LAKE TAHOE YOGA BLOG
  • Yoga Blog
  • Lake Tahoe Yoga
  • FAQ
    • What Makes LTY Unique
    • Rajahatha Yoga
    • Testimonials
  • Media/Press

Silence or Sound?

12/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Should music be played during Yoga? The shift to virtual classes has us questioning the necessity of music as part of the practice.
Live Musicians at Lake Tahoe Yoga
Live Music with Skye and Scott

The Sounds of Silence

Originally, there was no music played during Yoga practices.  Search YouTube and you can find videos of B.K.S. Iyengar and Patabhi Jois as well as lesser known practitioners guiding others in silent rooms where the only sound is that of their breath.

Fast forward to 2019 and you would be hard fast to find a class that doesn't have music playing.  It had become to so common that a silent practice felt uncomfortable.  One of the few lineages that continued to offer classes without music were those who practiced in the Iyengar style.
Phish Yoga at Nevada Beach with Lake Tahoe Yoga
Phish Yoga on the Beach

From Mantra to Hip Hop

I began attending Yoga classes in 1999.  I wore street clothes to class.  There was no music played.  As my interest in the practice grew and I began to explore lineages beyond svarupa (my first), I stepped onto the path and never looked back.  

I learned that vinyasa simply means an interconnected series of movements done with grace.  These classes almost always included recorded music being played in the background.  It was most likely Krisna Das mantra.  It wasn't until 2003 that I began hearing popular music played during class.  At Gold's Gym, where I was introduced to my teacher, she and others would mix in popular music with the traditional chanting recordings.
Joaquin Fioresi
Live Music at the Beach with Joaquin Fioresi

Adding to the Distractions?

When I was given the chance to choose the music for my classes, I was excited to begin creating mix CDs that included my favorite combinations of mantra, pop, jam bands, and rock.  I had cases of music that I would carry with me to every class I taught.  Each mix was curated to shift the energy of the practice intentionally.

The longer I taught, the less excited I was about the music I used.  Making mixes became tedious, my Ipod could only hold so many songs, and then streaming channels became available.  This made my life so much easier.

Is It Free?

For years I had a collection of channels on my Pandora or Spotify that I could easily select and play knowing that the music playing would be just fine for whatever I chose to teach.  The songs themselves became less important.  The energy of the music needed to align with the energy of the class.  As time passed, though, discussions over the legality of using music and requirements for licensing began to rise in the Yoga community.

Now, Yoga studio owners have to cover the cost of licensing to play music as part of their classes.  It is a growing issue and the question of whether we are performing and choreographing to the music is the main reason this new issue has arisen.
Randy Loftis Iyengar Workshop
Iyengar teacher Randy Lofits demonstrates Halasana

Back to the Basics

​I began using less music, at lower volumes.  In my own practice, I do so in silence.  When the pandemic hit and we could no longer practice together in groups my virtual classes naturally shifted to be guided by voice only.  No one seemed to mind.  Of course, if they want to, anyone can mute themselves and play music in their own home while they practice virtually.  However, in many discussions among those who join me, they agree that the silence is quite nice.
Picture

Keep the Peace

You'll notice that there is music added to the recorded classes we offer on YouTube and On-Demand.  However, when you join a live virtual session it will be in silence unless you choose to play music in your space.  If you haven't tried a silent practice, perhaps now is the time.  I find that it provides an opportunity to truly connect with your breath, remain aware of your body, and spend time with your thoughts.
Join a Live Virtual Practice with Lake Tahoe Yoga by becoming a member of Bliss Experiences.  When you register your account will receive one (1) credit to join any scheduled Monday class.
0 Comments

Breathe in Autumn

9/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
I grew up in New England.  There's nothing that can compare to the fall in the East.  Maple leaves, maple syrup, pumpkin patches and apple trees, they all have a special place in my heart.  Now, living in the land of arid climates and high alpine forest, I sometimes lament about what I used to have.  And then, I remember, where I live.  
Picture
After Labor Day, Lake Tahoe takes on a whole new vibe.  As the crisp, fall air drifts in each morning and the warmth of the sun is felt later and later in the day, a peacefulness arrives.  The hundreds of boats cris-crossing the lake are gone.  The average driving speed has slowed, once again.  All of us, who live here, take a deep breath and sit down to relax.
Picture
This is Yoga, my friends.  This is honoring what we have and enjoying the present.  As we sit back and review all the hard work of the summer, this is Yoga.  Our lives in this community are cyclical, just like the flow of life.  As yogis, it is our duty to recognize our  habits, patterns and hurdles.  Living in Tahoe offers a unique perspective on this practice.  Every Summer, we work, we play, we sell.  We rest, in the fall.  Every Winter, we burn the midnight oil and rise with the dawn to hit the slopes.  In the spring, we pause, again.  
During these pauses, these moments of rest, there is an opportunity to learn.  Yoga is the practice of understanding who you are.  Of understanding our habits and changing them.  As Autumn arrives and settles in upon us, enjoy the peace and quiet.  Sit back and look upon yourself.  As the seasons change, maybe you will, too.
0 Comments

Yoga Retreats That Won't Break the Bank

7/1/2010

0 Comments

 

Take a Vacation for an Hour

Picture
Th practice of Yoga is designed to increase inner awareness and decrease your concern over all that is gong on around you. The challenge if the movements and direction of inhales and exhales is intentially expressed in order to draw your focus. Everything from the lighting of the room, music chosen to the scents used during the practice are intended to shift your perspective.

