What's New in the World of Yoga:

The magic of the music seems to light the way.
~ John Lennon

What kind of music do you like? Western; rock; instrumental; classical?

I don't think I know anyone who does not enjoy some form of music in their lives. For so many of us, music is our Yoga. We use it to soothe, to celebrate, to meditate, and to release all our emotions and energies. There are myriads of ways that music can engage our senses and contribute to the fullness of our lives.

Whenever I listen to music, the passion of the artist is very important to me. It raises my spirits to be able to feel the artist's energy vibrating in the music. It is a joyous feeling to be completely consumed by the artist's musical expression, lost in space and time, with the chakras resonating through the notes.

Irina Mikhailova is one of the artists with whom I feel this deep connection. If you have never heard her music, you may want to check it out. Irina is an acclaimed international vocalist, composer and performer, whose music is an exotic blend of her multi-ethnic heritage. Irina, who currently lives in San Francisco, is also a prolific instrumentalist who plays an unusual variety of instruments, including the Udu, Jews Harp, Steel drum, piano, and Tar. Over the years, Irina has continued to tour frequently throughout Europe, performing in Morocco, Portugal, Germany, and Switzerland. With her melodious vocal ability, soulful musicality and charisma, it is little wonder that Irina's audience is continuing to grow.

I first heard about Irina's music through a friend of mine. This friend had been searching the Internet for some theme music to accompany his documentary, and when he came across Irina's music he was immediately drawn to it. A few years later, he introduced her music to me and she quickly became one of my favorite artists.

I found Irina's music so seductive, passionate, and haunting that it stayed with me throughout the years. So much so that when I was creating The Gift of Yoga DVD with John Sovec, her music immediately came to mind as being a perfect fit. I contacted Irina to see if she would allow us to use one of her pieces, and she graciously let me choose from her library of songs. I can't begin to describe what a pleasure it was to be able to go through her selections and experience the magic of her artistry. It was not easy trying to decide which of her compositions to use as all her music resonated so strongly with us. Our final selection, which melodically weaves through John Sovec's Yoga Sequence, is "In the Mist" from Irina's CD "Living the Dream".

We enjoy her music so much that we have made some of her CDs available at our ShopYogaHub store. If you want to listen to samples of her CDs first, however, you can do so by accessing them on Irina Mikhailova's website.

We are very appreciative that Irina has given us the opportunity to experience her extraordinary gift. Our hope is that we can continue to nurture our relationship with her and incorporate her music into our future productions.

Namaste,
Christina Souza Ma

Updates from the Blog:

Step Five: Letting Go by John Sovec by John Sovec

We've now been through four out of five of my safety tips that I suggest people consider when starting yoga instruction. While there are, of course, many other concepts and considerations to bring with you into your first yoga class, my final recommendation to you for this series is to give yourself room to grow. Continue Reading...

Yoga in the Shower? by Christina Souza Ma

I never thought my yoga practice would come to this.

As the days go by and I am still not able to make it to a yoga class because I'm literally snowed in, I am managing to find innovative ways to keep up some form of my physical yoga practice. Continue Reading...

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• A New Outlook on Yoga by Angie Harris
• New Resolve by Jane Dagny