Healing Music And Yoga Project

The Healing music and yoga project was born out of a desire to spread healing vibrations through sound. It has long been known the power of sound in the healing process. In India of course, music is a form of yoga itself, so to marry yoga asanas with live music only seems appropriate. Either in solo or duo, the musicians improvise on Indian ragas and melodies, flowing to the rhythm of the class, inuitively building or lowering the energy as is needed. Many students have remarked on the change that occurs in their yoga practice when live music is part of their experience. They feel they move more deeply into theor asanas, and at the same time the music helps them to maintain a heightened awareness of the present moment. In a very real sense the music becomes the grounding force throughout the room. At the end of each class there is a closing Shavasana accompanied by voice and harp. Gentle melodies and sound s fill the room with the energy of acceptance and grace_______________________________________________________ __________Brian has been playing music since the age of 8. He became interested in Indian classical music through his studies of Eastern religion and psychology in his university years. Since 1996, he has been studying Celtic, Western classical, and Indian Classical Music (both Hindustani and Carnatic styles). The techniques he has learned from each tradition have blended together to create his own unique style. He has studied Carnatic Classical violin and vocal music with Smt. Jaya Narahari, and in 2003, he received a bursary from the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (www.sici.org) to deepen his knowledge of Indian classical music. He lived and studied for a period of ten months in Varanasi, India in the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara with Pandit Sukhdev Prasad Mishra of Varanasi. He has been involved in three musical theatre productions.He was Musician/Music Director for the McGill University production of "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" (Score composed by Steve Gorn - Indian Bansuri Artist) in 2002. In the fall of 2005, Brian held the title of Musician/Composer/Arranger in the Waterdown Village Theatre's production of "The Arabian Nights" He composed original music, arranged traditional arabic music, and performed on violin, sitar, tamboura, voice, and percussion. Most recently, He was music director in Toronto's "Ad Hoc Artists' Group" production of "SPACES AND THE TREE" as part of Toronto's "SUMMERWORKS THEATRE FESTIVAL" Directed by Michael Bradley. Brian has taught Violin since 1999 . As a Violinist/Vocalist, Brian performed at numerous festivals and functions hosted by the "Bharatiya Sangeetha Sangham", an Indian Music Association in Montreal, Quebec from 1999-2003 Since October 2005, Brian has been performing with "DHVANI" an East Indian Kirtan group, performing Chants and devotional music at various centres in Ontario. RECORDINGS: CD "FROM DUBLIN TO TEL AVIV" a collection of Celtic and Jewish Folk Music 1998. CD "DHVANI KIRTAN" A collection of Indian devotional chants Indian Folk Music By: Dhvani: Dundas, Ontario: Recorded in 2006__________________________________________ ____________________________Abdull Has studied in Tabla in South Africa, and Canada with some very renowned teachers from India. He has performed in numerous groups including DHVANI (Kirtan group), and ABUNDANCE - Healing world music ensemble. In 2006 he performed at Glenn Gould Studio for a CBC Radio concert "Ontario Musician's in Concert"____________________________________________________ ____Since October of 2006, Brian and Abdull have been working with the group ABUNDANCE - a Healing world music ensemble, performing Kirtan and Improvisational healing music.______________________________________________________ _____ Cheryl Durst is a certified yoga teacher in Hatha yoga. She began her journey of yoga while living in Calgary 8 years ago. Her first teacher training was a month long intensive studying the primary series at one of the first Astanga yoga centers in Calgary called Yoga In Motion. From there the journey continued with David Swenson’s first series teacher training, followed by 3 months in Mysore India with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath. Following the training in the style of Astanga yoga Cheryl dived deeply into an 18 month teacher training at The Yoga Centre of Burlington (Yoga Alliance approved). This training was mainly based on the approach to asana in the style of Iyengar yoga, and included a portion of Astanga Yoga as well. The course also covered Yoga philosophy, anatomy, meditation, chakra studies and ayurveda. In 2005 Cheryl traveled once again to India and studied with the Iyengars for one month. “Along with the above mentioned studies, I have taken and continue to take workshops and classes with many great teachers, the most recent being a 20 hour training with Judith Lasater on Restorative Yoga.” Currently Cheryl is teaching yoga with live healing music in the style of vinyasa flow with Musician Brian Wall.