Music from the MC YOGI Concert

MC Yogi passed through Washington DC in October and we had the honor of hosting him and his crew. They were such a fun, cool group of people. It was a mix of hip hop beats with Hindu stories, a little feel good love, mantra chanting, and great MC’ing. The crowd was jumping and the vibe was great. The DJ, Robin, is a talented beat maker and my buddy Joel from White Swan managed the logistics.

I caught a little footage from, Give Love, a track off their upcoming album. Have a look, it’s a catchy tune.

His album Elephant Power can be purchased as on mp3 or CD from www.spiritvoyage.com:

Getting Ready For Winter Solstice Sadhana!

I am so excited for this year’s winter solstice sadhana in Lake Wales Florida December 18th -25th! I am trying to be part of 1 major event or retreat per month. Every year, we have a booth here and I am endlessly inspired by the chanting, yoga, meditation, yogi tea, fun people, white tantric yoga and the serene environment.

I was browsing the web and found some great resources for getting ready for winter solstice.
Register for Winter Solstice at 3ho.org

Facebook group

There is a Facebook group where you can meet other travellers and see pictures from previous winter solstices.

Check out the youtube videos:

See the super cool video from Kasey at Yogamates.com that they did on Summer Solstice 2009!

Then see the Slideshow: with great imagery to give yourself a feel for the place.

So join us down in Florida!

Register at 3ho.org

Hatha Yoga

After breaking my back 10 years ago, hatha yoga has been a permanent practice in my life. At different times, I have taken classes in anusara, ashtanga, flow, bikram and other various forms. I have my favorites but above all I really just enjoy taking care of myself and that time in practice is precious. Throughout the years, I have also used different books and DVD’s.

I have met a number of teachers over the years that preach the idea of sticking with one practice and going deep into that form. I have found that to be probably true yet totally boring. The more I explore, the more it illuminates the things I already know. The more ashtanga yoga I practiced in 2004, the more I enjoyed white tantric yoga. The more bikram I do now, the more I enjoy seated meditation. The more I studied classical hatha yoga postures,  the more I understood the sequencing in kundalini yoga.

When I think back on the last 10 years there are some key products that I used very frequently.We have recently added them to our collection of items.

I will present them in the sequence of my discovery because that was the most meaningful to me.

The Ashtanga Yoga Practice Manual features a sequence of postures that is unparalleled by anything for a full spinal workout. I gained so much flexibility and length in my spine from this practice helping me to recover from my accident. I used this book non stop for 8 months as I went from touching my knees to touching my toes.

After using the book for a number of months, I went out and purchased the video, now dvd of the series first from Richard Freeman and then from David Swenson.

The DVD helps to really see the ideal postures.

During this time, I would take it one posture at a time and push the limits as far as I could. I made it through parts of the

second series and picked up David Swenson’s Second & Third Series video which was fun to watch even if it would be long before I would get there.

Sat Kirin Interview from Summer Solstice

At Summer Solstice, I sat down with Sat Kirin and asked her a few questions about her new album, Blessings of a Woman. The sound quality could be better but what she says is profound.

Enjoy!

People leave Sat Kirin the most beautiful comments on spirit voyage.

Mukta on her book Meditations for Addictive Behaviours

A the 3ho Summer Solstice, I sat down with Mukta Khalsa and asked her a few questions about her recent book Meditations for Addictive Behaviours. She had some interesting things to say.

Enjoy!

Manish Vyas Joking in Concert

Manish Vyas is not only an incredible tabla player and vocalist, he is also extremely funny in an enlightened kind of way. Below he tells a  funny story about Mullah Nasruddin.

Enjoy his Tumi Bhaja Re Mana from Sattva below:

Manish Vyas will be on tour this summer throughout the United States. See his  tour schedule.

Snatam Kaur and Guruganesha with Tanmayo and Manish Vyas

On June 6 2009, we hosted Snatam Kaur, Guruganesha Singh, Tanmayo & Manish Vyas in Alexandria Virginia.  It was a really special evening and I captured some of the footage on film. Here is a really beautiful song featuring Snatam and Tanmayo.

Below is Ong Namo featuring Snatam and Guruganesha.

The Gong in Kundalini Yoga

If you have never experienced the sound of a gong played to a deep relaxation, it is a real treat. Yogi bhajan used to talk about it as a tool that supercedes the mind.

When the gong is played, the mental thought process naturally relaxes. In a new book by Mehtab titled Gong Yoga, he speaks about the different effects of playing the gong.

 

Here is a clip of Mehtab speaking about playing the gong:

We carry a number of Gong CD’s that can be used for personal relaxation or use in a yoga class when carrying along a gong is just not realistic.

Here are some of them:

Therapeutic Gong

Song of the Sacred Gong

Earth Planet Gong by Sotantar

 

Echo by Devinder Kaur

The blessings of 3HO Summer Solstice

I often think of Spirit Voyage, as the child of  the 3ho Summer Solstice Celebration in New Mexico. To understand who we are as a company and where we came from, I reflect on the magical and special moments  that fostered this sacred music. Summer Solstice is a special mix of Kundalini Yoga, White Tantric yoga, morning sadhana, lots of chanting, healthy food, and great people.

The week starts with a day dedicated to prayer for peace on earth. There is sacred music, dancing, food, meditation, chanting, and prayer. Peace Prayer day is followed by two days of kundalini yoga, workshops, music and fun. On the day the summer solstice starts, we do 3 days of white tantric yoga.

The evenings are filled with yogi tea and music. The mornings are filled with chanting & yoga. Nearly every artist on Spirit Voyage Records has had some kind of experience with Summer Solstice. Many got their first recognition there, others were greatly inspired.

I can remember hearing Gurunam Singh play the most beautiful cuts from Journey Home long before they were recorded. Years before Snatam Kaur released Prem and became a star, she (nicely) kicked me out of the tantric shelter for cutting in line. I remember Ashana singing her heart out and playing her crystal bowls on peace prayer day. I remember rising at 4 am in the dark on the way to sadhana to hear guruganesha rock on the guitar while watching the sun rise. I remember hearing Dileep & Sat Purkh & Hari Bhajan enchant the voting audiences in Spirit Voyage Idol. I remember meeting Mirabai Ceiba for the first time and thinking what strikingly beautiful people they were.

Every year there is something new & amazing. As we recognize the sun completing it’s cyclical journey around the earth, it is a time to reflect on our own lives through meditation. On June 18th 2009, Summer Solstice begins.

The Perfect Pot of Yogi Tea

Since video is my new favorite job here at spirit voyage, I have been roaming around the warehouse looking for useful products to explore for our customers. I realized that we have these excellent 1 lb bags of fresh yogi tea spices. They are so simple to use and make really fantastic tea!

In this video, Siri Om and I show you how to make the perfect pot of Yogi Tea with this mix.

Enjoy the video !

And here are the printed instructions:

• Boil 16 Cups of Water in a large pot
• Add 5 TBSP of the Yogi Tea Spice Mix to boiling water.
• Cover and lower heat to simmer
• Boil for 20 minutes to 2 hours (depending on how strong you want it.)
• You can add 4 Yogi Tea Black Chai tea bags if you want the caffeine for the last 10 minutes of boiling.
• When finished boiling, remove the black tea bags if you added them.  Strain the tea through a strainer or cheese cloth.
• Add milk and honey to taste.
• ENJOY!

Click Here to Buy the 1 Lb. Yogi Tea Spice Mix