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Thursday, August 09, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Into the Bliss by David Newman
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 Sweet, soothing and uplifting, this 70-minute Cd and DVD captures the sprit and devotion of the Bhakti Yoga practice of kirtan. A rich, full sound is created using a simple lineup of two guitars, hand cymbals and a djembe/dumbek player. The Cd and DVD contain the same live performance, with the addition of a 20-minute bonus MP3 track on the Cd and an interview with David the DVD. The five chants all have a contemporary “unplugged” style, and all are simple enough in their words and melodies to make them easy and fun to sing along to. If you are interested in expanding your kirtan music collection, pick up this beautifully packaged, designed and produced Cd/DVD set. |
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Thursday, August 09, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Chakra Theory and Meditation
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 This 4-hour DVD lecture is a practical, no-nonsense approach to the theory, function, and practice of using the chakra centers for personal and spiritual development. Paul presents this esoteric information in a very clear and understandable manner, and the DVD is well organized with chapters and subchapters to allow the viewing to be broken up into digestible chunks. Paul’s lecture shines the most when he is presenting the theory and philosophy of the chakra system, and when he explains the purpose, function and practice of chakra meditation. While the chakras and the meditation techniques based on the chakra system have been exhaustively covered in the past, Paul takes a unique approach, incorporating pranayama, mantra and bandha to heighten the awareness and understanding of these energy centers. The practice he outlines is fairly advanced, and not for the feint at heart, but even if you are not prepared to engage in these meditation practices, the information presented will still be relevant and interesting for the serious yoga practitioner |
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Thursday, August 09, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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The One Two Three of God
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 In this 4-Cd audio program Ken Wilber, applies his integral theory to the spiritual world to explain the fundamental nature of God. Through an engaging and humorous interview format, Wilber gives us a philosophical map to incorporate all of our different religious and spiritual conceptions of God. While this sounds impossible, or at the very least incredibly complex, Wilber’s simple framework elegantly weaves our different conceptualizations of God together. The “One Two Three of God” refers to the three primary perspectives with the Divine: first, second, and third person. This manifests as seeing God in mystical, devotional, and objective terms, and having three main relationships to spirit: communion, union, and identity. Many yogic terms and spiritual concepts are used throughout the program, and the discussion of the four stages of spiritual development and how they influence and support the three different perspectives is exceptionally fascinating and illuminating. The program ends with a series of guided mediations to directly experience the three perspectives and different states of spiritual consciousness |
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Sunday, August 05, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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The Yoga of Truth by Peter Marchand
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 Jnana yoga, the “path of knowledge,” is an intellectual and introspective practice to connect with the inner Divine Self. While this Jnana yoga is considered one of the most difficult of yoga’s practices, The Yoga of Truth gives us an easy start and a clear overview of this path. Marchand begins with a series of clear, straightforward questions that easily expose our ingrained false concepts of reality. With the help of simple reasoning and some basic yogic philosophy, these introspective questions guide us closer and closer to finding our true Self. Even if you are not concerned with attaining enlightenment, The Yoga of Truth will still provide a valuable context and understanding for the “play of life” and the spiritual roles of the ego, mind, intellect and consciousness. |
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Flow of Grace
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 In this latest recording, Krishna Das has devoted 2 Cds to singing songs to Hanuman, the monkey warrior, primarily through different versions of the Hanuman Chalisa. The “Chalisa” is a famous Hindi poem praising Hanuman for his devotion, service, strength, and compassion and also reminding him of his great Divine powers. On the first Cd, different melodies and arrangements of the Chalisa are on six tracks, with the seventh being a fun upbeat Indian folk song on the story of Hanuman finding Prince Ram’s beloved wife. On the second Cd are 2 tracks that are to be used to learn how to pronounce the complicated 40-verse Chalisa, so you can eventually sing along with the first Cd. The words to the Chalisa are also transliterated and translated in the extensive 28-page liner notes, which also includes Krishna Das describing his experience learning this prayer, the story of Hanuman, and the practice of singing the Chalisa. Even if you choose to not tackle the ability to sing the Chalisa in its entirety, this Cd is still a joy to listen to, and is a must-have for the Krishna Das fan. |
