Nadanusandhana - in Search of Nada

 by Rajesh

In India, the sound of music is considered to be both Nada (underlying vibration, in Sanskrit called Nada Brahma, or Shabda Brahma) and a pathway to its realisation. The frequencies of musical notes are understood to be reflections of Nada. Therefore the practice of music (Sangeeta Sadhana) becomes one of the best ways to deepen our awareness of subtle sound or vibration, and to awaken the Chakras.

Practitioners of Kundalini and Kriya Yoga will be familiar with the terms arohan (ascent) and awarohan (descent), which refer to major psychic passageways (Mooladhara Chakra to Bindu via the front of the body, and Bindu to Mooladhara down the back, respectively). These two words, which are essentially part of Indian music terminology, are used when learning musical scales and ragas (musical moods). Arohan, in the context of a raga, refers to the notes used in ascent, whilst awarohan refers to the descending notes (which are not necessarily the same!).

Yogis and seers have always regarded music as the highest art form and a direct path to the Divine. According to Swami Shivananda: ‘It is in Sangeeta (music) and Kirtana (collective chanting) that Sreyas [that which leads to Self-realisation] and Preyas [sensory pleasure], which are otherwise antagonistic to each other, meet. Sangeeta pleases the ear and is a rich treat to the senses and the mind – in fact, so much so that the senses and the mind are tamed and controlled by it; and Sangeeta also ennobles the soul and reveals the Inner Being. Music is, therefore, regarded as the best form of Nadopasana (Practice of Nada).’

In the west, Pythagoras’ discovery of the mathematical proportions of musical intervals led to the realisation that these proportions exist throughout the cosmos – in our bodies, in the shapes of leaves, in the very atoms themselves. It would not be wrong to say that the whole of creation is a symphony! The concept of Nada permeates everything, and, being the primordial vibrations of creation, how can it be otherwise?

Whilst Nada Yoga is an obvious part of Mantra Yoga and Bhakti Yoga, it can also be said to permeate every aspect of Yoga. For example, in the postures of Hatha Yoga we are aspiring to bring about balance and harmony in our bodies. In achieving balance, we exhibit harmonic ratios in our bodies. In Karma Yoga, we endeavour to focus completely on our work, and this absorption is called Laya. It is only in total absorption, in Laya, that one can begin to perceive Nada.

Nada Yoga practice begins with audible sound, using musical notes to sensitise the Chakras. Notes are known in Sanskrit as swara, which means not only ‘note’ but also the note as a tool for refining perception. By focusing on a note, we start to internalise. In the course of this process the entire quality of the note improves. Like the unfolding of a lotus, the swara reveals more of itself to you. Each swara is a symbol of the Divine, and, in fact, each swara has its own deity which we can also choose to focus on during practice.