Finding my Sway ~ tips from Finding my OM

Flowers gifted by the lovely family

I celebrated my birthday this past week and am feeling quite grateful for the love of family and friends. It truly has been a magical birthday week (full of concerts, dinner and cocktails with family & friends, massage, flowers, teaching a lovely yoga workshop...ahh!). One of this past week's event was attending a concert. Other than yoga music, country music is my go to. I find myself connecting with the story and meaning of many country music songs. The whole local Louisville family attended the Zac Brown Band concert. What a fun adventure!

I realized it has been over 3 years since the last concert I attended. Not to say I was ever a major concert go-er, but I enjoy the excitement, the energy of watching live musicians and singers on stage...and of course the connection with friends attending the event. 

Although I've practiced yoga for many years, only within the past few years have I come into my OM. What I mean by that is chanting or 'singing' OM at the beginning or end of class. I had trouble with vocalizing myself for many reasons in my beginning yoga years (fear of sounding off, people realizing I have no tone, not doing it right.....oh you know, I'm sure many of you can probably relate.) On that same token...when I attended concerts in the past, although I thoroughly enjoyed them - I rarely swayed, sang along or showed much excitement others could actually see. 

This year...was different! I swayed, smiled, sang along....really just had a blast. I credit this to finding my OM and tapping into techniques I've learned along my yoga path...during the concert. Just a few simple tips I learned during various workshops, that I've especially found helpful when chanting OM with students at the beginning/end of class:

• Feel the vibrations in your body
• Place your palms together in a prayer position, touch your thumbs to your upper chest/sternum area. This contact allows you to feel the vibrations
• Place open palm on your upper chest - this could be one hand or both (vs at prayer center as typically done in class)  - this allows you to feel your chest as you sing/chant and enables you tap into the vibrations (even if at a country concert)
• Close your eyes --> Feel the music

If you are struggling finding your OM or your SWAY...at your next concert or yoga class opportunity, tap into the power of feeling vibrations through your own body. Get your OM on!