Performance
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Yoga of Conjuring – XII
Pratyahara The third and fourth Limbs are in preparation for the fifth – Pratyahara. This is where the meditator consciously withdraws from external stimuli. This is accomplished by closing one’s eyes, shutting off the outside and withdrawing from the day-to-day. The meditator moves from focused breathing like the Even Count Breathing to simply allowing the… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – XI
Pranayama For the Rauto [people of Papua New Guinea] much of the power of magic is thought to be carried on the breath of the magician. When a leading magician begins to age, people will sometimes say that the magician’s breath has gone … or that the breath has lost heat and has become ‘cold’… Continue reading
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Initial Impressions: Notes From A Fellow Traveller
When Derren Brown and Neat Review first published this book, I admit I hesitated. I watched the special edition sell out immediately, then the hardcover, and finally the softcover. Part of me didn’t want to get sucked into the hype and another part didn’t want to pay the postage from the UK. Most of the… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – X
Asana The third Limb is Asana or posture. Let me be more specific, Asana is the right posture. It’s what we think of when we think of Yoga. Today Asana and Hatha Yoga are used interchangeably. These poses did not come into Yoga until hundreds of years after Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras were written. When… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – IX
Niyamas Continued Swadhyaya Swadhyaya is the knowledge we gain through self-study and introspection. It is spending time asking ourselves the important questions: Who am I as a person? As a performer? What impression do I leave as a performer and person? What impression do I want to leave? What is working in my performances? What… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – VIII
Niyama Continued Santosha The second Niyama is contentment. Being content and accepting things the way they are is not being lazy and apathetic. It is accepting fully what is in front of you and moving from there. It working toward our goals with grace and ease not striving. Contentment is avoiding becoming attached to our… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – VII
Niyamas The Niyamas are the “do’s” to the Yamas “don’ts.” Niyama translates to Non-Control. They are: Saucha (cleanliness), Santosha (contentment), Tapasya (austerity), Swadhyara (self-study), and Iswara Pranidhana (devotion). Saucha Saucha or cleanliness is an attribute that we shouldn’t have to talk about, yet we do. It is cleanliness in our props, hygiene, dress, manner and… Continue reading