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Saturday, July 14, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Sounds Like Om
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 This book and Cd combo is all about Om, the most fundamental and ancient of the yogic mantras. In the book we learn the origin, symbolism and effects of both the Om mantra and its graphic representation, the Sri Yantra. The book also goes into detail on the yogic practices to use Om for meditation and contemplation, many which incorporate the musical tracks on the Cd. Oms of different pitches and harmonic overtones are either sung solo, in triads, or choruses and fill the entire 74-minute Cd. These tracks can be used in multiple ways, from passive listening to accompanying the exercises and meditations explained in the book. |
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Tuesday, July 10, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language
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 Swami Radha’s classic book on the symbols and metaphors of the yoga asanas has become even better with this improved and updated 20th anniversary edition. Her insightful explorations into the deeper meanings of 22 yoga poses have been expanded with additional instructions to help incorporate this contemplative methodology in both an asana practice and in day-to-day life. Each chapter contains a different asana with an essay exploring the rich imagery of the posture with its’ mythological, spiritual and religious associations. A practice section follows with step-by-step detailed instructions on how to practice and incorporate these concepts as well as further ideas on how to work with the pose. Beautiful black and white photographs of the asanas have been added, along with a new introduction, and appendices on mantra, Kundalini Yoga and other spiritual practices. Even if you own a copy of the original, this new edition will still be a worthwhile addition to your yoga library. |
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Thursday, July 05, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Healthy Aging
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 Originally aired on PBS, this 85-minute program dispels the common cultural myths on aging, and replaces these with a healthy positive outlook on the aging process. Dr. Weil is an exceptional speaker with the ability to convey both scientific studies and personal observations in a clear, entertaining and engaging way. While he only mentions yoga and yogic breathing exercises a few times in the program, much of his 12-Point Program clearly reflects yogic values and principles: positive mental outlook, healthy diet with predominance of whole grains and vegetables, stress management, and moderation. Although much of this information we have heard before, Dr. Weil presents his advice in an uplifting manner and at the same time backs it with scientific studies and rational theories. His goal is not only to extend one’s lifespan, but most importantly to live a long, healthy and happy life. The bonus material includes a short biography, ideas for creating a walking labyrinth, the yogic breathing techniques, how to create an ethical will and additional questions from the audience. |
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Monday, June 18, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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The Kirtan Kit
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 This beautifully designed box set contains Two Cds of contemporary and traditional kirtan chants, a 28-page instruction booklet, and other tools for the devotional yogic practice of sanskrit chanting. While the booklet is a great beginner’s guide to the practice of kirtan, it still contains relevant and detailed information for the more experienced practitioner of chanting. This includes how to participate in kirtan (singing, dancing, using instruments), the history of kirtan, information on the mantras, and the words with translations of the songs on the enclosed Cds. The Cds contain a varieity of artists and styles of kirtan, from the popular Krishna Das, to the beautiful Karnamrita, and to other lesser known, yet talented artists. The kit also contains a pair of kartals (Indian hand symbols) to play along with the chants, and beautifully illustrated song cards to use while singing along with the Cds. Overall, this is a well put together package, that would be a treasure to have for both the begining and intermediate chanting practitioner. |
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Wednesday, June 06, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Creative Core Abs
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 Shiva Rea’s latest video explores strengthening the physical and energetic core of the body through breath, asana and dance-like movement. This 37-minute program is broken down into 3 main sections: Water Core, Spontaneous Core and Fire Core. In the first segment, Water Core, Shiva explores the muscles in the pelvis, hips and waist through fluid circling movements in a seated position. In Spontaneous Core, the intensity level builds with variations on abdominal crunches with twists and leg lifts, and this segment ends with a spontaneous flow of movements to be chosen by the participant. In Fire Core, Shiva starts with Breath of fire and lion breath, and proceeds with an integration of more intermediate movements and standing postures. This is a beautifully filmed and produced DVD and is a great way to strengthen the core of the body in a fun, creative and engaging way. |
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Contact: The Yoga of Relationship
