Aum. The sound of the Universe.

Aum is often called the "sound of the universe". Sounds hippy-dippy, yes...but the vibration that resonates in your body when you chant has both physical and physiological benefits! It can bring a sense of calm and focus, it can decrease blood pressure, increase relaxation, and the vibration can give a little massage to your chest, throat and head.

There are actually three different sounds that are made when you chant OM...the first is "Aaahhh", and the vibration begins at the heart. From there, it moves to the  "Ooohhh" sound (like "home") which resonates in our throat. The final sound, "Mmmm" has a sound that can be felt in our head. You can even put your palm on each body part when you make the sound to feel it!

Want to get a little deeper into the meaning of they symbol? We have one on the wall in the studio. Here's a little graphic I drew to explain a little more:

inspiration

stand strong.

This video is worth 20 minutes of your time. Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist who has studied how your own body language can shape the way you think about yourself. We all know that we can project self confidence (or lack thereof) to others by the way we carry ourselves...but her research suggests that by holding a particular stance for a few minutes, we can create big changes in the way we feel.

The next time you take Warrior 2 pose (Virabhadrasana 2)...consider holding it a little longer, and standing a little stronger. Goddess pose (Utkata Konasana - Fierce Angle Pose) is another great example of an asana that will invoke the strength that Amy Cuddy speaks about!

Let us know what you think! Give it a try!

peace,
stacy

mermaid.

Love this photo of Alison in front of our mural!...you'll be seeing it a lot around here...just used it for a postcard...thought it would make a lovely first post for our new blog!

peace ~stacy