Yoga

The discipline of yoga is a vast and comprehensive practice that combines asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathwork/life force), and meditation to bring out a happy, healthy mind and body. We started practicing yoga in 2013 and did our teacher training in 2017, shortly after we were teaching at Ekam Yoga. Deep Space Alchemy loves this practice and loves sharing it. We specialize in a mindful yoga practice focused on breathing, alignment, and balance.

• Stretch and Strengthen
• Improve Balance
• Cultivate Focus
• Expand Lung Capacity
• Clear the Mind

When the body is engaged physically, and the mind relaxed on breathing, a unique experience emerges that is personal to each person. New sensations are discovered, the breath flows easier, and mental clarity is experienced.

It's the physical aspect of the practice that got us hooked. I was a Division I baseball player, so using my buddy for specific movements was not new to me. Yoga balanced my body out and got me into better alignment. A lot of my physical pain from multiple surgeries decreased, and I became more in tune with my body. I feel like I am a better athlete now than when I was playing baseball for Cal State Fullerton. It's never just about the movement and the stretch. We also have to be present and breathing. There are so many muscles to engage and relax in each pose, so I like to take my time and breathe into the body. So many things can be discovered by paying attention to our body and what it needs. A mindful yoga practice slows things down and deepens our connection to the Self.

This type of yoga movement synchronizes the breath, body, and mind. When we do this, we become more balanced physically and mentally. It's a fun and relaxing practice that is also challenging.

Sound Healing

What is a Sound Bath?

A sound bath is a practice of listening deeply. Sound helps bypass the mind so you can connect directly to your energy and inner peace. It's a practice of self-awareness. This is a unique opportunity to relax and surrender. The sound is played in a way that tells a story. We enter different worlds of sound as transitions happen and the practice builds to its peak. The different instruments are meant to evoke different sensations and experiences, so as a listener, you want to be as present as possible. Being very present is important in this practice. You have to allow yourself to have an experience, and we do that by quieting the mind and surrendering. A sound bath is a great practice to stay completely relaxed yet wide awake. Most people fall asleep when they keep relaxing, but during a sound bath, the more you relax, the more aware you want to become of listening, feeling, and observing. The brainwaves actually slow down to the alpha (relaxed or sleepy), theta (light sleep), and even delta (deep sleep) frequencies. It is a profound experience to be completely relaxed and totally aware. A sound bath is immersive, as if you are in a sea of sound, becoming one with the universal sounds of creation. This is my approach, and every practitioner is unique.

How to approach a sound bath

There are many approaches to a sound bath, but here are a few things to consider. First, it can be a very relaxing experience. When we surrender each thought, movement, and urge to do something, we relax and recognize how open and spacious our mind can be, not clinging to anything. There is a sense of freedom and openness, and we may even feel at peace or in harmony with our environment. When the mind gets lost in thought or distracted, we gently bring our focus back to the breath and the sound. This open and non-grasping approach cultivates space within. For new energy and ideas to emerge, there must be space in the mind and body. Cultivating space in a formless meditation with sound will allow for the seed of something new to sprout. It's up to you if you want to follow it.

The other approach is for those looking to go on a soul journey inspired by sound and vibration. We all respond to sound differently, and it can evoke memories, feelings, sensations, clarity, and peace. When the mind is open and clear, we can experience universal connection and peace without thought. We lose the feeling or experience when we try to control or analyze it, so the idea is to stay open and observe. It's as if a movie is playing from within, and you're there to observe it. The more you let go and surrender, with as little effort as possible, the easier the experience can unfold. This is a practice, and over time, it becomes easier to experience your own energy and vibration with ease and compassion. Both approaches will reset your energy and mindset. The purpose of a sound bath is to listen deeply and be present. This helps us get out of the head and into the body. This is an inward journey, and it can be a profound experience for some of us. It will bring you into a more peaceful and harmonious state. These are just a few reasons to meditate with sound. I encourage you to continue exploring the world of sound, and it's an endless study that offers so much insight.

My collection of instruments and the benefits of Sound

My sound baths tell a story culminating with the gongs and didgeridoo. I use many other instruments that oftentimes have a more profound effect than the gong and didgeridoo. I find the gongs and digeridoo to be deep tones that take us to deep places within. Relaxation happens in layers, and the more we get used to relaxing with such deep tones, the more the vibrations can release tension, anxiety, and emotions.

