| When I took my first Integral Yoga class in San | | | | I lose others for various reasons. |
| Francisco, the teacher opened with breathing and | | | | I realize that not everyone will resonate with this type |
| chanting, which I had never heard before. It was new | | | | of class, and I try my best to prepare students on the |
| and a bit strange to the ear, but I couldn't help noticing | | | | first class, that the chanting might sound strange at |
| the shift into calmness that it brought. The class ended | | | | first, but to give it a chance. It really does deepen the |
| with more breathing,chanting, and meditation, and I felt | | | | experience, grounding and calming all our energies.. I |
| transformed upon leaving. When I graduated, I vowed | | | | have to admit, that I sometimes omit the opening |
| to myself that I wouldn't eliminate the chanting for the | | | | chants for the pre-natal students, because most of |
| sake of the masses. Many teachers chose not to | | | | them will only be taking yoga during their pregnancy, |
| chant when they taught outside the institute, so as not | | | | but will not continue afterwards. |
| to scare people away..I loved the chanting and their | | | | I recently visited the pain clinic to demo my gentle yoga |
| melodies and being a singer, it gave me an opportunity | | | | class, so that they might join to help their chronic |
| to express that through yoga. | | | | issues. One woman asked me if I chanted or did I just |
| I began subbing for other teachers at health clubs, | | | | do the poses, and I was impressed that she even |
| colleges, studios, and community centers to get my | | | | knew about the chanting and said so. It turned out that |
| foot in the door. Almost no one had done or heard | | | | her church did not allow her to chant and I tried to |
| chanting in a yoga class before, and most found it odd | | | | explain that it was not religious in this context and the |
| while others really found it cool and beneficial. | | | | chants we do are universal. I could tell she was |
| When I got hired at Kaiser in Fremont, Ca. there really | | | | uncomfortable, so I did not chant at all for the first time. |
| was no yoga available around that area, and for | | | | Ironically, there were others who asked me to stay |
| most,it was their first time taking a class. This gave me | | | | afterwards and explain more about the chanting and |
| an incredible opportunity to teach them what yoga is, | | | | could they try it. They loved it and felt the "shift". This |
| chanting, meditation, and all. Because if it's peoples first | | | | was also a first for me, that people actually asked |
| or nearly first time taking yoga, they use my class as | | | | about it and I felt very honored by the experience. |
| the basis for all others. When they try other classes, | | | | Chanting has always been a part of yoga, and I hope |
| they are surprised that there is no chanting, very little | | | | we can honor this tradition and not be afraid of that |
| pranayama, and a very short savasana. To this day, | | | | which we do not know, but explore and decide for |
| even though yoga is much more available, I still get the | | | | ourselves. |
| people who are fairly new to it and most enjoy it, while | | | | |