Petica's posterous http://peticawatson.posterous.com a place to plonk stuff posterous.com Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:06:21 -0800 Why Bikram is best http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2008/11/26/why-bikram-is-best http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2008/11/26/why-bikram-is-best Well, other forms of yoga are fantastic too, but it's been really interesting to watch how Bikram yoga has appealed to men and other groups that wouldn't normally have been interested. There's something about Bikram yoga that means you feel the benefits immediately. If I ever have backache, only a Bikram yoga session will fix it. Immediately. It's the heat and the sweat and the detoxing. And the fact that you know what to expect because it's always the same set of postures in the same order, but somehow you experience them differently depending on your physical and mental state. I just wish I had the time and money to do it everyday. But I need variety, so that would never happen..let's be realistic here.  Sometimes I just can't balance in a posture because my brain is off assessing all the other people in the room, or I just don't feel like looking at myself in the mirror very much. Other times, the focus and concentration is exemplary and I am proud of myself. Except, it's all about letting go of judgment really innit. Anyway, it's fun being pretty flexible and getting into positions I wouldn't have been anywhere near 10 years ago when I first went. www.bikramyoga.co.uk

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Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:00:38 -0800 Chanting like a Hare-krishna http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2007/02/04/41 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2007/02/04/41 Kirtan chanting is such fun. Well perhaps fun isn't quite the word for it . You feel a bit like a Hare-krishna devotee but the tunes are great and you sometimes get to play instruments - even if you can't play them! Somehow the instrument (rattle, tamborine etc) plays itself. There's a leader who sings the line and then the group repeat it, so you don't need to read music or know the songs. It's very meditational, and it helps when you are in a low emotional state - perhaps in the same way as exercise does, but more spiritually... Of course, the words you are singing are mantras, and they are repeated either softly to yourself (japa) or out loud (kirtan) in order to channel divine energy. And you know what, you feel you really are! You can do it here at Triyoga in Primrose Hill (http://www.freetheinnervoice.com/chanting.html) or you can do it at my fave place, Innergy yoga centre in Kensal Road every month on a saturday night and have a delish indian meal afterwards. http://www.innergy-yoga.com/chantingnews.htm. Innergy is great because it's a lovely carpeted old hall and there are fairy lights everywhere... To find out what sort of stuff you might be singing, listen to Krishna Das (double cd Live on Earth, try songs Namah Shivaya or Devi Puja) or JayaLakshmi (try song Ocean of Mercy)  ... I often find myself singing along to these at top volume whilst doing the housework.You find that some of them have a great beat and I often wish I was a cool funky DJ that knows how to technically take these tunes to another level by transforming them into some sort of Deep trance house rave mix. If you know of DJs out there already doing this, lemme know. Anyone who's recently taken up kirtan chanting, would love to hear your comments.

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