‘In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God’ — The Bible
Ancient and primitive human societies across the world had interpreted life and lived with more compassion and reverence than what we find in today’s world. Even the concepts and practices relating to healing were thus broad-based. There was hardly any emphasis on a symptom-based treatment or symptomatic cure. As means adopted were valued as important as the end-results, prevention was considered far better than cure. So, the emphasis in ancient systems of medicine such as Ayurveda was more on the prophylactic role of a medicine — rather than on its therapeutic significance.
The human body was never taken for its ‘face value’. It was to be regarded much more than a mere bag of bones. It was treated as a wondrous cage that housed a ‘dweller’, called variously as the ‘inner being’, ’antahkarana’, ‘soul’, ‘atman’, ‘consciousness’, ‘nada’ etc.
Thus, there were two sides of all human existence: gross and subtle. Knowing the subtle (non-physical and un-manifested) was considered as important as knowing the gross (physical and manifested) world. Similarly, any illness or its possible cures had to be interpreted from the point of view of the gross physical body and the subtle non-physical elements which included mind and consciousness.
Human intelligence which forms the subtle ‘inner personality’ of human beings also occupies pride of place. It was firmly believed that subtle but powerful human qualities such as thinking and feeling can lead a person either to grace or to his/her grave — and hence they need to be reflected and acted upon. This necessity was the mother of invention of a system called yoga.
Derived from the Sanskrit ‘yuj’, which means ‘to unite’, yoga refers to a union (or integration) of all human aspects from the subtle and innermost force that drives the ‘human vehicle’ to all external influences that create, grow, nurture and end them. The ‘union’ referred here refers not only to the intra-harmonization (of one’s body, mind and spirit) but also inter-harmonization between human species on one hand and the humans and their environment on the other.
Yoga
Yoga is a time-tested esoteric concept and a 5000-year-old practice that has ‘overpowered’ and ‘lulled’ the people in their challenging hours. It is supposed to be the gentlest of all methods that tames one’s ego so as to develop a more realistic concern and fellow-feelings towards all other lives on this planet.
According to the sage Patanjali (circa 200 BC), the codifier of the yoga system, the practice of yoga destroys the impurities of the body and mind, after which maturity in intelligence and wisdom radiate from the core of the being to function in unison with the body, senses, mind, intelligence and consciousness. Baxter Bell, one of the recent writers on yoga, calls yoga as a sly, clever way of short-circuiting the mental pattern that causes anxiety.
Nada Yoga
Nada yoga, an integral part of the yoga system, asserts that the Universe is a projection of sound vibrations. Different sound frequencies recall different levels of one’s existence – physical, with the power of knowledge. The state can be corresponding to the theta/ alpha (7-14 Hz) categories of brainwave pattern.
Vaikhari, the Acoustic Sound
It represents a wakeful state (jagrat) in which the physical body takes charge of the control of life-processes. It exhibits the power of action (kriya shakti). It may correspond to the beta wave pattern (13-40 Hz).
Nada Yoga Methodologies
Some of the practices involving nada are discussed below:
Nadopasana (Nada, intonation + Upasana, worship)
Listening repeatedly to the ‘inner sound’ as a part of contemplative exercise during meditation has been a time-tested method.
Nada Anusandhana (Cultivation of Inner Sound)
This rigorous practice makes use of sound vibrations and harmonics, emanating from chants and prayers.
Nadabrahma or Divine Nada Meditation
Here an inner balancing of body and mind is sought to be achieved through humming and hand movements. Humming creates certain subtle vibratory sensations within the body. The practitioner visualizes a hollow vessel being filled up by such humming. Even long after the humming is over, the vessel is visualized to echo all the humming vibrations back to the practitioner. For this echo-sensation, one is advised a restful position (shavasana) for a few minutes.
Nadanadi Shakti (The Energy Current of Sound)
Aum or Om is the loved and adored divine vibration (Bija mantra) comparable to the ‘Hum’ of the Tibetans, ‘Amin’ of the Muslims and ‘Amen’ of the Christians. Paramahansa Yogananda calls it the ‘vibration of the cosmic motor’. A symbol of super-consciousness that prevails all over the Universe, Aum is also employed in ancient healing practices. By chanting this vibration every day, it is believed that one increases the body’s supply of cosmic energy. The practitioner learns not only to increase its supply in his body but also is able to transmit it as a healing force to those zones of his being (body, mind and soul) which need to be replenished or repaired.
Nadi Shuddhi (Purification of Energy Channels)
Also known as ‘nadi shodhana’, the purification is done here by infusing more oxygen into the energy channels and eliminating all traces of carbon-dioxide. Various forms of breathing techniques are used to achieve this objective. This purification helps in sharpening one’s mind-power (concentration or dharana) and paves way for meditation (dhyana).
Nama Sankeertana (Chanting in Praise of the Divinity)
Group singing and chanting — usually in praise of the Universal Being is a traditional healing approach. The (almost) endless repetition of selected phrases (usually simple iterative tunes — at times accompanied by movements or dance- has helped generations of people in overcoming stress in daily life.
Raga Chikitsa (Treatment with Raga)
A raga is a unique sequence of selected musical notes, which are capable of changing the mood of the listeners. It renders great creative scope for endless improvisation. Depending on its nature, a raga could intensify one’s feelings. While rendering a raga, the performer simply selects a ground note, which serves as the drone.
Nada Centre for Music Therapy (www.nada.in), a Chennai-based not-to-profit organization, has been engaged in the study of various ragas with the help of a group of volunteers, drawn from musicians, musicologists, music psychologists, music therapists, medical and paramedical professionals since the year 2004.
References:
- The Penguin Dictionary of Alternative Medicine by T. V. Sairam
- Raga Therapy by T. V. Sairam
- The Dictionary of the Esoteric by Nevill Drury
- Laya Yoga: The Definitive Guide to the Chakras and Kundalini by S. S. Goswami
- Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions by Guy L. Beck he names of God) set to ==
This article was published in Shanmukha – April – June 2012 – Pages 16, 17
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, August 26, 2021