Notes On Sound
Shruti uses ancient sound yoga practices to help community members use their sacred voice.
Nāda Yoga (sound yoga)
Nāda yoga is an ancient practice that uses sound vibrations - like chanting, music, or inner tones - to calm the mind and connect you to your heart centre and soul.
It views everything in the universe, including your body and thoughts, as vibrating energy.
Nāda means "sound" or "flow" in Sanskrit. At Shruti, we aim to work with sacred sound and music from across South Asia.
An Ancient Universal Language
As the great Sufi musician Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927) said:
“It is therefore that the wise of all ages have considered music to be a sacred art; for in music the seer can see the picture of the whole universe.”
Accessible Community Wellbeing
Singing, humming, and chanting directly stimulate the vagus nerve by creating vibrations in the throat and chest, activating the parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest"). This reduces stress, lowers heart rate, and boosts vagal tone, aiding in relaxation. The vagal tone is a measure of how effectively the nervous system regulates the body - which is linked to lower chronic inflammation, better digestion, and improved mood.
Music and sound vibrations can also be experienced online, making them an accessible form of care for children, adults and elders alike. Modern science is catching up to ancient yogic wisdom around how sound can be used to help people with Dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease.
Sound Facts
Sound travels through water five times better than air.
The first sense organ developed by babies as embryos is the inner ear.
There are as three times as many connections from ear to brain as eyes to the brain.
Source: gaia.com
Sound and Colour
Ancient yogic tradition and modern science align in suggesting that each sound has a unique energy, which we can experience in different ways.
Through the chakra system, yogis recognised a link between sound and colour that modern science can explain in part through resonance, frequency, and formants.
Together, these systems show how sound can feel like it has colour - each triggering certain emotional or sensory responses that our minds associate with colour.
Mantra and Kirtan
Mantra - "man" means "mind" and "tra" means "release" or "instrument."
Therefore, a mantra is a tool or sound that helps to focus the mind and achieve a state of meditation or spiritual connection.
One of the seed mantras in nāda yoga is AUM (ॐ)
The Sanskrit term "kirtan" derives from the root "kirt," meaning to recite, narrate, praise, or glorify.
Kirtan is a devotional practice rooted in Indian spiritual traditions, particularly Hinduism and Sikhism. It involves call-and-response chanting or singing of mantras, hymns, or names of deities to express praise, glorify the divine, and foster spiritual connection.
Try some Mantra and Kirtan
This melody is an original creation from Radhika Das (www.radhikadas.com)
“The power of transcendental sound has been channeled by various traditions, throughout history and throughout the world. Chants, prayers, hymns, recitation of sacred texts, can awaken our inherent spiritual nature. 'Mantra' is a sanskrit word meaning 'that which liberates and cleanses the mind'.
Mantra refers to a sacred sound formula that is vibrated repeatedly, as a process of purifying the heart and mind, allowing the innate brilliance within to shine out into every aspect of our lives. So simple, but so powerful!
This mantra: 'Govinda Jaya Jaya' means "The One who attracts the heart, mind and senses, ‘Gopala’ (One who offers supreme protection and love), ‘Radha Raman’ (the Beloved) and ‘Hari’ (One who takes away).”