YOGA FOR MUSICIANS

A Union of the Body, Mind, and Saxophone

Jason Adams

                What is Yoga?

                                yug = union (of two or more things: body & mind, soul & God, etc.)

                MANY different forms:       Raja Yoga (royal-meditation)

                                                                Jnana Yoga (mind/thought-reading books, gaining understanding-not unlike philosophy)

                                                                Bhakti Yoga (service-think Mother Theresa; to serve a higher power, not others)

                                                                Hatha Yoga (asanas/physical postures/reflection of nature-realizing we’re one w/nature)

                An Experiment

                We will concentrate on the following types of yoga:

            Hatha Yoga (physical postures)

      ·  Improve blood/energy circulation, concentration, lung capacity; reduce stress

                                For Back & Spinal Alignment (Adjustment)

                                                *Mountain pose                                   *Hero’s pose

                                                *Warrior pose                                    

                                For Expanding Chest Cavity (improving lung capacity)

                                                *Knee Down Twist                              *Cobra pose

                                                *Fish pose                                             *Camel pose

                                For Increased Relaxation/Reducing Stress

                                                *Child’s pose

            Pranayama (breathing exercises)

      ·  Improve lung capacity, affect blood oxygen/CO₂ levels, improve concentration, reduce stress

                                Hyperventilation/Hypoventilation

                                Types of breathing:

                                                -Empowered Thoracic Inhalation                      -Paradoxical Inhalation

                                                -Abdominal Inhalation                                        -Diaphragmatic Inhalation

                                Breathing Exercises

                                                *The Complete Breath                                       *2:1 Breathing

                                                *Ujjayi                                                                   *Bhastrika (bellows breath)

                                                *Kapalabhati                                                        *Nadi Sodhana (alternate nostril breathing)

            Eye Relaxation

      ·  Principles will help reduce stress, perhaps improve sight-reading, eyesight (not discussed in most schools of yoga)

                                *Palming

                                Eyeball Rotations/Shifting Focus/Near-point Focusing

            Concentration

      ·  Improve performance concentration, reduce stress

                                Relaxation Exercises:

                                                *Tension-Release Exercise                                               *61-point Relaxation Technique

                                Focused Concentration

                                Open Concentration