The Music Therapy:

The most ancient and primitive human societies across the world had recognized the power of sound vibrations as they affect the minds and the moods.  The great system of Nada Yoga, once popular in India works on the premises that the entire universe around us and we ourselves are made of nada, the sound vibrations.  In other words, it is the movement of sound energy that forms a building block of the universe and not the matter or particle or quark as had been thought of by the physicists, till recently.  This realization in India had ushered in the concept of nada being worshipped as Brahman.

Nada yoga divides music into two categories:  the inner music or anahata and the outer music or ahata.  While the outer music is heard through the sense organs viz. ears, ear-drums  where mechanical energy is converted to electro-chemical energy to be perceived by the brain, the inner music owes its reception to the subtle heart- also known as anahata carka, which is not a sensory organs.

As it’s name implies, anahata refers to one’s own sound vibrations, which is so close to one’s own self that any one else cannot simply share it. Like the mythical cross that one has to bear, anahata is totally personal and private – exclusive to its ‘possessor’ alone.  Thus, you have your anahata and me, mine.  As I can’t know yours, you can’t know mine!  One can however listen to one’s anahata and make use of it, provided one develops certain basic interest, commitment, will and patience. The system of Nada Yoga not only  assures  the practitioner of inner music the resultant harmony, relaxation and joie de vivre, but also promises self-realization, which is often, the singular goal for those who undertake meditation.

How can  one search out one’s own music within his or her constitution?  While there are elaborate techniques prescribed for listening to one’s own inner music, for a debutant, it should suffice if he could just select a place where he could be least disturbed by the noisy neighbors of clinging cell phone and sit comfortably with spine erect and start breathing in and out slowly.  Slow and deep breathing is essential; as he has to focus his mind the way his system gets oxygenated – to start with.  After a few breathing rounds, he would focus his awareness to the sound that naturally emanates when he breaths out.  He should avoid making any guttural noise on his own and give his total attention to the natural vibrations that emanate when the breath is leaving form his system.  Initially, he can hold his concentration for 2 or 3 minutes and over a period – say one month – he should be able to focus his concentration at least 5 to 10 minutes at a stretch.  Those who have tried this would endorse that observing anahata and concentrating on it relieves all tensions from the mind and it is often recommended as a good remedy especially for trauma victims.  Such practices can also help in mind- control, which results in expansion of one’s consciousness leading  to  self-realization. The outer music is not esoteric or hidden.  Unless one’s hearing is impaired, anybody can listen to of appreciate the outer music.  A workshop conducted by the author in March 2001 at India Habitat Centre at New Delhi has proved beyond doubt that the ‘first reaction’ to a musical form irrespective of its origin or region ( Western Classical, Carnatic of Hindustani ) is one and the same on a mixed audience belonging to different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.  A powerful melody that stirs emotions such as Tchaikovsky’s Slawischer Marsch (Op.31) has similar impact on listeners, irrespective of their ethnicity or region.  The author is of the view that while the initial or the first reaction is similar, the subsequent reaction of the audience to a melody is influenced by his cultural upbringing, his tastes and preferences, his likes and dislikes.  Regional bias for a particular ‘rule’ of music (for example, ‘raga purity’ and ‘tala clarit’ in Indian classical music) comes in the way of appreciating Western classical music by an inveterate Indian classical upbringing. This illustration goes to show that the outer music is manifold, unlike the inner music, which is unique and absolute.  Realizing the tremendous possibilities for musical achievement offered by a myriad of rhythmic variations (a conservative count of 108 talas has been attempted in Carnatic  Music system) Parent or janaka ragas, in turn, produce innumerable janya ragas,  Stravinsky once remarked: “I know that 12 notes in each octave and the varieties of rhythms offer me opportunities that all of human genius will never exhaust”. 
The outer music-or music as we generally understand – with its infinite varieties affect our moods and minds in various ways. It draws our attention, affects our temperaments and behavior tool.  While agitating us or relaxing, it affects our temperaments and behavior tool.  While agitating us or relaxing, it affects us in myriads of ways.  When one feels down and out, it is the music that could inject hopes or sunshine. This makes Friedrich Nietzche's  remark: “Without music, the life would be a mistake! 

(to be continued in next issue)

From the Dairy of Sri B S S Rao Secretary Sri Lalithakala Academy  Foundation, Mysore. .