We’ve watched over the past couple of decades as our world has become a more open-minded place in many ways. Kindness is trending so to speak, and mind body practices are growing in popularity. People are less likely to pass judgment on others, and people are more accepting of their environments and the humans in it.
Practices that encourage this open-minded spirit and kindness, like yoga, have really exploded. We can’t go anywhere without seeing yoga mats, yoga props and even yoga home decor. I was just shopping in the mall last week and saw a Chakra shower curtain with the matching colorful shower curtain rings. Meditation is also becoming more popular, and we see that with the peaceful figures sitting in a cross-legged seated position with their eyes closed in many forms of advertising.
While this is less known, it’s important to point out that yoga includes practices such as mantra and mudra. Yoga goes well beyond just asana practice, or yoga poses. Yoga is an ancient practice that is thousands of years old, coming from India. Traditional yoga includes chanting and sound elements. Research has also shown that music and sound elements can add a different level of mood enhancement and relaxation. Music actually changes our brain chemistry.
If you’re wondering whats the best music for yoga classes, you can easily find yoga playlists on spotify and apple music. You can even find free yoga playlists on youtube if you’re looking. If you’re interested in mantra and yoga mythology, you can absolutely find out the stories behind the yoga postures and the traditional mantras that accompany these stories. You may even find the best yoga mythology course to learn all of this from a certified yoga teacher with experience in mythology and mantra.
How you decide to go about expanding and growing your yoga practice is a personal choice and is totally up to you. It’s important for you to know that there is more to yoga than moving and coming into yoga poses. You can focus on breathwork, chanting which is sometimes known as mantra in yoga and mudra or hand gestures. There are many yoga playlists that can help you ease into your yoga practice with a sense of ease and mindfulness and support your practice.