Soham सोऽहम्

Last week we had a big snow storm in Seattle and people were stuck home for multiple days - I got a little bit of cabin fever but overall I thought it was a lovely introspective time. It can be easy to maintain focus and clarity when I'm alone without distractions and obstacles, but it's more challenging to recreate this state of being in the midst of regular life.

One of the things that helps me maintain focus is to chant a mantra. The Sanskrit word mantra means "instrument of thought" [man = to think; tra = tool or instrument]. A mantra can be a sound, word or phrase, and repeating a mantra can help quiet the stream of thoughts that play in your mind.

The mantra we are using in class today is Soham which means "I am that" or "I myself." I love how it looks in Sanskrit, so beautiful! सोऽहम्
Soham acts as a natural mantra to control your breathing pattern, to help achieve deep breath, and to gain concentration. As we inhale, we think the sound Sooooo... and as we exhale, we think the sound Hummmm...

When most people hear the word "yoga" they think of the physical practice of various poses. This is called asana and it is only one of the eight limbs of yoga. Pranayama, or breathing exercises, is another one of the eight limbs of yoga. One of my favorite breathing exercises is called Nadi Shodhana (nah-dee show-DAH-nah) or Alternate Nostril Breathing [nadi = channel; shodhana = cleaning, purifying]. In Nadi Shodhana, you inhale through one nostril, retain the breath, and exhale through the other nostril (then repeat). This leads to a balance between your logical (left brain) and creative (right brain) thinking. Here is a great article on some more benefits to Nadi Shodhana.

Today in class we are using the Soham and Nadi Shodhana to even out our breath bringing balance to our mind and our postures, which will then translate into our lives.

Here is my playlist for 1/25 Yogis at UW