Ma’s India Spiritual Giftstore | Spiritual Words that Inspire and Enlighten

The Sanskrit term Om has taken on a humorous quality. Now people swap it for the word home. We now hear it’s Om for the holidays; there’s no place like Om, etc. Yesterday, can you believe, somebody said to me something about “Om on the range?” Om for the holidays is one of our most piquant phrases that include our word Om for this Christmas holiday.

If you’re looking for a taste of Om for the holidays you are sure to find it in one of the tasteful gifts that Ma’s India carries this season. Here are five great representations of Om for the holidays that can with little expense be used to bring either to the home or your heart the primordial sound of Om.

In a fashion, we are connecting ourselves to the true meaning of Christmas through chanting and honoring the sound of Om. For the uninitiated, Om is a sacred spiritual incantation made before and during the recitation of spiritual texts, doing prayers and invoking a special feeling before performing Yogic exercises.

So here it is:

Om for the holidays

Colorful and vibrant orange colored Om surrounded by a serene and tranquil blue and ensconced in a wooden frame. This plaque, when placed upon the wall in any house, gives a sturdy representation to what is important in your life. Did you know that the Om symbol is representative of Ganesh, that wonderful remover of obstacles that stand in your way to spirituality?

Have you ever chanted Om for any length of time and found yourself feeling elevated to the celestial spheres? This meditation music will truly bring Om for the holidays to your family and you. There is nothing better than chanting together as a family and more people are doing this especially in these tumultuous times. Continuous unbroken streams of sound are blended together with singers adding angelic harmonies.

by Jonathan Goldman

Known as a chant master, Mr.Goldman has created the sound of hundreds of voices chanting Om laced with vocal harmonics and mixed with the technical wizardry of Weave, creating an expansive environment conducive to deep healing and inner balance. Wonderful for meditation and healing, this will bring home for sure Om for the holidays.

This bone Om pendant is made from sacred Yak bone, which has been harvested according to rituals honored by the Tibetan people. Their motto is to utilize all parts of this animal from birth to death, a true representation of eco-farming. This is a very attractive and meaningful piece of jewelry that you will be proud to wear as you connect with the sound of the universal vibration.

You need go no further than seeing this Brass Wall Hanging Etched to know you are Om for the holidays in your home. A powerful reflection of Om, your guests will immediately focus their attention on this handsome brass wall hanging. This is a robust representation of Om, a symbol for the absolute. As you chant this sound, you will dispel negative elements in your body and mind.

There is no place like Om for the holidays, whether it be your apartment, home or other residence, and I wish you and yours a very special holiday season!

If you have a question about “OM for the holidays,” or anything else, you can write me at Ask The Spiritual Explorer.

Posted in Home Decor

In the “olden days,” listening to yoga music, it was all with the intent to hear a kind of singular relaxing sound whose purpose was to relax and relieve tension. Now what I find funny is that there are demands that yoga sounds not only produce relaxation and harmony, but also must be titillated and accompanied by upbeat yoga music.

What is upbeat yoga music? Why does it need contrivances? Welcome to the 21^st Century where simplicity unless it travels with some adornment is not seen as sufficient unto itself. Surplus and adornment have not only influenced the music that at one time was meant to convey sounds that induced a state of spiritual harmony, but has also proliferated and extended to added regalia in clothes, food and life in general. Witness the myriad of chefs concocting one extravagance after another until it appears that the main entrée has all but disappeared underneath the fripperies.

However, what I have found once I got off my preaching wagon is that the accompanying upbeat yoga music does not necessarily destroy the intent of harmony and serenity. In fact upbeat yoga music sometimes even brings the mind to a more uplifted place while at the same time producing relaxation and harmony. What I have found interesting also is that in upbeat yoga music, sometimes the repetition of an instrument can bring the brain into one pointed focus. This can be very desirable while studying.

My girlfriend’s children are always listening to upbeat yoga music in fact while they are doing their homework. So while one might think that the brain ultimately more smoothly functions where there is a background of mono-repetitive harmonious sounds, in fact, some brains actually like a repetitive hip hop quality to increase concentration.

Continuing to going with the flow and trying not to sound like someone resistant to the sands of time with regard to upbeat yoga music, I have found a number of interesting and varied sounds that could be considered upbeat yoga music. Here are some of them:

Upbeat Yoga Music Examples

by MC Yogi

All of this mixed media music can be translated into the concept of East-West fusion music. In this CD, MC Yogi, formerly Sean Dismore, offers a fresh bounce and contemporary take of the mantras of some of our well known chanters, to-wit: Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das, and others. Not satisfied with a hip-hop rendition of Om Namah Shivayah, this guy is also abandoning himself to rap music while reciting the names of Indian deities. His music features common sitar, tambura and tabla arrangements blending with hip-hop beats. Hindu themes and Western urban pop music. What a popping mix of upbeat yoga music!

By Prem Joshua

Prem Joshua, one of the most revered musicians of the “new age” sound of East meets West doesn’t let his listeners down on the beautiful Dance of Shakti, a dance celebrating the female spiritual energy that creates our world and brings blessings to all. Soulful melodies, on a variety of Indian instruments including bamboo flute, sitar, and santoor, soar over strong ethnic modern electronic grooves interwoven with exotic pumping tabla beats. This medley of sound is topped with Joshua singing contemporary Indian eternal song and mantras. It doesn’t get any better than this!

