Drops Of Nectar Yoga Relaxation For Rejuvenation And Healing

World-renowned Southern California instructor and previously an YJ columnist Shiva Rea's has come out with his latest production.



Drops of Nectar, is a two-CD set, which includes poses, breathing exercises, and meditation lessons. All of this is done with the purpose of boosting "your receptive, rhythmic, cooling, and emotionally remunerative capacity.” Disc 1 consists of six tracks. It opens with a short music-backed invocation. Tracks 2 and 3 include Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation).



They celebrate the "lunar nature of the Goddess."

Rea's version of Moon Salutation is only very little different from its more popular honoring complement. That too is mostly in its breathing rhythms. Track 2 features the sequence itself. Track 3 contains only the mantras connected to each Yoga pose in the sequence.



This has one run-through in English and a second in Sanskrit. (The mantras are carefully printed, in both English and Sanskrit, with a supplementary booklet.) Track 4 instructs you in Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (purifying the subtle channels). There is also a seated breathing and visualization exercise. This is called Prana Mudra.

On track 5 you will get a guided "So Hum" mantra meditation. That too is preceded by a visualization of light that, supposedly, balances and integrates the energetic polarities (for example, active-receptive, sun-moon) of the body. There are 4 rounds of this meditation. The syllables of the mantras are allotted different meanings in each. For instance, "so" stands for Shiva. That means "pure consciousness.” "Hum,” means Shakti, or "creative energy." The last track on the disc, "Lunar Shavasana I," concludes the practice. This is done with a total-body relaxation.

Disc 2 is smaller. It has 5 tracks, and this too starts with a brief music-backed invocation. Track 2 is titled "The Secret Ball Society." It instructs you how to use a tennis ball to massage and release tension in the muscles of your buttocks and shoulder blades. This is to be done by lying on the ball. Track 3 includes the popular technique of Yoga Nidra. This is also referred to as or "Yoga Sleep” and is based on the teaching of Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga).