MEDIA REVIEWS // MUSIC + BOOKS
Toning/Music
by Michael and Jahna Perricone
Hollow Notes Music
The healing, soul-soothing powers of
instruments such as singing bowls are becom-
ing more accessible and widespread. It is an
unbeatable experience to be bathed in the vi-
brations of singing bowls a mere few feet away
from your yoga mat while in savasana. Mi-
chael and Jahna Perricone deliver the next best
thing with their release, Toning. Comprised
of four songs, Toning provides nearly an hour
of beautiful meditative music in a transforma-
tional soundscape that instantly transports you
into a calmer, clearer state of mind.
The cohesive album could be played from
start to finish, yet each song has its own
unique character. Toning’s subtitle, “Ancient
Tibetan Singing Bowls and Ethereal Voice,”
is a perfect summation. The bowls are joined
at times by other instruments—including
guitar, flutes, and harp—which introduce just
enough variety without distracting from the
tranquility of Michael’s singing bowls and
Jahna’s vocals.
Three of the songs are close to 10 minutes
each, perfect for a short meditation or a
luxurious savasana. They’ve become my go-to
choices for moments of stillness, in my own
practice and when I teach. “Les Nuages,”
French for “the clouds,” is devotional in
tone and conjures images of clouds as well as
church choirs and pews of people in prayer.
“Dawn Extended” is nearly 30 minutes
long. While still as peaceful as the other
songs, it takes the listener through a carefully
choreographed variety of sounds. In fact, the
album credits aptly describe each of the songs
as “journeys.”
Listen and you might find yourself drawn
on a meditative journey to unexpected places.
Reviewed by Alisha Kali, a yoga teacher, climber,
world traveler, and handstand enthusiast: yogawitha-
lisha.com
Parker Pig Goes to Yoga/bookby Stacey Alysson
Illustrated by Patrick GirouardYoga teacher, mom, and creative power-
house Stacey Alysson shares her love for in-
troducing kids to yoga in her book Parker Pig
Goes to Yoga. This sweet and playful story
is a delightful journey through a yoga class
with Parker Pig and her yoga friends. It is a
perfect accompaniment to practice designed
for children ages two through eight.
The story begins with Parker being invited
to yoga by her friend Ginny the Giraffe. With
protests that feel familiar to all of us at any
age, Parker wonders if yoga is really for her.
“Yoga is for everyone!” Ginny the Giraffe
answers. So, Parker agrees to try it out.
Parker is joined by a variety of animals.
A bear, turtle, snake, crocodile, cat, cow,
dog, frog, butterfly, giraffe, and even a pig
demonstrate a pose on their own page.
Throughout the entertaining story, we’re
reminded of some of the instructions that are
at the essence of yoga, such as “It’s a yoga
practice, not a yoga perfect.” And at the end,
the animals relax for savasana and share their
inner light with namaste.
Illustrator Patrick Girouard fills the pages
with playful, captivating, and colorful draw-
ings of the animals practicing yoga. The
images are sure to attract young kids, evoking
personalities I can easily imagine as posters in
a kid’s room or as stuffed animals in a bed.
Whether you’re an adult who just loves fun
picture books, or you’re looking for some-
thing to gift or read to kids, Parker Pig Goes
to Yoga is a welcome addition to a young
yogi’s bookshelf.Reviewed by Felicia Tomasko, President of Bliss Net-
work and Editor in Chief of LA YOGA MagazineBeloved/Musicby Snatam Kaur
Spirit Voyage RecordsIn these ever-evolving, complex modern
times, the recorded offerings provided by so
many of today’s world-class leaders of sacred
mantra chant are a welcome relief. The art of
sacred chant offers solace and connects us to
our hearts. The emergence of Snatam Kaur’s
new album Beloved is a must-listen for her
long-time fans as well as people discovering
her music for the first time.
Mantra aficionados the world over will
continue to feel the love big time while listen-
ing to Beloved by Snatam Kaur. She is truly
one of sacred mantra chant’s modern luminary
treasures. On this set, Snatam returns with
eight new songs spanning more than an hour’s
worth of music that is simply pure treasure of
heart, soul, and spirit. Fans will delight and
rejoice in Snatam’s timely delivery featuring
one exquisite melody after the next. She is
accompanied on Beloved by a group of stellar
musicians including guitarist Stuart Fuchs,
tabla player Neelamjit Singh, bassist Sarah Siri
Kirtan Carlisle, and bansuri player Steve Gorn.
The album is produced by Jamshied Sharifi.
Overall, Beloved is a soothing balm. Some
of the chants included here are more tradi-
tional (“Gopaal” and “Pooran Jot”), while
others have a more contemporary tone (“Har
Uplift” and “Water of Your Love”). They
all interweave a seamless tapestry of sacred
beauty and resonance.
Snatam has been developing this music
over the past few years on tour, and I look
forward to seeing these melodic tracks make
powerful and beautiful contributions to her
upcoming live performances. I highly recom-
mend that anyone who resonates with this
music experience Snatam in person.Reviewed by Shiva Baum, a record producer and peak
performance coach for musicians, artists, and writers.
Shiva is the head of music programming for Shakti
Fest and Bhakti Fest.