In the summer of 2006, I was interviewed by the Arizona Yoga Association, a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to share ideas, knowledge and techniques on yoga practice and theory. This is a good interview for yoga practitioners who wish to understand my approach to The Yoga of Sound.

1. Would you explain the practice of Nada Yoga and what drew/called you to the practice of Nada Yoga?

Nada Yoga is the path of using sound to achieve the primary goals of yoga, which are balance, energy, vitality and the transformation of energy into fine consciousness. Nada Yoga is also preoccupied with the ultimate goal of yoga, which is samadhi, or spiritual enlightenment, in which there is complete absorption in the ultimate bliss and the deep fulfillment that results from being directly and fully connected to our Divine source and origin.

Yoga is always qualified. Hatha Yoga, for instance, has its vocabulary of asana, mudra, banda, kriya and pranayama to aid in the process of yoga; Bhakti yoga uses devotion, jnana yoga uses intellectual reasoning, and so on. Nada Yoga uses sound, in all its forms, to achieve the goals of yoga. In this branch of yoga, we learn to channel, direct and transform our energy using a vocabulary of sacred sound. Nada Yoga also uses certain Hatha Yoga practices to aid in the process of listening, concentration and absorption in sound as the medium of energy: Bhramari Mudra and Nadi Sodhana are classic examples of such techniques shared by both approaches.

Nada Yoga is the classical term for sound as a definitive yoga path that can be translated as The Yoga of Sound or Sound Yoga. Nada, in Sanskrit, refers to sound, pitch, drone, stream, flow of sound energy, or current of sound, like the word nadi, channels that conducts the flow of prana in the body. The term, nada, has existed in Indian spirituality for about 2000 years. I use the term The Yoga of Sound to imply sound as yoga in its broadest applications and deepest aspirations, bringing together many sub-traditions of sacred sound (including Nada Yoga) that developed within the Indian tradition.

Traditional Nada Yoga, from a historical perspective, does not go deep into the spiritual technology of mantra that developed within the Vedic and Tantric traditions. Therefore, I use the term Shaba Yoga to denote the knowledge of how words and language is a form of yoga. The entire system of Sanskrit Grammar and phonetics is in fact a form of yoga. Patanjali knew this when he wrote the Yoga Sutras, as evident in Book 1:28-29: “Let there be soundless repetition of OM and meditation upon it for from that ensues the awakening of interior awareness and the removal of obstacles.” Similarly, I use the term Shakti Yoga to denote the use of sound as energy as developed in the Tantric tradition. Here, for instance, we have the use of bija mantras related to the chakras.

While these streams (Shabda and Shakti), meaning Vedic and Tantric, are not absolute or discrete, that is, they are not isolated from one another, there are specific characteristics of mantra that each of these streams have developed. These characteristics are addressed in the sonic practices of Shabda Yoga, or Shakti Yoga, or Bhava Yoga. Therefore, rather than use the term Nada Yoga, or Sound Yoga, I use The Yoga of Sound to present all the major streams of sacred sound prevalent in Hinduism: through the Vedic tradition's knowledge-based Gnostic schools, the Tantric tradition's body-based yogic schools, and the Bhakti tradition's ecstatic cults of devotion.

All these traditions go back thousands of years and the role of sound is well documented within each of them. But, because sound, in and of itself, is capable of awakening deep states of mystical consciousness that lead to healing and spiritual transformation, “sound “itself is a legitimate “yoga” or path, with its own unique capabilities for mystical union and self-realization. This is a condition described in numerous sacred sounds texts, such as the Nada Bindu Upanishad, and something you can easily validate for yourself through various sonic exercises as you would with yoga asanas and stretches.

I came to this path in my late teens when I formally renounced the world and became a monk. I had already had a background in music having played musical instruments since childhood and having grown up in an artistic family. I had also been a professional musician since my early teens but my whole approach to music was very secular. I knew nothing of the spiritual dimension of sound or music, at least not in the formal sense. Surprisingly, I played Western jazz, pop and classical music, which you will hear if you listen to my albums carefully: there is a subtle influence of Western musical models and arrangements in all of them. So far, I have used my skill in western music only selectively and supportively, because I have wanted to communicate the richness and authenticity of the Indian tradition of mantra and yogic music. I hope to make some real good rock n' roll mantra records in the future so stay tuned!