Take advantage of these conscious efforts by joining class at a Yoga studio. A well trained instructor should be able to guide you away from your day and into an hour long vacation.
Picture

Quiet Your Mind with Sound

How many times have you found yourself listening to something and being distracted by another sound?

I think back to my grade school years and how, although I was interested in what was being taught, I was so easily distracted by the sound of a tapping pencil, creaking chair or bird singing outside. As we know, our minds are constantly drawn into many directions. We are being hit with millions if not billions of pieces of information at any minute and focusing on just one can seem like an impossibility.

Find Quiet In Everything You Do

Consider the last time you were in silence. What did you hear? One would hope the answer is "nothing," but it's most likely that you heard something. Perhaps a buzzing or high pitched ringing or maybe, just maybe your own internal "Aum."
​
Using sounds as part of our practice to find one-pointedness and concentration can be very helpful. Sounds can help us to become centered and to draw us inward. Of course, they can do the opposite, as well. The sound of screeching tires or an alarm can certainly draw you outside of yourself. In opposition, the sound of your own voice in a hum can draw you inward. A deep bass can connect you to your belly and your favorite song can rush in memories of old.

Focus on finding stillness in your asana practice, use the sounds around you to help you turn inward. Even the pounding of the dancer's feet on the floor offers the opportunity of practice to bring our attention inward. As your physical practice becomes more still, so shall your mind, breath and spirit.
Picture
0 Comments

    Jenay, E-RYT, Director

    Jenay, a 500 hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, directs and teaches at Lake Tahoe Yoga Studio.

    Link Placement Subscriptions

    Archives

    December 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    January 2016
    May 2015
    January 2015
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    July 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

    Categories

    All
    2010
    8 Limbs
    Abhyasa
    Accessible Yoga
    Active Lifestyle
    Addiction
    Affordable Fitness
    Agni
    Ahimsa
    Airbnb
    Ancestry
    Ankylosing Spondylitis
    Anxiety
    Asana
    Asana Vs Yoga
    Asana Yoga
    Asking Questions
    Athleta
    Autumn
    Awareness
    Ayruveda
    Baby And Me Yoga
    Back Bending
    Balance
    Bandha
    Basics
    Battlefields
    Beach Yoga
    Beach Yoga Tahoe
    Beginner
    Best Beach Yoga
    Best Paddle Yoga
    Best Yoga Studio
    Best Yoga Tahoe
    Beyond Fitness
    Bhagavad Gita
    Birthday Yoga
    Body
    Body Work
    Book Yoga Classes
    Breath
    Budget
    Burnout
    Cakras
    Caldor Fire
    Caregivers
    Change
    Christmas
    Cleansing
    Clean Tahoe
    Cold
    Commercialization
    Communication
    Communing With The Divine
    Concentration
    Connecting With Our Community
    Connection
    Consistent Practice
    Corporate Yoga
    Cost Of Yoga
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Daily Routine
    Depression
    Dharana
    Dharma
    Dhyana
    Diet
    Discipline
    Discussion
    Divine Consciousness
    Divinity
    Dyhana
    Eco
    Effective Fitness
    Effort
    Ego
    Emotions
    Energy Body
    Energy Plexus
    Event Yoga
    Exercise
    Extension
    Finding A Yoga Teacher
    Fire
    Fire Evacuation
    First Yoga Studio
    Fitness
    Flexibility
    Flow
    Food
    Frustration
    Ftiness
    Getaway
    Google
    Granthi
    Growth
    Guided Focus
    Guru
    Happy Thoughts
    Hatha
    Hatha Vs Raja
    Headstand
    Healing
    Health
    Healthy Lifestyle
    Heartfelt Desire
    Heart Openers
    Holidays
    Hot Yoga
    Illness
    Indoor Yoga
    Inspiration
    Intention
    Iyengar
    Jivanmukti
    June
    Karma
    Kleshas
    Knowledge
    Kriya
    Kriya Yoga
    Lake Tahoe
    Lake Tahoe Yoga
    Letting Go
    Liberation
    Life
    Listening
    Looking Within
    Lose Weight
    Love
    Lululemon
    Managing Trauma
    Manomayakosha
    Mantra
    Materials
    Meditation
    Men
    Mental Health
    Mind
    Mindbody
    Mindfulness
    Mindful Walking
    Misperceptions
    Moksha
    Motto
    Music
    National Yoga Month
    New Years
    Non Attachment
    Non-Attachment
    On-Demand Yoga
    Paddle Yoga
    Paddle Yoga Tahoe
    Pain
    Pain Management
    Party Yoga
    Patanjali
    Peace
    Perspective
    Philosophy
    Physical Activity
    Plank
    Practice
    Prana
    Pranayama
    Pratyahara
    Prenatal Yoga
    Preservation
    Private Yoga Sessions
    Products
    Ptsd
    Purification
    Quieting The Mind
    Realignment Coaching
    Real Yoga
    Recovery
    Relaxation
    Release
    Religion
    Research
    Resolution
    Retreat
    Risk Taking
    Saccidananda
    Sadhana
    Sadhana Pada
    Safe Practices
    Samdhi
    Sankalpa
    Sanskrit
    Santosha
    Satsang
    Satya
    Self Care
    Self-care
    Self Love
    Self Study
    Senior Yoga
    Shatkarma
    Siddhis
    Silence
    Ski
    Sleep
    Slow Down
    Small Business
    Snow
    Snowboard
    Soul
    Sound
    Spiritual Path
    Stillness
    Stress
    Stress Reduction
    Stretching
    Styles Of Yoga
    Suffering
    Super Powers
    Sustainability
    Svadhyaya
    Tahoe South
    Tahoe Travel
    Tapas
    Teacher
    Tension
    Thanksgiving
    Things To Do In Tahoe In The Fall
    Tour
    Transition
    Trauma Recovery
    Trust
    Various Practices And Approaches.
    Viaragya
    Vibhutti Pada
    Vinyasa
    Virtual Yoga
    Visit Tahoe
    Wedding Yoga
    Weight Loss
    Wellbeing
    Wellness
    What Can Yoga Do For You?
    Winter
    Wisdom
    Withdrawing Inward
    Women
    Work
    Work-life
    Yoga
    Yoga America
    Yoga At Home
    Yoga At Work
    Yoga Benefits
    Yoga Brands
    Yoga Business
    Yoga Classes
    Yoga Community
    Yoga For Kids
    Yoga History
    Yoga Is Everywhere
    Yoga Lifestyle
    Yoga Practice
    Yoga Props
    Yoga Relaxation
    Yoga Science
    Yoga Sutra
    Yoga Sutra Book Ii
    Yoga Teacher
    Yoga Therapy
    Yoga Tools

