I stumble upon this class at my local Senior
Center: Naam Yoga. Two mornings a week. My knee is still recovering from my broken
patella back in November. I figured as
easy as it may seem, I should attend this class.
I am surprised by the new knowledge I
gain in each class in an area that I knew nothing about. I am meeting new people from all
nationalities and walks of life. Older
people with canes and walkers mostly sitting in a chair. Our teacher Allyn Cioban is bringing us all
together and making sure we never forget to smile and laugh. The class combines the various exercises with
breathing. The words of the mantras in
Sanskrit are displayed on the screen and we chant them to the sound of rhythmic
music. Very often there are hand
movements called mudras and they use the tips of the fingers and parts of the
hands in meaningful forms.
I will try and describe some of the
exercises.
We begin with rubbing our hands together
to create heat. Then we hold our hands
in prayer pose and chant the first mantra to help us create our intent for the
class.
Then we chant the triple mantra that
helps with protection. We use various
hand mudras for this mantra. The mantra
has 3 verses and I am happy to say that although I don’t understand it I
managed to memorize it. In the last two
verses each line ends with the word SUCH.
As you say such, you have to hold your tummy in. We chant this mantra for 3-5 minutes. Believe me, after saying such and squeezing
in your lower belly for 3 minutes you get a work out! And you have to keep smiling!
At the end we are instructed to take a
deep breath, raise our hands up and shake them, and laugh out loud!
One of my favorite mantras is the one that helps you listen to your
inner voice. The inner voice is a mere
whisper compared with your ego that keeps on chattering. The melody is beautiful and the lyrics begin
with Gurur
Brahma. We hold our hands with Venus
lock mudra:
The name Venus
Lock is derived from the connection between the negative and positive sides of
the Venus mounds. These are located on each hand and are the fleshy areas at
the base of the thumb (which represents ego).
Venus
represents sensuality and sexuality. This Mudra channels the sexual energy
while balancing the glandular system. If you place both hands in this Mudra on
your lap, you will be able to concentrate better.
This Mudra is
done by interlacing the fingers. For women the right pinky stays on the bottom,
while for men, it’s the left. One of the thumbs touches the fleshy part between
the other thumb and the index finger.
We do an exercise to get rid of any negativity. For this many people in the back of the room
stand up. We use the Middle Pillar
mudra: Hold the hands
six inches apart, palms facing each other, at the heart center. This creates a
healing space within the aura and breaks through challenges. The exercise is to keep chopping away with
your hands. We all laugh when we do
this. We look at each other and try to
keep up with the pace.
Some other interesting mudras:
The Gyan Mudra is
considered one of the most important mudras. It has been practiced in
meditation for thousands of years, and continues to bring peace, calm and
spiritual progress.
Known as the “mudra of knowledge”, it evokes
the most expansive version of the self, so you can flow through your life
lessons with ease and calm. It stimulates wisdom and knowledge.
The Gyan Mudra is good to do when
speaking to someone so you come from your highest self.
Hand Position: Gyan
Mudra - Thumb pad to index finger pad - Traditionally speaking, Gyan mudra
expands our consciousness and promotes self-wisdom. It also helps to break
through life challenges. This mudra also stimulates the lung meridian.
An interesting
exercise to hear your voice from within: Close ears with your thumbs and eyes with
your fingers. Chant mmmm and feel how it
sounds.
Try to chant
Ohm Ohm Ohm Ohm squeezing your belly on each Ohm.
The class
always ends with a prayer for love, peace and light all around us and our
surroundings.
NAMASTE!