It was during my life as a monk that I was apprenticed to many teachers through whom I studied traditional Sanskrit chanting as well as Indian Classical music (of the South Indian Carnatic tradition). While pursuing these studies, I simultaneously discovered India's phenomenal understanding and application of sacred sound as an actual means of yoga and self-transformation. Later, I studied with many teachers in the great temple cities of South India, developing my knowledge of Indian music and mantra even further, and absorbing the esoteric dimensions of sacred sound throughout Hindu mysticism and yoga. It is now more than 21 years since I am studying and practicing this path.

2. In what ways do you think that Nada Yoga has changed your life?

Primarily, Nada Yoga has induced profound states of meditative awareness: I have had phenomenal mystical experiences using these techniques, experiences that have given me powerful references that enable me to understand what many spiritual texts and mystical writings are speaking about. Secondly, I have been able to formulate a practical discipline that enables me to live life fully engaged in the world. I live a very busy schedule of traveling, writing, recording, teaching and publishing, and it is the spiritual techniques of sacred sound that enable me to live in the world, serve others, and still stay deeply and ecstatically connected to my source. Finally, I want to share these techniques with others. There is an urgency for such methods so that many of us can recover our mystical depth today. Furthermore, these techniques have profound health benefits. Western medicine is rapidly realizing the healing power of sound in the form of chant and music. My efforts now are to educate the western yoga and health community about the health benefits of mantra.

3. For those that are unaware, will you briefly explain what a mantra is and why a person would use one.

A mantra is a sonic tool, an instrument that you use to improve your spiritual life. You use it to work through and cut away at old patterns, like a sculptor chipping away at all that is extraneous in order to reveal the inner self, the true self. That is the generalized sense of a mantra. However, what we discover on the spiritual path is that the human organism is rather complex and this calls for an assortment of tools. In my approach, I offer the spiritual technology of mantra as a vocabulary, rather than as a single tool. In this sense, one uses these tools much like an archaeologist excavating an ancient site. We work in different ways depending on the sort of obstacle we encounter.

Sometimes we need powerful tools and sometimes we need delicate tools. Thus, I recommend that the yogi becomes knowledgeable about the different streams of mantra, which enables one to use mantras in various contexts for various purposes. For instance, Shakti mantras or Tantric bijas are a great way of picking up one's energy in the afternoon when we experience an energy slump. Alternatively, Vedic mantras are great in the morning, particularly Monday mornings, to fortify ourselves for the workday. For many of us, it may not be practical to go to office with a melted heart, which is what happens when we use devotional mantras. Bhakti mantras (Bhava Yoga) are great in the evening, when we surrender our efforts of the day and prepare ourselves to spend quality time with our friends, our family, our lover or our spouse.

Mantras are also great sources of energy and nutrition, but to derive these benefits of mantra one needs to get into the tongue positions associated with the syllables. Mantras are like yoga of the tongue and they can be a very sensual experience, especially Tantric mantras. Vedic mantras and Tantric mantras require these placements in order to extract the intended yogic effect and to maximize their efficacy. Then there are therapeutic mantras, which, like therapeutic diets, can help one loose weight. Hmm! Well, what I mean is psychic weight, dark energy that weighs down upon the soul. Mantras can make your soul feel lighter and let your spirit soar.

I hope this provides a sense of what is possible through the spiritual methodology of mantra. They are much better than using drugs. Furthermore, they are not addictive and they are powerfully nourishing. We have to start discovering the power of sound as nutrition and this is what mantras do for us, provided we know how to use them properly. We also need to know how to combine them properly, much like food combination, to maximize their effectiveness. This is what I teach people to do with The Yoga of Sound.

4. In Buddhism, practitioners are told that it does not matter if they understand what they are reading or chanting, it is purely the practice of reading and/or chanting scripture in Sanskrit. Do you feel that this applies to the practice of Nada Yoga? Can a person chant a mantra and not know what it means and still receive the benefits of the mantra?

