Sound yoga might sound like a funny combination. However, the combination of yoga and sound goes back many thousands of years and can be used to achieve a state of balance and health in both body and mind.
The principles of sound yoga involve singing or chanting different tones or sounds while sitting in a particular way to activate the chakras in the body. There are many practices of using sound with yoga; here are just a few to try, so you can experience the benefit of combining sound and yoga.
Most sound yoga is done in a comfortable, seated position. You may sit in the lotus position if it’s something you’ve practiced, and it is comfortable for you. Otherwise, you can sit cross-legged, on a cushion, or in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor.
It is important to align your body so that your tailbone is pointed down into the ground, your lower back is loose without arching, your shoulders, neck, and jaw are relaxed, and your head feels as though it is dangling from a string from high above. When in this proper alignment, the body should feel relaxed and comfortable, not clenched or holding any rigid form.
Once you’ve found a comfortable position to sit, begin to focus on your breathing. Imagine you are breathing in the white light of healing and breathing out any stress or tension which you don’t need to carry in your body. Simply breathe slowly for a few minutes, grounding your energy and calming your mind.
Five Tibetan Seed Syllables
One of my favorite sound yoga exercises is the Tibetan five seed syllables. This practice is supposed to increase confidence and bring empowerment and clarity. The tones you will sing are Ah, Ohm, Hung, Ram, and Dza. You don’t have to be worried about what note to sing; you can simply sing or chant them all on a tone which feels good and comfortable. Sound yoga is more about the tones and energies behind the syllables than it is about singing particular notes.
The syllables all correspond with opening a chakra of the body. As you tone you will move through the chakras, starting with Ah at the Third Eye Chakra, Ohm at the Throat Chakra, Hung at the Heart Chakra, Ram at the Solar Plexus Chakra, and Dza at the Root Chakra, releasing all the energies down into the earth. You can visualize the Chakra with each tone, especially feeling the energies released downwards with the final tone.
To do the exercise, begin by toning each syllable slowly, using one full breath, five times through. This looks like Ahhhh, breathe, Ohmmm, breathe, Huuuung, breathe, Raaam, breathe, Dzaaaa repeated five times. Then repeat them quickly 5 times. Ah Ohm Hung Ram Dza, breathe repeated five times. At the end of this practice, sit in stillness and feel the opening of the different chakras, breathe deeply, and perceive any differences in your state of mind or emotions. This exercise is very helpful in building confidence and courage and can be done daily for optimal benefit.
Yoga and sound are an incredible combination for freeing any blocks from your throat chakra, enabling good communication as well as the ability to express yourself. It is also deeply relaxing and benefits your ability to slow your mind, get into a meditative state, and promotes natural stress relief.
Sound yoga can be practiced alone or in classes with others; it really is inspiring to tone in a group and feel the energy of all the people converge in the syllables and energies. If you find you enjoy combining yoga and sound, there is a whole world of practices to explore. Have fun!
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About the author:
Amy Myszko is a certified, practicing herbalist in Colorado. She is a regular contributor to Natural Health Web, where she writes about a wide variety of natural health subjects.
