We wrote about the types of silent meditation. Now let’s look into how meditation can be best assisted by listening to Indian yoga music:
The Raga – What Is It in Simple Terms?
The Origin
In ancient and contemporary Indian culture and tradition, Goddess Saraswati is the main deity of music. One who is a versatile musician has Her blessings. In the traditional Indian music system, there is a special word for music tunes. We call it the RAGA, and it is the root of any musical creation. And, for the uninitiated, there are different tunes based on the pitch of the ragas. This has been there since time immemorial, as every Indian king had his own royal musician and his troupe. Indian music and yoga have always had a deep connection. Combine this with meditation, and you get an amazing combination. Let us see below, what kinds of musical strains are effective for meditation.
Math and Music
They apparently understood the value of music – sad or happy. Mathematics is an integral part of music too. For example, the pitch and the tunes are collectively called RAGA, as a term, in Sanskrit, the mother of all Indian languages; these had a specific count to which the tune would be sung. Yoga seekers have discovered that soft music can enhance meditation. There is no specific and exact date that can throw light and determine when the first raga was born. Suffice it to say that Raga pertains to the root or point of reference of any musical creation. And, in order to relax, music is the key to effective meditation, say yoga experts.
Rooting Back To The Origin
Every tune has a mother raga under which it falls, and these date back to, approximately, the 7th century. In fact, Music is the creation of Saint Purandaradasa and his version of it is called Carnatic music. The Hindustani music is a variation of the Carnatic. Both are deep subjects with enough ragas (tunes and notes) to substantiate them.
Written Evidence?
Sage Matanga, a great seer and mystic wrote the Brihadessi in the 6th or 7th century. He says that raga is an amalgamation of tones, tunes, pitch, created by a human’s vocal chords or any instrument. They have the capacity to touch the soul, and bring some changes in the vibration. Every raga can evoke feelings and emotions – they are that powerful. Some are enough to induce grief in our hearts, or ecstasy, likewise. This is a very tangible proof. It attests to the fact that music and its effect had been there for a very long time.
Research-based Alibi That Musical Ragas Can Initiate Cure To Ailments
“Raga is referred to as a ‘miracle of microtones’ and it is comprised of the swaras (mini-notes). The swaras can range between 5 to 7 which covers 22 sruti’s in an octave. The flexibility in Indian music provides the performer an opportunity to osculate swaras. This is where Raga music plays the therapeutic role. The frequencies can reach the neighboring swaras which intensifies the listener’s musical experience. Overtime the raga music therapy system can trim a person’s mind and their behavioral pattern. It is not wrong to say, that each person resonates to the tunes of a specific raga” (Pilu.in). Combining this with meditation brings about magic.
Acceptance Of The Therapeutic Power Of Music Notes
Today, instead of being close-minded, people are ready to welcome even what is different from the north. They accept the big impact that ragas and tunes have on the psyche and the physical state of any individual. Many people have opted to do research in this unchartered territory. This has made a difference in the way we live. These musical tunes have the power to transport anyone to a state where tangible alterations take place. Music also is a great healer. It has the potency to calm and relax the mind, especially for one who is highly stressed. Indian music with meditation is a terrific unified whole.
Raga Therapy
Raga as a therapy is quickly gaining ground. So many people are open to experimenting with what raga and musical notes work for them. That is because they are aware in their subconscious state that it will work. One of the reasons for this is the existence of beautiful music from very ancient times. Music and dance were separate areas where people strove to become experts in them, through rigorous training. (We wrote more on the benefits of dance therapy for mental health here.) Some people are die-hard followers of the power and potency of music and the corrective direction it can take. Both, Indian ragas and meditation were born in India, the bedrock of yoga.
Why Indian music?
Over the years, many masters of fitness and health as well as yoga practitioners realize that music has wonderful benefits. It is good to overcome the state of stress. It can help alleviate the ill effects of tension and spiraled effects of stress and hypertension. And, when meditation and Indian classical music are partners, then what happens is pure magic. It helps to instantaneously lift our mood, drown everything that is in a state of grief with happiness and ecstasy. Calmness and serenity are definite outcomes. Combining meditation with the soft tunes of Indian music is the best remedy for depression. This combination helps us to get into the depths of the meditative or the alpha state.
People-Speak
Stella Martin, a yoga practitioner says she loves the flute renditions for her meditations. Why is that, we ask. She says, “When I am getting into the state of deep meditation, where I want maximum calmness. This calmness, that I already experience, is something I cannot explain, as it’s a feeling. With the flute playing in the background, it makes the meditation more intense. I feel deeply somewhere that the music of the flute touches my soul. The soft tunes of the flute are able to be in sync with my heart and my emotions. There are many that would suit meditation, but for me, it’s the soft flute music”. What follows below is a small clip that Stella loves.
Indian Yoga Flute Music- 1
Yet another beautiful flowy rendition through the flute, that connects the music to the soul, and resonates with Stella. She says both the art of meditation and Indian classical music have the potency to transport her to a world where there’s only peace and calm.