First, I think it is important to differentiate between Sanskrit literature and Sanskrit mantra. They are not always the same thing. To chant a Sanskrit mantra like the Gayatri is different from chanting a verse from the Bhagavat Gita, which is a shloka. In the Gita, meaning is certainly important. What is the point of chanting the Gita if you don't understand its meaning? Of course, one can read a bit of Sanskrit text just to put oneself into the space of indigenous mind and become part of the collective energy field of that tradition. In addition, knowing the meaning of a mantra can help, but in the words of noted mantra scholar Agheananda Bharati, "a mantra is known more by its effect rather than by its meaning." Mantras are different! They are spiritual tools painstakingly crafted for a specific purpose -- the transformation of energy into spiritual consciousness. To achieve this end, the mantra has to be chanted properly. At least, there has to be a consistent effort to keep improving on the mantra.

Sanskrit means "well produced" and mantras are typically formed using the Sanskrit language and therefore have to be pronounced properly, at least in the case of Vedic and Tantric mantras. Even devotional mantras can offer a tremendous amount of energy through proper pronunciation. I often compare the dismissal of mantra pronunciation to yoga teachers telling their students that it is OK if their posture is not all right, as long as they are just doing the asana with good intention. Of course, intention matters, both in asana practice as well as in mantra practice. Nevertheless, there is a science to mantra that must be respected and properly employed if one is truly interested in the benefits. In other words, a practitioner does not have to understand what is being chanted provided the pronunciation is correct, precisely because the meaning is intricately bound in the pronunciation. I explain below.

In a mantric language, the name of the thing is the sound of the thing! This means that the properly articulated sound replicates the energy of the object signified and thereby creates the intended effect. How can this effect be replicated if the sound is not pronounced properly? Think about it. One does not have to be a perfectionist or a Sanskrit pundit, but the gradual effort to improve on the quality of the pronunciation of mantra will itself lead to amazing experiences of depth and wisdom and beauty. I think it is a great disservice to the grand tradition of mantra to place intention above pronunciation. They both need to go together, hand-in-hand.

While we are on this subject, I should say something about kirtan. Yogis love to chant kirtan and I do not want to dampen their spirit or their enthusiasm with the pronunciation of mantra. It is important to differentiate between kirtan and mantra. Not all kirtan is mantra. Mantra is drawn from Vedic Sanskrit from which the classical Sanskrit of the Bhagavat Gita follows. Kirtan is formed from regional languages that are based on classical Sanskrit. In this sequence, the mantric power is progressively compromised but what is important is that the sounds finds its way into the heart. This is why, in kirtan, one does not have to be that caught up in the pronunciation of the words, especially because it is about community and praise and joy. It's yoga pop, in other words, and it feels great to let go of technique.

The problem though is the tendency to confuse kirtan with mantra. Some mantras can be rendered as a kirtan: for example, Om Namah Shivaaya. The goal in kirtan is really on awakening the heart and so keep on keeping on with that practice. However, there is an added value in extending one's knowledge and practice of sacred sound into mantra, for instance, to equip ourselves better and balance the heart with kundalini energy and cosmic power, which is what Tantric and Vedic mantras offer us. There is a place for all three in our lives. The problem, I think, is equating kirtan with Nada Yoga or to limiting kirtan to Nada Yoga when kirtan is but “an aspect” of the vast tradition of Sound Yoga. This is what I want yogis to understand and then explore the depth and scope of all it can offer them.

5. What you would suggest/What advice would you give to a yoga practitioner who is interested in adding chanting to their daily routine?

I recommend Vedic mantras in the morning to fund inner strength for the day, Tantric mantras in the afternoons to boost energy, and devotional mantra practice in the evening to melt our constrictions and to open ourselves to the love relationships in our lives.

For a Vedic mantra, learn the sacred Gayatri Mantra and chant it in the morning at least three times, ideally before beginning your yoga practice. The pronunciation for this mantra is given in my book The Yoga of Sound and it is easy enough to learn. For Tantric or Shakti mantras, start with the bija mantras for the chakras and learn to say them properly. I describe the tongue positions in my CD Shakti Yoga as well as in my book. Once you learn basic tongue positions, you will recognize them and other mantras as well. Finally, find a devotional mantra that is meaningful to you. For instance, if you connect strongly to Shiva, use Om Namah Shivaaya. Chant the mantra aloud and then whisper the mantra before chanting it in the mind. This is very helpful as it strengthens your mantric power. Know the meaning and significance of the mantra. For example, Shiva means “auspicious”. Shiva is also the principle of change (a positive spin on “destruction). Use the mantra Om Namah Shiva to find strength in the midst of change, trusting that change is auspicious, for the better.

