The definition of Yoga is: actively thinking about doing an activity, then doing it. Really, that’s it. That is Yoga at its core. For example, a guy, let’s say named Gordon, can practice Yoga by visualizing the cutting of a tomato, then walking over to the kitchen and actually cutting it. That is Yoga. All the rest about the breathing and the postures came into Yoga later. Our friend Gordon sits in his living room on his sectional couch, eyes closed, visualizing himself walking into the kitchen, picking up a bright red tomato, washing it under cold water and placing it in the middle of a wood cutting board. He purposefully picks up a sharp knife, then slides it through the flesh of the tomato. This all happens in his mind. Finished with the activity in his mind, Gordon actually gets up from his couch, walks over to the kitchen and cuts the tomato in half. Yoga “connects” or “unifies” the life of the mind and the life of the body. To do this properly, one must make sure the two parts are actually divided. Yoga then places a “yoke” between them like a horse pulling a carriage. And it makes the actual eating of Gordon’s tomato better than ever.
Yoga is also visualizing then actually listening to music on a really good stereo system. Seated in his leather Eames Chair, after enjoying that sweet red tomato, our friend Gordon now visualizes himself walking over to the low wood table and pushing with his right index finger the power button on his modified Jolida JD-9 phono pre amp (the one that 2 months before he had himself soldered in upgraded AriCaps and with white cloth gloves carefully inserted GE 12AX7 tubes). He then pushes the on switch into the upward position on his PrimaLuna Dialogue HP integrated amplifier bringing the eight Electro-Harmonix EL34 power tubes slowly into full glow. He visualizes engaging the silent Hurst 300 motor of his Acoustic Research XA turntable, its custom wood plinth radiant in the light. The Rega RB-303 tone-arm tracks fluidly in its own space, the Denon DL110 high output moving coil cartridge is lowered on the black vinyl, ready to enter the first cut of the pivotal BDB LP Check Your Head. Gordon’s turntable digs into Robin Zander’s voice prophetically introducing the Beastie Boys which now flow through AudioQuest speaker cables, radiating from his Harbeth 30.1 reference monitors which are mounted on solid four post 18 inch stands spiked into his shag carpet. This all happens in Gordon’s mind. Now, in real life, he gets up from his Eames Chair, slowly turns on the vacuum tube amplifiers, spins the platter on the turntable, and without dropping the needle just yet, sits back down to let the amplifiers warm up properly. He meditates on the floor, cleaning his mind. He sees a mountain top, then a slow moving river, then a piece of white paper, then a cloud, then nothing at all. After 1 hour of meditation, he reaches over and drops the needle, starting into motion the main principle that comes from the ancient Hindu text the Bagavad Gita which is literally translated as “The Song of God.” -GHA