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Books & Listening
listening
Chakra Dhyana
Kosmic Music | $16.98
So for all of us gods and goddesses that are too busy to go to a yoga class, light the incense, clear a space and put on Chakra Dhyana a new release from Kosmic Music. This melodic CD can take you easily into a deep meditative state where you are transported to the mysticism of India.
The chanting and voiceovers are by Sri Krishnaraj Bhagavaddasa, one of the male guides (dasas) at the Oneness University in Southern India and with music scored and programmed by G Sathyaprasad. This album has traditional mantras for activating the seven chakras in our body. And the voice over guides you on the specific postures, breathing patterns and how to concentrate on various chakras. And ultimately helps the listener in the awakening one's Kundalini. Chakras are energy centers in the body that can respond to Mantras (chanting), Gandha (fragrance), Asana (posture) and Yantra (visualization). The practice of Chakra Dhyana is entirely based on the ancient wisdom of the Kundalini and the Chakras.
Kosmic Music recently launched in Los Angeles after having roots in India, this label seeks to bring together talented writers, composers and musicians from around the globe. www.kosmicmusic.com
The Way of the Heart
THE WAY OF THE HEART: Ecstatic Poetry and Stories of Rumi, compiled by Dr. Andrew Vidich and actress, poet and playwright TAMIR is performed TAMIR, with music by Master Iranian musician Amir Vabab . It is a sensuous and profound meditation on one of the most profound poets of our time. The poetry of thirteenth-century Persian poet Jalal-ul-Din Rumi is interspersed with Vabab's luxurious notes on the Ney, Daf, Tanbur, Setar and Chogur. From the first track which introduces the CD with Rumi's famous"Listen to the Sound of the Flute" to the last, TAMIR's voice, imbued with a sultry yet reassuring femininity, gives the listener permission to sit back, relax and soak in each passage. TAMIR's experiences as a child shed light on some early inspiration for this work that would come years later." In my teens, I befriended a gifted musician and composer and on many moonlit nights, we roamed the hills of Jerusalem, his music accompanying my bare foot dancing on the stones," says TAMIR." . Many years later, when I learned that... Rumi whirled in ecstasy on a landscape that looked very much like where I had grown up, it seems that I had waited for years to meet this magnificent friend whose words are as alive now as they were when they poured through him in divine revelation." There is a hefty supply of Rumi's poems and TAMIR interweaves stories, anecdotes and clarifications in just the right amount to move us along. Dr. Vidich, a PhD in Comparative Religion with a specialization in Sufi Studies, and TAMIR have done an excellent job in choosing recitable text that not only provided examples of Rumi's work but laid out a symbolic map his life as well. Many others performers and scholars, including Coleman Barks, Deepak Chopra and a variety of music and screen stars have tried their hand at Rumi recitation. TAMIR's thoughtful voice, Amir Vabab's music and Dr. Andrew Vidich's scholarly input together make a thorough rendering that stands out above the others. In the end, one gets the feeling of having made acquaintances with the master mystic and poet. We feel as if we have had a glimpse of Rumi in some of his many manifestations - as a student, a teacher, a mystic, a scholar, a divinely inspired poet and as a man. With each of these glimpses into his world, we learn something profound about ourselves as well.
The Way of the Heart can be found at www.rumi-wayoftheheart.com or on amazon.com.