Tabla Vinyasa & Nada Yoga

Sages of old speak of the mythical sound that lies within every being. 

In Sanskrit, this sound is OM or Nadam.

One theory is that life began with a vibration. And the yogis say, that vibration is OM and still resonates today and is the source of all sounds, so all sounds are sacred.

From the word Nadam is the root word ‘Nad’ which means flow and ‘nada’ means sound. The related word is ‘nadi’ which means river or stream. So ‘Nadam’ can be described as the flow of the inner sound current.

Nada Yoga is about sounds; inner and outer sound vibrations. It is the yoga of deep inner listening. It is said that there are four levels of sound, ranging from the grossest to the subtlest. Like all other yoga practices, we are trying to cultivate awareness, so with Nada Yoga we start with a more sensory practice, as we will be doing during this tabla vinyasa workshop. We will be working on the first level of sound known as ‘Vaikhari’, which is an audible sound that can be heard and felt through the senses. With regular practice, the yogi-in-practice can start to move beyond every day sounds and start to hear the more subtle sounds. These sounds are most easily perceived when we are relaxed, like in shavasana or during meditation.

In my personal experience, when I have had a really good practice; one where my mind and body and breath are most synchronized, meditation becomes easy and it is during this time that I perceive these sound sensations. In a practice with a skilled musician like Jason, who is able to influence the pulse of the class, this experience becomes even more heightened.  

Sound is the essence of all energy. All matter is made up of energy, hence all living things possess a sound quality. When there is harmony within a system, vibration frequency is lower. Lower frequency of vibration means we feel less stressed, more at peace. When we come together to practice, this is one of our aims; to be more harmonized with each other, on our mats and off out mats.

There is a lot of power in our vibration. We can observe the power of vibration through a large predatory sea snail found in Indian Ocean known as Turbinella pyrum. The Aum like vibrations are powerful and their frequency can alter thin sand to form many sacred geometries which are now being studied. Like this creature, we too can influence the feeling of a room, and the vibration around us too can influence us.

During a practice like tabla vinyasa, the musician can observe the bhav of the class and adjust the rhythm intuitively to support the energy of the class. The vibration of the class becomes synchronized and on a subtle level, we will feel this unity. It is different from having music played in class because the music has not been pre-planned but rather, it is infused into practice. The overall feeling is very different.

The session ends with live music meditation; be bathed in the deep evocative tones of Bansuri (Indian classical flute ) and delicious organic sound scapes. Listening to music with clear awareness is part of the practice of Nada yoga.
The experience is heightened after a good asana session as the mind is more still. Jason will play Indian Classical Raagas ( scales in specific moods ) which have their roots in the Nada yoga traditions.

Come and join us and experience this joyful practice.