Using a few tones also helps, especially with devotional (Bhakti) mantras and Vedic mantras, because tone variation affects our brain wave patterns and this is helpful in achieving the basic ideal of yoga, which Patanjali, in his classic Yoga Sutras, proclaims as, “Yogas chitta vritti nirodhaha”. In English, “Yoga is the cessation of the disturbances of the mind”. We have trained our minds in such a way that like our environments our minds are also generating a lot of “noise”. Mantra practice helps us regulate the swirling frequencies that we experience as thoughts and images: these are the “vrittis” that need to be calmed so that we can perceive our true nature.

Once you have learned the Gayatri and the Tantric bijas, move on to other Vedic and Tantric mantras. I have a whole appendixes allotted for each mantric stream in my book as well as in dedicated CD's (Shabda Yoga and Shakti Yoga) if you would like rich orchestration to accompany your chant practice. By the way, I use a simple tonal system for Vedic and Devotional mantras in my book that even a non-musician can utilize to chant.

6. Do you feel, or see, that people are open to chanting when it is incorporated into

yoga classes/practices? Is that a change from what you have seen in the past?

Yes, I do think that the yoga community has opened up more to chanting in recent years with the inclusion of kirtan as a regular offering at studios. Many teachers also begin their classes with chanting Om, and others, like Amy Weintraub, conclude with the chanting of bija mantras at the end of the class, which is just fantastic. Then there are others, for instance, the students of Desikacharya, who are well attuned to mantra and incorporate the Sun Saluation mantra sequence into their practice. However, I think we are still just at the beginning stages of yoga practitioners becoming aware that mantra and chanting can be a powerful compliment to the practice of yoga. I actually think that it is a vital component. Just as one needs to work with the physical body, the voice is also a representation of oneself. Our voice can teach us a lot about ourselves but it feels more vulnerable because, in a sense, it is closer to our original state of being.

While the body is also connected to our deep self, it is also simultaneously in the state of flux. The voice, on the other hand, is a direct window into the depths of our soul. We have to start working with our voices as much as we work with our body because the voice is an important bridge to our soul. For instance, we can learn to love ourselves more deeply and accept ourselves more deeply through loving our voice. The voice is also a powerful source of self-knowledge. By being aware of our voice we can come closer to truth, and the pursuit of truth, which is at the heart of yoga practice: satya.

A vocabulary of sonic applications, not just kirtan alone, is necessary for the yogi to embrace the full scope of Sound Yoga. Speech, listening, tonal inflection, tongue position, clarity of mind, movement of energy, stimulating chakras ... there is so much that is possible through understanding the role of sound in yoga. My hope is that as a deeper understanding of the value of sacred sound grows in America, more sound will actually be incorporated throughout yoga practice, for instance, while doing asana. Obviously, the process of moving into the pose requires our full concentration; but after one has mastered a pose, the introduction of mantra can be a powerful element that actually fuels the energy of the pose. However, the science of mantra must be properly learned in order to produce the optimal effects, just as proper posture is important in Hatha Yoga practice.

7. You just recently released a book, "The Yoga of Sound." What was your intention behind releasing the book?  

The whole purpose of my book is to educate western yogis about the enormous scope of sacred sound as a yoga path and to encourage them to incorporate these time honored practices into their yogic lifestyle. I don't think we can afford to see this dimension as ornamental, or as a sideline, but as a complimentary discipline that needs to be applied regularly. Yoga, in general, is a major force of healing in the west today because it is showing us how to incorporate the physical body into our spiritual lives and to give it a central role in our spiritual development. In the same way, mantra is a profound yogic science that needs to be instituted into our yogic lifestyle. Just as many yoga teachers are studying and practicing the philosophy of yoga, such as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, or through reading the Bhagavat Gita, an understanding of the science of mantra and how it can be applied in yogic practice is just as essential to the future of yoga.

There are, unfortunately, many misunderstandings on the applications of mantra that need to be cleared up, and I try to address as many of these as possible in my book. It is equally true that there are many extraneous aspects to the mantra tradition, which, incidentally, is very vast. For instance, there are many obscure, even weird, mantras that may have no real bearing or usefulness to our needs today. In my book, I look at the great streams of mantra that come to us through the Vedic, Tantric and Bhakti traditions and offer the practitioner the most valuable teachings from these traditions. This is why I employ user-friendly terms, such as, Shabda Yoga and Shakti Yoga and Bhava Yoga to support the practice of Sound Yoga. My efforts, in this book, are to make tradition relevant, to breathe new life and new meaning into the amazing spiritual technology that has come to us through the same energy field that gave us Yoga and Ayurveda, Tantra and Vasthu.

