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Different styles; different genres…

Ah … I hear everyone talk about how many genres (she dabbles in) like classical, jazz and others, but personally, I don’t divide music by genre when creating. I don’t create by saying, ‘I must create a classical piece here,’ or ‘I must create a jazz piece here.’ When I create music, I don’t consider at all which genre I like best, but what the scene or the anime calls for, like a love (theme) or a mood. There isn’t one genre I like more than the others. I find all of them satisfying and all inspire me in different ways.

– Yoko Kanno (excerpt from wikipedia)

It’s unrelated but related in terms of embracing diversity – and that I appreciate all different styles of yoga … depending on where I am when I am off the mat. “All of them satisfying and all inspire me in different ways.” yes. It’s the vibration – of consciousness. I resist labeling but at the heart is the sun and the moon.

Most of us who love yoga came to yoga not purely for physical reasons – if you want the physical stuff – get sweaty and burn calories (yes, a slice of cheesecake is so rich…), there are plenty of other activities in many forms of exercise, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be yoga but then, why? There are whole hosts of other options – simply go out and walk, jog, hit balls, dance …some of us may even engage in a more extreme and challenging forms of fitness – climb Mt. Everest ? be a Triathlon, ski, golf, even, wrestle – whatever you love – it’s all good. What then, drew us to yoga?

Reflections at the year-end.

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White Light – Karaoke time?

Hearts call, hearts fall
Swallowed in the rain
Who knows, life grows
Hollow and serene

Wandering in the winter light
The wind can act the same
They’re witness to salvation
And life starts over again

Now the clear sky is all around you
All around
Love’s shadow will surround you
All through the night

Star glowing in the twilight
Tell me true
Hope whispers and I will follow
Till you love me too

– Linda Ronstadt
*****************************************

Soft and earthy – breathy Teshima Aoi…


vs.

the spectacular & heavenly – crystal clear – wanted to say Sarah Brighten who hits the most amazing high notes but here’s another version by

Linda Ronstadt, also rich but deeper…

Same song – different style, delivery based on your range and what’s true to you … it’s like a yoga class – same sequence, same teachings but depending on who is teaching it, it can be completely different. We are lucky to have such diversity.

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Beautiful People Beautiful Places Beautiful Things

More karaoke please…

simple, uncomplicated …unadorned gratitude.

Her voice is delicate, not powerful and her breath-to-breath intake is pleasantly audible … her whole singing is “resistance breathing” in action? Practically fading out, yet, the audience wants to hear her so badly, swept over in total silence as we put down everything to turn our ears to her. Each word fully enunciated, with great care and …tenderness. It’s not the Broadway singing … it’s almost like poetry reading – breathy whisper…Goro Miyazaki must have his father’s sensitivity to have discovered her.

This is an Irish folk song melody with … Japanese lyrics.

Breathy, feathery … fragile and yet purposeful … “arigato”… in gratitude.

あなたがいる  You are here
やわらかな光みちる家 in our home filled with soft light

あなたがいる何気ない毎日の中に you are here, in the ordinary day to day

あふれる緑ときれいな水 there’s abundance of greenery spilling over, there’s clear water
そしてあなたがいる and … you are here
それだけで幸せになれる that’s all …you are here and that’s all I need to be happy

そばにいるよ I am near (I stand by you)
風の日も、心迷う日も on windy days and even on heart wrought, confused days

そばにいるよ I am near (I stand by you)
寄り添えばここはあたたかい it’s warm here when we snuggle
あなたの笑顔が私の宝物 your smile is my treasure

こんなおだやかな日々が私の喜び my joy lies in days spent in peaceful harmony

ともに生きていく 明日を守りたい To walk this journey together, protecting our tomorrow
あなたとそしてすべてのいのちのために。 With you and for every life and all lives.

– lyrics by Hiroko Taniyama
– English translation by me

I know to some, it’s corny and for the sad people, maybe even kitsch but … I love corny and kitsch.