Indian Yoga Flute Music- 2
Another Beautiful Music Rendition- The Instrument Seen Is the Santoor
Mythili, a yoga and pilates practitioner and teacher, says she uses any music of the flute and the santoor extensively for her meditation practices. “They transport us to a world beyond somewhere, and we do not get easily disturbed,” she says. Although the addition of soft music (especially the Indian classical strains), augments the effect of the meditations in manifold ways, it is a relatively recent combination. The ancient seers, saints, and the great people who were staunch practitioners and teachers of the yoga asanas never subscribed to mixing music with meditation. We can attribute it to the absence of dependence on technological innovations in those days.
What is the Santoor?
The Santoor is an instrument that is very Indian. Below is a verbatim reproduction of the exact meaning of the santoor and its origins.
“The Santoor’s name comes from the name Shata- tantric, meaning a Veena of hundred strings. A hollow box with twenty five bridges, each having four strings resting on it, is how it appears. The instrumentalist plays it with the help of two wooden mallets. These are known as mezrabs. The santoor has traditionally been used in the music of the Kashmir valley as an accompaniment to Sufi music. It was brought into the classical tradition by Pt. Umadutt Sharma, who brought it into Hindustani classical traditions. The modernised santoor, played by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and his disciples has 31 bridges and 91 strings. The resonance is cut down by placing the instrument on the lap of the player, rather than on a wooden stand. The santoor is a predecessor of the piano, because it is based on the same principle of a mallet striking metal strings.”
The Maestro At Work
What you see below is Pandit Shivkumar Sharma playing on the Santoor. It was Shivkumar Sharma who modified the strings and the instrument of the modern day Santoor. Listen to this beautiful soft music that touches the very depths of the soul. It tries to bring a sense of calm and serenity through its many beautifully coordinated mellifluous sounds. The music that he has created has immortalized him forever in the hearts of those who love the Santoor.
We Could Add the Tibetan Influence to Our List of Music
There are many connections, traditional, cultural and spiritual, that bridge Tibet and India. After talking about Indian classical music to bring that calm during the meditations, it would be only apt to introduce the sounds of the ‘OM’ that the Tibetan monks chant, as you see below, to enhance the effect of the meditations we do. Tibet is a land that is deeply spiritual. The Tibetan monks are perhaps the oldest keepers of tradition and follow unique practices to make the spirit evolve through their meditative practices, alongside the ancient sages and gurus of the Hindu Tradition. (And speaking of gurus, head here to discover how to find the right guru to help you with your spiritual practice.) The following is a brief peek into the Om chanting by the Tibetan monks.
Yet Another Musical Note…
Andy Thomas, a yoga student from Boston, says he loves the following music, which is a flute recital for Lord Ganesha. He is a very important deity in the Indian tradition. Lord Ganesh is also called the God who has the power to remove all the troubles and the problems one encounters in life. We can add this beautiful musical piece to our meditation practice and can feel the pure essence of grace and blessings along with the meditations we do. Andy says he loves this strain of music and incorporates it into his meditations every day. His objective is to make it have that serenity and the beauty that accompanies anything that is calm and peace-loving.
Why Do People Add Indian Music To Meditation?
Shakti Mahadevan, another yoga therapist says she usually adds the following Santoor musical piece after a long sequence of yoga to add to the Shavasana. The Shavasana is a meditative practice that showers the one who practices, with deep relaxation of the mind and the body. Yoga experts advise this after a long session, to bring about relaxation in its entirety. She says, the science of yoga is something that we have inherited from our ancient Gurus, but it is only in recent decades that music is a part of it, by choice.
But, having said that, she also adds that as the times improve and advance, we have to keep the traditions and the culture alive, by incorporating whatever universal changes happen. In this case, technological advancements only help advance and augment the effects of the practice of meditation.
Combining Indian Yoga Music With Meditation Is Uplifting!
Classical Indian music – especially the instrumental, when combined with yoga, uplifts us psychologically and also spiritually. She says as and when the baton of each subject passes from one generation to the next, the content also modifies and is in perfect harmony with the times. Hence adding Indian classical music to meditation is a fantastic way to practice meditation. She says the effects go deep and are long lasting. A feeling of euphoria descends on the one who practices it this way, integrating music with meditation.
Indian Music and Meditation, Both Are Eternal And Evergreen
Although here, we show the many variations of Indian music, it’s an ocean There are so many renditions and tunes, that you can use while doing the meditations. The outcome is a beautiful mix of something so different, that it has the power to transport you to a world beyond. We have to be judicious too, when we select the tunes for ushering that calmness. It has to be soft, lilting music, and should run in the background. It should never be dominant and take away the focus from our primary objective of doing the meditations. So, what’s stopping you? Try adding Indian classical music to your daily dose of meditation and where the journey takes you.
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
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