Part of my emphasis is also to treat these great streams of mantra as inter-related and inter-dependent rather than separate, which is how they have developed for many thousands of years in India (although they have unofficially borrowed from one another). In other words, I suggest The Yoga of Sound as a broad platform in which the knowledge and practice of Vedic mantras can be applied in relationship to Tantric mantras and Devotional mantras at different times of the day and for different purposes. For example, while there is the application of mantras for specific needs (like using a Lakshmi mantra to attract wealth), my approach is more generic, suggesting that Vedic mantras, because of their inflection and articulate power, are a powerful means of fortifying the soul. Similarly, Tantric mantras (like the bijas) offer us a marvelous method to reconnect to the energy of our body, removing the blocks and filters between our intention and our experience of energy and thereby enabling us to engage in a direct relationship with our energy field. Nada Yoga, on the other hand, is great for attunement and listening, and Bhava Yoga, which includes kirtan and the practice of devotional mantras, is a wonderful method of purifying our relationship with the Divine and with each other.

8. Some traditions feel that a person should learn their chants from a teacher, not from a book, or even from a CD, because it is up to a teacher to decide which mantra is right for you. How do you feel about this statement?

I do think that there is a lot of wisdom in such an approach, especially to ensure that the student learns the mantras properly and learns to apply them properly. When using books and CD's, a student may not be aware of whether he or she is pronouncing the mantras properly. At the same time, we have to recognize that books are great resources for a student to become familiar with ideas on the subject of mantra. Books also offer a logical approach that allows the student to really understand the value of the methods and to reflect upon these methods at leisure, which is a great way to learn. CDs allow for a student to become exposed to the energy of the sounds. Listening to mantras rendered properly allows the sounds to enter deeply into the student's energy circuitry and this acts as a support system during practice. Furthermore, when technology is used as sacrament, it can be very powerful. I like to use audio technology for the transformation of consciousness and I feel that I am able to do this rather effectively with my CD's and my live presentations. While sitting with a siddha master in a cave in the Himalayas and experiencing the vibrations of a mantra directly through that method may be ideal, technology can simulate this experience quite effectively and make it widely available to people. There is no doubt that we have a desperate need for such transformative tools in our society today.

In the ancient way, one did not question the teacher or the system that much: you practiced the method on faith in the system and faith in your guru. Today, I think many of us would like a more democratic approach. Also, emphasis on the guru tradition of handing down the mantra cuts off a lot of people who are from other traditions. It is akin to what is happening in the Catholic Church where you have to be Catholic to receive communion with God and only a priest can administer the sacrament. While it has value within the system, it cuts off others from connecting to the depth of the tradition. As we move into the age of InterSpirituality (living more than one tradition simultaneously and authentically), it is important to offer alternatives to the traditional way, a more democratic approach if you will. Many spiritual practitioners today want to understand the value and meaning of what they are doing. In my book, I support a lot of the techniques with complimentary ideas in quantum physics, molecular biology and medicine. I think this helps us appreciate the relevance of these practices, which might otherwise seem alien.

With regard to a teacher knowing which mantra is right for a student I do think that there is great wisdom in that too. But there are two parts to the practice of mantra. The first is the use of "the mantra" which I call your "core mantra". For this, a guru imparting the mantra is often the traditional way. This core mantra is key to the transformation and liberation of an individual as long as they avoid projecting their liberation on their guru. Today, many students have lost appreciation for the guru system and are wary of gurus. Perhaps the guru system needs revitalization and for good reason: many gurus, both eastern and western, have abused student trust. This has probably been happening for a long time but only recently has it come under accountability, especially here in America. However, this does not scratch out authentic gurus; they still exist.