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 While there are several partner yoga books in print, none of them come as close to capturing the spirit and communicating the essence of this practice as Contact: The Yoga of Relationship. This beautiful coffee table sized book is filled with huge black and white photos, many of famous yoga teachers, taken in a candid, naturally expressive style. In the first part, general practice guidelines are given and the structure of the second section is described through the primary qualities of the chakra system: trust, passion, commitment, love, communication, vision and union. These seven “points of contact” are each given a chapter in the second section, with guidelines for incorporating each concept, as well as partner poses and exercises that develop these qualities. Short inspirational quotes are sprinkled throughout the pages that further highlight the concepts and ideas presented. And while there are step-by-step instructions for many of the poses, this work serves more as an inspiration, expression and statement of the joy, beauty and depth of partner yoga rather than a how-to guide. |
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Monday, June 04, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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The Language Of Yoga
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 If you have ever struggled with the pronunciation of the Sanskrit names and terms used in yoga, then this book and 2-cd set is for you. With the pronunciation of more than 200 yoga postures along with 300 key Sanskrit terms, the Language Of Yoga is a comprehensive and exceptional audio yoga dictionary. The 139-page spiral-bound book provides a text reference to the audio pronunciations with illustrations and definitions of the postures and terms. The program begins with seven common Sanskrit chants and seven primary sutras of Patanjali, and then moves on to a detailed list of Sanskrit words used in yoga. The second half of this program provides an alphabetical A-Y list of hundreds of yoga postures. Sanskrit teacher Nicolai Bachman pronounces the Sanskrit terms on the cds slowly and clearly, syllable by syllable, pronouncing each name twice with a space for you to practice repeating the word. |
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Asana: OHM Shanti
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 Ecstatic Indian vocals, groovy tabla beats, thumping bass and swirling electronica elements merge together in the fourth volume of the Asana series from Meta Records. This time, legendary bassist and producer Bill Laswell is featured on all nine tracks, utilizing his mastery of bringing musicians together from separate cultures and traditions to create inventive and spicy compositions. With most of these tracks having an upbeat tabla or electronica rhythm, OHM Shanti is best used as a motivation to move, flow and reverberate through a dynamic series of asanas. Or this Cd can simply be enjoyed as the soundtrack to the modern yogi’s daily life. |
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Monday, May 21, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Moon on the Water
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 The shakuhachi bamboo flute is used primarily in Zen Buddhism in the practice of Suizen (blowing meditation). Using centuries old traditional compositions, Richardson plays the shakuhachi with beauty and precision, creating a tranquilizing and calming recording that is suitable for both meditation and yoga. This two CD set features solo shakuhachi on the first disk and shakuhachi with nature sounds recorded from Stan Richardson's travels on the second. The extensive liner notes document the history and origin of each composition with personal notes on the qualities, techniques and musical forms utilized. |
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Wednesday, May 09, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Yoga Journal's Yoga for Stress
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 This doctor-designed program of stress relieving yoga practices is professionally produced, clearly presented and packed with great features. Two 35-minute practices form the core of the DVD, with one practice for stress prevention and another for relieving stress. Both of these have the ability to be viewed in ‘practice mode’ with minimized verbal instruction and have the option to hold the poses for an extended duration with the built in timer option. An 8-minute pranayama (breathing) practice is included, along with a 6-minute guided relaxation and an 8-minute guided meditation practice. All of these features combined with Dr. Bell’s calm soothing voice and the tranquil background music make this DVD is a great resource to help reduce and manage our daily stress. |
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Thursday, May 03, 2007 by Timothy Burgin
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Yoga Chants
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 Ashtanga yoga master Richard Freeman expounds the ancient art of Sanskrit chant in this exquisite two Cd set and booklet. The introductory tracks give the background and history on the practice of chanting, as well as explaining the structure and sacredness of the ancient language of Sanskrit. Guided instruction is provided on the practice tracks, including the symbolic meaning of the chant, its purpose, and step-by-step guidance on how to pronounce and recite the chant. Freedman truly shines in his detailed explanations of this practice, and especially with his eloquent and rich pronunciation of the chants. The second Cd contains ten traditional chants, rendered in the vedic style of patterned recitation, with a drone of harmonium or tambura in the background, that work well to practice reciting the chants with or to simply listen for their peaceful and tranquil effects.
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