Laya is a term used in Indian classical music to refer to the repetitive nature of any activity or phenomenon, which roughly corresponds to the English word "rhythm". It is the process where sounds are separated by time, and it can be observed in nature, such as in the heartbeat, ticking of a clock, or the gait of a person. In music, laya is the distance between two beats, and it determines the tempo of the song. Laya is classified into three major divisions: Vilambit Laya (slow tempo), Madhya Laya (medium tempo), and Drut Laya (fast tempo) . The concept of Thah, Dugun, Teengun, and Chou-gun come into play when improvising the laykari of Taal. Laya is one of the basic elements of Hindustani classical music, and every composition played on the tabla follows a particular laya. Laya is also a term used in yoga, specifically in Laya yoga, which is an alternative name for Kundalini yoga.