The second approach to mantra is to understand the tradition of mantra as a system and this is what I try to present in my book The Yoga of Sound . Here, we understand the whole tradition of mantra as spiritual technology that we can use for very practical purposes and we go about the process through trial and error but with guidance. We must not forget that the “guru principle” is present in all learning and is guiding each one of us on our path. We need to trust and honor this guru principle that is a universal, archetypal force that is all pervasive and not limited to specific individuals. Moreover, human gurus will always have some flaws, at least for some people and from some points of view: there's no perfect guru. My alternative approach does not stop individuals from receiving their mantras from a guru. However, they can also receive it in their sleep, in dreams, in altered states, in deep meditation. Once they receive their core mantra, it becomes like their core asana, which is their ideal meditation posture. In addition, all their other mantras support their practice like an extended family. I call this "building a community of mantra" which is building an extensive spiritual support system around our practice.

My approach is to teach practitioners to approach the study of mantra in the way one approaches the study of a new language. One learns it first as an alphabet, learns to recognize words, then construct sentences, compose paragraphs and eventually write poetry. Mantras are poetry! The Vedic seers were visionary poets who actually saw mantras. This second approach is self-empowering. In addition, we do not have to study large quantities of mantra. To grasp the value of the system, we can just start with one Vedic mantra, one Tantric mantra, one devotional (Bhakti) mantra and learn to listen without thinking (Nada meditation). In learning one Vedic mantra properly, we learn the essence of all Vedic mantras. Similarly, when we learn one Tantric mantra properly, we absorb the essence of all Tantric mantras. Slowly, we can expand and develop our vocabulary of Vedic, Tantric and Devotional (Bakthi) mantras, and slowly we can develop our vocabulary of Nada Yoga practices, listening more deeply to the body and learning to pay closer attention to the movements and patterns of energy in the body's network of channels, the nadis.

Because of the need for proper guidance in pronunciation, I am presently putting together the curriculum for an Institute that will train thoroughly the student through various levels in the techniques that I practice using sacred sound. These resources will assist the student in mastering all the components of Sound Yoga with my closely assisted guidance. With these in hand, I can easily train the student, step-by-step, to absorb and master these techniques and then teach them to others. In the meantime, my website offers a number of products and resources to get one started, including a home-study vocal training program.

9. Finally, what is something that you would like our readers (mostly yoga practitioners and teachers) to take with them from this interview? Words of wisdom, or maybe even the secret to life?

I believe that the secret of life is wholeness. We are all seeking wholeness. Once we find that wholeness and completeness there is really nothing more to seek, all we need to do is just be and live in that wholeness. However, we are all constantly moving in and out of wholeness. Yoga is the path of maintaining wholeness: it teaches us to keep our balance while bringing others into balance, and to help others without losing that balance, which is to engage fully in life without being ruffled.

A major part of our imbalance is in gender: honoring the male above the feminine, which plays itself out in our putting the liner, rational, analytical mind above the receptive, intuitive and synthetic mind. This also plays out in our valuing the eyes (vision based knowledge) over the ear (feeling based knowledge). This is the premise of my work, The Yoga of Sound, and I address it extensively in the first chapter of my book titled Balancing Vision and Sound . Yoga is balance, and until we can reinstate the power of sound in all areas of our life, the feminine will continue to be diminished.

The ear, in ancient cultures, was associated with the female reproductive organ. The eyes, on the other hand, was associated with the eagle, a predatory bird that surveys from a distance and then swoops down upon its prey and consumes its nutrition by dissecting the creature. This is how our linear, analytical brain operates, and it only reinforces our ego with which it is directly connected. The ears are associated with the soul, the interior and receptive aspect of our being. Learning to work with sound is really to bring the feminine dimension of life into balance. Obviously, neither should dominate. That, in essence, is yoga.

Here are some practical suggestions to sum up the information I have presented in this interview:

1) Sound is a form of nutrition. Pay attention to how you use sound and respond to sound. Choose those sounds that nourish your yogic lifestyle and eliminate those that do not.

2) Your voice is a barometer for your soul. Pay attention to your voice and know yourself through your voice. Work with your voice to empower your soul.

3) Understand that mantra is a science that can be a powerful aid to your yoga practice. Combine your intention with proper pronunciation: both are equally important.

4) Gradually build up your knowledge and practice of mantra as a spiritual vocabulary. Mantra is the energy language of yoga and its vibrations can have a powerful effect on both body and mind. Know these effects and maximize them.

5) Once you master an asana, try introducing the appropriate mantra to "fuel" the asana. Build your own community of mantras to support your spiritual life.

Namaste.

In One Spirit.

Russill Paul

Copyright © July 2006 Russill Paul www.russillpaul.com 

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