Title:
Yoga Music, Sound Healing and New Age Music |
Author:
Sandeep Khurana |
Date:
October 19 2011 |
From my article first published in Positive Health Magazine,
London, UK in the January. 2010 issue.
Another version was published as “Music’s Healing
Powers” in India Currents, California in Feb. 2010 issue.
|
The rhythm I hear begins to resonate in my entire being, holding
my beating heart under its spell. The melody lifts my spirits high, elevates
my soul, the harmony takes me on an infinite voyage of emotions. The bass
adds the thrill, and the treble adds optimism to the whole experience, as I
lunge for the climactic crescendo. What’s the mystery? Is it the sound,
the timbre, frequencies, or patterns—or the conductor—weaving this magic?
This has been my relationship with music. While rehearsing for a
performance, I remember telling an actor, “Choose the song that your heart
and soul resonates with.” Music can be felt very internally, in our mind,
heart and soul. One feels peaceful while listening to tranquil music playing
in the background, even when the conscious mind is focused on some other
activity, revealing the mysterious connection between brain and sound waves.
I relate New Age Music very closely to the alternative healing
techniques and the practice of Yoga. And based on my experience in blending sounds of different varieties,
I define New Age Music as a blend of sounds of different styles primarily
intended to create inspiration, motivation, and relaxation. New Age music can
be composed of pads, strings, drones, flutes and even sitar, guitars and
drums. I personally love to mix nature
sounds like those of waterfalls, ocean, river etc. with soothing sounds of
guitar, piano and strings to create that hypnotic feel. New Age music can be
electronic, acoustic or a blend of both. It is defined more by the ambient influence it has on the mind of the
listener. Popular themes in New Age music include ethereal sounds, space,
elements, earth sounds, nature and sounds for healing and relaxation.
In Indian Classical music, there are notes sequenced as ragas,
with each scale having a unique influence on the listener ’s mind. In
Western music, we have major, minor, and several other scales, and harmony
patterns, each with a distinct influence. It has been scientifically
established that music can have a profound effect on heart rates, muscle
tension, and body temperature. And these observations and experiences have
always encouraged me to delve deeper into the healing aspect of sound.
Sound yoga, also known as music therapy or sound healing, is a
technique in which sounds and vibrations are used to help restore, maintain,
and improve one ’s state of mind and body. The Sanskrit word yoga is derived
from the root yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.”
The music therapist uses the power of sounds to help clients
improve their health, bringing a more positive state of mind, and enhancing
their quality of life. The sounds create a multidimensional energy field, and
help generate specific brain waves, resulting in shift in the state of
consciousness of the patient. The patient then moves to a deep and relaxed
state, the communication between mind, body, and spirit is enhanced,
resulting in bliss. The healer, after diagnosis, chooses the appropriate
sounds, to engender sound healing. Some healers use their voice, while others
use Tibetan bowls, forks, flutes, chimes, didgeridoos, tanpura, and other
instruments. Every being vibrates within a range of frequencies, and when
exposed to musical notes that match with the frequencies, it resonates with
the note. The healer has to bring the right frequencies, and vibrations in
the vicinity of the patient, to cause the state of resonance, thus
engendering the move to a state of harmony.
Music can help overcome anxiety, enhance creativity and optimism.
The human brain can be guided to come into resonance with the healthy
vibrations. A stronger beat can stimulate the mind, with faster tempos
helping to bring more focus, and a slower tempo creating a relatively
tranquil state. Music can have a lasting influence on the state of mind, even
after one has stopped listening to it. The Mozart Effect refers to the fact
that some of Mozart ’s music has been found to cause more activity in certain
areas of human brain. Sound healing is also used as a sleep aid to relieve
insomnia. This is done using delta wave technique to induce restfulness and
relaxation and the patient can experience deep and relaxed sleep. Similar
vibrations are used in hypnosis and psychotherapy.
Music is found to have profound effect on the subtle energy
centers in our body called chakras. According to the studies made in Indian
spiritual sciences and alternate medicine, the health of an individual can be
determined by measuring the state of these seven chakras: root, hara, solar
plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakra. Every chakra has a
frequency associated with it, and this frequency can be used for its
balancing and healing. When I do reiki or meditation, I find the results even
more amazing with tranquil sounds playing in the background, creating the
appropriate sound ambience.
People love music. Music is a part and parcel of our joy and
celebrations; it marks milestones of life, and provides courage and optimism,
and it has always found its way into our hearts, providing that nourishment,
thrill, support, warmth, love, and rhythm to our lives. And for me, what is
even more fascinating to have discovered is how our universe has been endowed
with a hidden gift, the inherent healing characteristic of music.
|
|
|
2. Title: Yoga Music and Guided Meditations, an All-in-one CD on Meditation
|
|
Date:
September 19 2011 |
Our New Age Music album titled “Yoga Music and Guided
Meditations” is designed and produced for yoga practitioners; spiritual
seekers, energy healers and everyone who wishes to learn and practice
meditation. Heather Shaw’s beautiful and warm voice in the
guided meditations has added an amazing healing touch to the meditation
tracks. The album our 20th release was released last year it and comprises of
seven amazing tracks, including music for relaxation and a track for dance
meditation. It is a complete all in one audio CD for beginners as well
as advanced practitioners.
