by C Kali Aitken
The notion of art as a means to express our relationship with the divine is as ancient as the first people who walked the Earth. From cave paintings to Bach, man has always felt moved to express love for the divine through art.
In East Indian yogic traditions, there is a yogic path recognized as a means to attain God-realization through music. It is called Nadopasana, singing, playing, and composing music as an expression of the divine. Music is not seen as a form of entertainment but as a means to attain moksha (liberation).
When a yogi sees music as a meditation, he begins to express a oneness relationship with the sound of the spheres rather than expressing the noise of his chattering thoughts. To find and express heartfelt stillness becomes a point of engaged, meditative focus for the Nada yogi. A quote from the Vedas, attributed to Lord Narayana Himself, expresses this succinctly: “I dwell not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of yogins, nor in the sun but where my devotees sing, there I will be.”
A Nada yogi understands that the purity of the soul desires to express, speak, or sing. This stirs the mind. The mind activates the body. The body creates sound. The aim of Nada Yoga is to realize the essence that shines behind sound. Music is seen as a spiritual practice that inspires us to experience the light of pure consciousness.
2 Comments
Mary Beth Dursen
Love this Article! I have been seeking precisely this information to share with my students and you presented this so completely and expertly. Do you license your writing? It’s a powerful piece I would lvoe to share with my groups. Also, where can I find that old blue book on Nada Yoga? it is not around anymore and dying to have.
Goddess Garden
Thank you kindly. Yes and I will email you. In the meantime, would love if you could share link to this piece. That blue book is available only on guru like websites and kundalini usually. Hope this helps. Namaste