There are different forms of yoga, and you can choose based on your natural inclination and tendencies. While hatha yoga follows the path of energy, jnana yoga concentrates on knowledge and intellect. Similarly, there are some types of yoga which consist of only meditation and healing.
Nada yoga is also known as ‘musical meditation’. It ‘means ‘union through sound’. It can be divided into two parts, which are anahata and ahata. Anahata refers to the internal aspects of nada yoga and ahata refers to the external aspects of this yoga.
Nada yoga is ‘union with self through music or sound’ and it divides sound into four categories:
Vaikhari – This is the audible sound.
Madhyama – This is the mental sound.
Pashyanta – This is the subconscious sound.
Aranada – This means transcendent sound.
If you’re not too keen on the physical aspect of doing asanas, you can give nada yoga a try. Even for yogis who do asanas regularly, nada yoga can be a great way to bring harmony and balance.
How to Practice Nada Yoga Meditation
1. Choose The Right Place
To do this yoga, you have to choose a place in your home, where it is very quiet and peaceful. This allows you to practice this yoga without any disturbance from outside. Make sure that you have a yoga mat or a piece of cloth, which is termed as ‘asana’, with you. You can sit on this mat and practice nada yoga.
2. Sit In A Comfortable Posture
Sit on the mat in a position in which you are comfortable. You can sit cross-legged or in sukhasana, padmasana, ardha padmasana or vajrasana posture, whatever is comfortable for you. Once you are seated comfortably, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply as you focus on your breathing.
3. Put Yourself At Ease
As you sit on the mat, keep your hands on your knees and place them in dhyana mudra. (Both hands are placed on the lap, the right hand on top of the left one, palms facing upward) This helps in increasing your concentration power. It is also beneficial for producing positive energy around you.
As you begin this session, you can relax your mind and body by putting on some calm and relaxing music of your choice.
4. Play Music That Is Soothing
Choosing the right kind of music is very important for this yoga. Make sure that the music you put is soft, soothing, serene and divine. It should have the power to heal your mind and soul. The music must never be loud and disturbing. It is recommended to go with instrumental music that does not contain any words. Sounds of human beings and words can detract you and make meditation difficult. Soft music played by a veena, sarod, sitar, flute or a piano works well.
5. Lose Yourself In The Music
Sit quietly and focus fully on the music. Try to immerse yourself in the music, so that you only hear the sound of the music and nothing else. Immerse deeper and deeper into the music. Continue this practice daily and listen to the same music. Give your full attention to the music.
6. Shift Your Focus Within
Slowly shift your attention from the music to your inner/subtle sound. Now you will be able to hear the anahat sounds, which is the subtle sounds that come from within, as well as the ahat sounds which are the sounds that come from outside. When you start being aware of your inner sounds, give your full attention to the sounds from within you, as you did in the case of your music.
7. Enter A Meditative State
Relax your mind, body, and soul, so that you enter into a deep meditative state. Remain in this meditative state for as long as it is possible for you. There is no specific time period for meditation. As you continue to practice nada yoga, you can slowly stop listening to the music, as your attention will be more focused on the anahat sounds.
8. Come Out Slowly
Eventually, you may not need the music at all. But you may put it on if you enjoy it as you practice nada yoga. At this stage, it is entirely up to you whether you want to put on the music or not. After the yoga session, you need to release yourself from this pose. To do this, you have to first open your eyes very slowly, release your hands from dhyana mudra and then place your hands on your eyes to transfer the energy that is generated into your body.