About the music tracks in the album, the first track, 'A Simple
Yoga Meditation' is a complete guided meditation for anyone and everyone new
or experienced to practice meditation. And it is meant to induce a state of
calmness and tranquility in the listener’s mind.
Track 2 is titled
‘Chakra Balancing Guided Meditation'. It is a complete guided
meditation for healing and balancing of the seven major chakras.
Track
3 is called Reiki Guided Meditation and is designed to guide the listener
through a complete Reiki healing meditation. It is recommended for
Reiki learners, channels and masters.
Track 4, titled 'Pranayama
Breathing Meditation', is a guided meditation using varying breathing
patterns and different levels of breath control. It helps focus
and calm the mind with focus on breath.
Track 5 is titled ‘Om Mantra
Chanting Meditation’. The Om chants generate healing vibrations and
sound waves that have been known to heal the mind and the body. The
listener can simultaneously chant the Om mantra while listening to the Om
Mantra Meditation track, for augmented healing and improved results.
Track 6, Shiva Dance Meditation is for dynamic dance meditation. It has
inherent rhythmic dance patterns for the listeners to follow and reach higher
energy states. The drum patterns are designed to open the energy
centers within the body, inducing a state of trance and hypnosis.
Track
7 is called Yoga Music for Relaxation and is a beautiful blend of nature
sounds and healing music to help calm and soothe the mind and body.
This track can be used to create a sound ambience of peace, serenity and
tranquility and can be played in the background during a meditation or a
healing session.
The music album is available for downloads on iTunes
and all major online stores.
|
|
3. Title: Reiki, Universal Life Force Energy
|
|
Date:
August 19 2010 |
|
Reiki is a powerful system of healing that utilizes specific techniques for restoring and balancing the natural life force energy within the body. It is a holistic, natural, hands-on energy healing system that touches individuals on all levels: body, mind, and spirit.
The "Usui System" of Reiki Balances and strengthens the body's energy promoting its ability to heal itself. Besides the obvious use in serious illness, Reiki promotes the natural healing process in many other areas. These include sports injuries, cuts, burns, internal disease, emotional disorders, and stress-related illness.
Beyond the physical effects, Reiki also awakens the various vortices of the subtle bodies known as chakras, opening the individual to higher potentials. For this reason it is also used to aid spiritual growth.
Reiki began in Tibet over two thousand years ago. In ancient times seers in the Orient studied energies and developed a system of 'attunements', sounds, and symbols which allowed them to bring great amounts of universal healing energies through them for healing.
Various healing systems, including Reiki, which crossed many different cultures, emerged from this single root system. As with many of the spiritual practices, and teachings of Tibet, these healing systems were a blend of both ancient oriental knowledge, as well as the teachings and wisdom of the yogic schools of ancient India.
For centuries this body of healing knowledge was safely guarded by monks and lamas of eastern temples, and secret esoteric schools. It was not until Master Usui began his life long quest to discover and bring this form of healing to the world that Reiki re-emerged as a healing art.
Reiki is taught today, as it was in ancient times through a series of attunements, or transmissions, which can only be given to a student through a Reiki master. Through this process, the student's energy centers, and channels are opened, and he is taught how to bring through life force energy, to heal himself, as well as others.
|
Reiki Session
Reiki, as a pure form of divine life energy, flows through the entire being. Reiki Practitioners act as facilitators for this energy, which naturally flows to where it is most needed. For this reason, each individual's experiences of a Reiki Session are. In general, however, most people find the following on the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Levels....
-
On the Physical Level, Reiki balances and replentishes the life energies of the physical body, aiding the process of healing. Reiki not only deals with the physical illness, however, but also the state of the soul. As every physical illness, or life condition, in some way, relates to a condition within consciousness, as well as the physical body, and reiki session often work to bring about a transformation in both.
-
On the Emotional Level, Reiki brings the higher self into connection with the personality, releasing emotional blockages, and bringing peace and harmony. Often deeply held emotional hurts, which color perceptions of reality are released during or after a Reiki Session, bringing the individual back to a more balanced emotional expression of self.
-
On the Spiritual Level, Reiki opens us up to the expression of our higher self, allowing us to discover all we can be, and the deeper meaning of life. As reiki opens the various chakras, it also opens us to a deeper awareness of self, and often works as a catalyst for spiritual growth. Most people find that there is a marked improvement in there intuitive abilities after several sessions. Those who undergo reiki attunements also find that it works to awaken the various psychic abilities and spiritual virtues that are associated with the awakening of the various chakras.
|