A lot of my instruments mimic the sounds of nature, which produce vibrations similar to nature's vibrations. This is the vibration of peace, harmony, and life, and it creates beautiful patterns in nature. We are vibrating our bodies and cells into a more harmonious and beautiful state when we receive these sounds and vibrations. We are matching our vibration and frequency to nature, and it feels good. A sound bath with these instruments can be profound, and oftentimes, people have experiences that encourage their growth and evolution.

I play multiple instruments to create a tonal wave of sound that is completely immersive.

Gongs
Didgeridoo's
Crystal Instruments
Handpan
Tuning Forks
Himalayan Bowls
Shruti box
Ocean Drum

Breathwork:

Yogis believe the air we breathe has another substance in it. That substance is prana or life force energy. The more we consciously breathe in this energy, the more vitality we have for life.

Breathwork has been used for thousands of years to reset our energy, fuel our bodies, and relax. Think of the mind as the middle man between you and your infinite intelligence. Breathwork transcends the middleman and connects you directly to your source. This allows the body to heal itself physically, emotionally, and energetically. It is the most powerful natural reset I have experienced and is the key to staying present.

Techniques you will master:

I approach this practice with intention, and then I choose a technique to work with. What you will learn is how to listen to yourself so that you choose the appropriate technique, and then we will practice together. Working with another person will encourage you to continue the work, and you will have the support to let go and feel the breath. We will have time to debrief and integrate the experience. Breathwork is the perfect time to go deep and transcend the monkey mind. Every time we do breathwork, we build our mindfulness muscle, and the more resilient and joyful we become.

Some exercises are energizing, others are calming, and some are for healing. The complete breath is something we can do whenever we remember to, and eventually, it can become our default way of breathing.

The techniques I use and teach are:

Complete breathing
Box breathing
Connected breathing
Breath retention
Kapalabhati pranayama
Nadi Shodhana alternate nostril breathing
Two part pranayama

The Benefits of Breathwork

The breath is unique in that it is automatic and also within our control, acting as the gatekeeper to a calmer, more aware state of being. Breathwork leads to breath awareness, which is anchoring to our breath and, in turn, ourselves. When we are anchored to ourselves through our breath, we are sovereign, clear, and open. It's the space we need to not lose our attention to something else. We are all breathing if we are reading this, so you are definitely doing something right, but we can all get better and more mindful of our breathing. How we breathe can be a reflection of our overall health and vitality. It is also a reflection of our mindfulness. Physically, we expel a lot of waste through our lungs, and by taking full, complete breaths, we rid our body of harmful waste that can build up over time. We are also purifying our blood with our breath by oxygenating deoxygenated blood. This exchange happens in the lungs, releasing cellular waste and oxygenating the blood.

Breathwork also connects us to our mind, and when we focus on breathing, our mind quiets. It is very practical to know how to connect to your breath and mind because we have so many distractions.

The Autonomic Nervous System

When we do breathwork that is intense, we are engaging our sympathetic nervous system. The fight or flight response is activated voluntarily, and the body gets ready for action. When we do this voluntarily, we are learning how to respond to an activated sympathetic nervous system with awareness. We are redlining our system ultimately to strengthen it. This kind of breathwork teaches us how to work with stress. We turn on our stress so we can go beyond it.

INTENSE BREATHWORK

Turns on the Sympathetic Nervous System
Fight or Flight Response
Transforms Anxiety and Stress
Energetic Reset
Personal Healing

When we do this voluntarily, we have the opportunity to transcend intense feelings and experiences through our breath. The feelings, uncomfortableness, and stress become the fuel for transcendence and expression.

CALM/SUBTLE BREATHWORK

Taps into the Parasympathetic System
Slows Heart Rate Down
Stimulates Relaxation and Recovery
Deep Inner Listening
Personal Healing
Long, Deep Breaths Through the Nose

There is still a lot we don't know about breathing, but what we know is that over the long run, the way we breathe can have a drastically positive impact on our overall health and vitality. Long deep breaths into the belly and lungs activate nerves that turn on the parasympathetic system. That's why long, deep breaths are relaxing. The deeper and more softly we inhale and the longer we exhale, the more slowly the heart will beat and the more relaxed we become.