remove it, hold the flute tightly and briskly shake the whole flute. Try covering the sound hole with a finger and blow hard to push the moisture out. Release your finger while still blowing. Wipe off.
  • The bottom note is the hardest to play. It’s important to make sure all the holes are completely covered. Use a mirror. This note will jump an octave if too much air is used.

MusicSmith Flutes info, tips, etc. (pdf to download/print)

Music Lessons |  Music lesson details and registration

Handy Links



Contact us anytime about flutes & lessons.

By appointment only ♥ Not a retail store.

My meeting with the Dalai Lama

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My notes from hearing the Dalai Lama on May 14, 2010 – Indianapolis, IN

The Dalai Lama was in Indianapolis to speak on Facing Challenges with Wisdom and Compassion.

It was at the Conseco basketball arena. Just like a basketball, the sound bounced around making it hard to hear clearly.  It reminded me of the acoustics when we heard Thich Nhat Hanh in Chicago.  Too much echo.

Still, I picked up a lot and I’d like to share it with you with the understanding that any misconceptions are on my part, and not on the part of the Dalai Lama.

All people want to achieve, and have the right to happiness and inner peace.

Should there be more Buddhism in America? No.  He said Americans already have the answers for finding true happiness and inner peace by way of the religions we already practice.  Practicing common sense is another viable path.

Different religions rely on different qualities and pathways  to achieve happiness and inner peace.  Some rely on faith, others promote surrender, while compassion is the path for others.  All these qualities, and religions, have the potential to take us to true happiness and inner peace.  We should do our best to respect the different religious paths and know that each has its own benefits that reach out to various cultures, temperaments, and times.   It’s about having respect for all religions.

All humans, no matter the color, culture, sex, or age, have a common connection to compassion that is biological and instinctual. The love of a mother and the instinct of protecting the child are good examples.  Even a mother bird may sacrifice her life for the sake of her baby.  Compassion is instinctual, however, it gets covered up and overruled by the thinking mind.

  • Rely on common sense.
  • Respect and have compassion toward all.
  • We all want and deserve true happiness and inner peace.
  • Rely on truth, trust, love, and compassion to lead to inner strength, peace and happiness.
  • Practice unbiased compassion – this is compassion that can even reach our enemies.
  • A negative mind causes suffering for the self and others.
  • Fear and hate interferes with health.
  • Compassion has actually been shown to lower blood pressure and stress.  Wounds heal quicker.  For example, a wound on a rat heals faster when it is affectionately licked by another rat.
  • The minds ‘intelligence’ can overrule our compassionate, instinctual, intrinsic nature.
  • Look for new opportunities and changes that come from things that anger us.
  • Have a global interest.  To have global disarmament, we have to start with inner, personal disarmament.  To have global peace, we must have inner peace first.  Go with truth, love, trust, unbiased compassion and inner beauty.  This is lasting.
  • He said that everything is/or can be good, very good.  This includes such things as money, technology, and divorce.  It’s the motivation and intent and how these things are used that makes the difference.  Are they used with compassion, openness, acceptance or not?
  • Money, objects, technology can be good – very good – if they are used with right motivation and intention and put to good use.
  • Put your affections where affections can be returned .
  • Don’t put affections toward objects as these things cannot return affection.
  • When we are affectionate toward objects, it leads to jealousy and greed for objects.  Objects cannot return affection.
  • Inner beauty is higher than outer beauty as it lasts. Rely on truth, trust, love, and unbiased compassion to bring inner peace and happiness.

12-Minute Meditation Technique called Kirtan Kriya for Memory Improvement

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Having and maintaining a good memory is an important ingredient that all of us need and want. Right?  Many of us get concerned when forgetfulness happens to us or to those close to us.  This is particularly troublesome as we age and especially if we have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.  Try the 12-minute meditation called Kirtan Kriya.

Here is an inspiring video with research to prove that there are easy things we can do for memory improvement with meditation.

Along with the conventional wisdom of good nutrition, supplements and mental and physical exercise, Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD says that meditation is key.  A research study is reviewed that shows increases in brain development for memory, concentration and focus using a simple 12-minute meditation, including a yoga mudra.

The Kirtan Kriya – the Sa Ta Na Ma 12 minute meditation for memory is from the Kundalini yoga tradition.  To get measurable results, it is done daily for only 8 weeks.  But, who would want to stop there.  Not me!

The Sa Ta Na Ma meditation technique also stops the mental chatter to bring about a clear mind.  It’s calming too.

     

This NY Times article Yoga May Be Good for the Brain  was published June 1, 2016 .  It discusses a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in April 2016.

A combination of 1 hour of weekly yoga exercise and a daily 15-minute Kirtan Kriya Meditation is recommended to help with memory improvement, concentration and mood improvement (depression).  Improvements were also made in “visuospatial memory, a type of remembering that is important for balance, depth perception and the ability to recognize objects and navigate the world”.  It was compared to another highly regarded brain training program practiced that was practiced for 1 hour weekly with 15 minutes of daily memory exercises.

The yoga + meditation group “topped the benefits of the brain training group”  showing statistically significant results.

More Resources…

  • Get an audio recording that will help you practice the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation with the correct timing.

    Sa Ta Na Ma
    Kirtan Kriya Meditation

    Click HERE to buy this downloadable digital album
    (MP3, AAC, M4A)

    $7.99

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD
Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD
Sa Ta Na Ma is a powerful mantra. Scientific studies show this 12-minute meditation increases memory, concentration, cognition, calmness & more. Repeating the mantra out loud, whispered & silently while doing simple finger movements (mudras) is done. A beautiful chorus of voices keep track of the time for you. A brief intro gets you off to a successful start. Digital downloads are available.
Quantity:  
Price: $9.99Price: $16.95 

The Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD & Download is here.

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It’s been so rewarding to see so many of you getting excited about practicing the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation technique for memory improvement, mental focus, cognition and more.

However, everybody always asked how to keep track of the timing.  After all, there is a specific method to follow as described here.

Finally, we have a CD and a digital download that will easily keep track of the timing for you!  Just follow along with this beautiful chorus of voices.

Sa Ta Na Ma
Kirtan Kriya Meditation

Click HERE to buy this downloadable digital album
(MP3, AAC, M4A)

$7.99

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD
Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD
Sa Ta Na Ma is a powerful mantra. Scientific studies show this 12-minute meditation increases memory, concentration, cognition, calmness & more. Repeating the mantra out loud, whispered & silently while doing simple finger movements (mudras) is done. A beautiful chorus of voices keep track of the time for you. A brief intro gets you off to a successful start. Digital downloads are available.
Quantity:  
Price: $9.99Price: $16.95 

More Resources…

Get an audio recording that will help you practice the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation with the correct timing.

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