By various artists

The music on Asana 1: Soul Practice was produced to accompany the exploration of the physical postures of yoga, known as asanas. These six elongated pieces, mystical concoctions of percussion, tabla, voice, violin, bass and organ, have been played at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in New York City. They are perfect for yoga practice or meditation. Asana 1: Soul Practice is the ideal album for bringing harmony and balance to your yoga routine.

By various artists

Welcome to the Buddha Lounge – your destination for rejuvenation! Imagine hypnotic beats effortlessly blended into ethnic textures, chants that soothe the soul and irresistible rhythms guaranteed to make you move. Throw in a group of artists that includes Gary Stadler & Stephanie, David & Steve Gordon, Drum N Space, Roedelius and Alquimia and you have a chill-out sensation like no other. This non-stop mix features over 70 minutes of downtempo trance-dance bliss that will free your mind and lift your spirits to the heavens above. Take a trip to the Buddha Lounge. You’ll be glad you did.

By various artists

If you need a compilation to hold you over until the next installment in Sequoia’s “Buddha-Lounge” series gets released, Hotel Tara is the perfect place to take up residence. Like that series, Hotel Tara features a luscious non-stop mix of ethnic-flavored grooves, spiritual essence and intoxicating beats compiled and mixed by the Gordon brothers. Hotel Tara ups the “dreamy” quotient, creating an atmosphere that is at once peaceful and soulful. The beats are low-tempo and many of the songs have a touch of Indian instrumentation as well as subtle retro-lounge flair. Artists include David and Steve Gordon, Gingko Garden, Althea W., Jaya Lakshmi, Artemisia and others.

Extraordinary mixed up beat sounds for our listening pleasure designed to get you off your spiritual mat and start grooving to these sometimes ecstatic sounds. Your whole body will respond to sounds meant to awaken and reverberate within you in a whole different way.

If you have a question about “upbeat yoga music,” or anything else, you can write me at Ask The Spiritual Explorer.

Posted in Spiritual Music, Yoga

Dear Spiritual Explorer: We all talk about how materialistic Christmas has become and yet I wish to still extend a small gift to my friends for sentimental reasons. Any suggestions? Rose P., Boulder, CO

Dear Rose: I feel the same way, although I must admit that sometimes small businesses wait the whole year to make a big sum so that they may exist the rest of the year. Unfortunately, when we set our mind on certain moralistic aspects of how things should be, somebody is inevitably hurt also. However, we can still support our merchants by purchasing many gifts under ten dollars.

I think that buying any one of these wonderful gifts below, all under ten dollars, will both satisfy your desire for less materialism and also afford you the ability to give meaningful gifts to your friends. I remember once when I was very young I received a gift of 8 quarters, glued to a very personal poem addressed to me. It was enough to do a load of laundry at the local laundromat and was a thoughtful and considerate gift that I have always remembered.

7 SPIRITUAL GIFTS UNDER TEN DOLLARS

Ma’s India has a plethora of Japanese, Indian and Tibetan incenses, sure to please the most discriminating nose, all reflecting gifts under ten dollars. Today I choose Natural Incense from India, which fragrance doesn’t fall into any specific category—unless you think of the word “aromatic and special.” It’s a rich mixture of herbs and flowers, which seems to carry the scent of Nature herself. The really neat thing is that all of our incense carries the possibilities of many gifts under ten dollars. Price: $4.95
Ma’s India carries any one of a number of cards in which you may write a particular sentiment to your friends or relatives that expresses your true heartfelt wishes for this Christmas season. What I also appreciate is the variety of cards which also have blank pages inside to allow you to express your own poetry or feelings, all gifts under ten dollars. Price: $2.95
Anodea Judith is a worldwide expert on chakras and gives the most explicit and comprehensive explanation of chakras. By learning to energize your chakras or energy centers, you begin to have control of your physical mental and spiritual well-being. As you read this book, you will feel inclined to awaken your intuition, open your heart and deepen your spiritual connection. Price: $9.95
A beautiful poem where this great Mother Guru shares her own life of service, it is a tale of the heart of a mother being moved by the plight of her children and other compassionate caring. An exquisite book carrying a spiritual and moving essence. Price: $5.00
This is but one of a number of deity pendants that are available at Ma’s India as gifts under ten dollars. Choose from these deity pendants: Shiva, Hanuman, Durga, Saraswati and Om. They are exceptionally priced gifts of jewelry in brass or silver that those on the spiritual path will truly appreciate. God Ganesh will help you to overcome your obstacles in this life. Price: $9.95
I don’t know anyone who would turn down this pocket statue, which goes neatly in your pocket so that you may carry it around no matter where you go and becomes your constant companion. Made of ivory substitute material, it is hand cast and full of detail. You will love your pocket statue, which also comes with the faces of Durga, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ganesh, a deity for every preference. Price: $9.95
This 100% pure essential oil is representation of our desire to surrender to Divine Will through the vista of the Crown Chaka. It is made of lavender, neroli and frankincense. Many of our other chakra anointing oils from the first to the seventh are all available as gifts under ten dollars. Price: $9.95