    RSS Feed

© Lake Tahoe Yoga LTD 2020
Lake Tahoe Yoga Studio, School & Retreats
​
​Discover Your Self ™
Zephyr Cove, NV, 89448
​(775)580-7224


Design, Graphics and Photos by Jenay

Except as permitted by the copyright law applicable to you, you may not reproduce or communicate any of the content on this website, including files downloadable from this website, without the permission of the copyright owner.
The US Copyright Act allows certain uses of content from the internet without the copyright owner’s permission. This includes uses by educational institutions and by Commonwealth and State governments, provided fair compensation is paid. For more information, see https://www.copyright.gov/title17/title17.pdf.
The owners of copyright in the content on this website may receive compensation for the use of their content by educational institutions and governments, including from licensing schemes managed by Copyright Agency.
We may change these terms of use from time to time. Check before re-using any content from this website.
Lake Tahoe Yoga. Tahoe's premier Yoga studio offering classes, private sessions, paddle yoga. beach yoga, baby and me, prenatal, alignment, vinyasa, athletic, workout, fitness, stillwater, Mindbody, teacher training, Yoga alliance, yoga therapy, bachelorette party, yoga instruction, om, aum, classes, fitness, wellness, active, exercise, athlete, stretch, flexibility, balance, mindful, meditation, restoration, yin, nidra, relaxation, breathing, pranayama, yoga sutra, yamas, niyamas, satya, ahimsa, brahmacharya, ishvara pranidhana, avidya, asteya, tapas, svadhyaya, jnana, aparigraha, wellness, outdoor yoga, corporate yoga, mountain pose, downward dog, asana, practice, tantra, hatha, raja, rajahatha, workshop, yoga workshop, vacation, ayurveda, pitta, vata, kapha, yoga om, omni, yoga shala, yoga for health, accessible yoga, partner yoga, yoga for athletes, yoga for fitness, flexibility, health, wellness, mindfulness, private yoga teacher, private yoga classes, private yoga instruction, downward dog, yoga streches, yoga for kids, yoga Tahoe, south lake Tahoe  yoga, south Tahoe yoga, yoga south Tahoe, class pass, wedding yoga, senior yoga, healing, healthcare, yoga near me
  • Yoga Blog
  • Lake Tahoe Yoga
  • FAQ
    • What Makes LTY Unique
    • Rajahatha Yoga
    • Testimonials
  • Media/Press