Sound Nada Meditation or the Meditation on Sound is a powerful practice that empowers the practitioners to experience a deep union with the inherent vibration of sound.(1).
Divine sound is the cause of all manifestation. The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe.
-Hazrat Inayat Khan
Nada means ‘sound’(1). Sound (Nada) Meditation is a practice that uses sound as a medium of focus to penetrate the mind’s deeper layers(2). According to science, the universe is a continuous interplay between different forms of sound and energy vibrations. Yoga believes that the layers of our mind are also made of countless sound vibrations(2). Nada Meditation takes the practitioners through these subtle sounds to help them disassociate their mind from their surroundings and other senses. This practice can assist you to reach a greater state of meditation(2).
History/Origins
The praises and importance of Sound (Nada) Meditation are present in many historic scriptures and propounded by renowned sages. Nadavindu Upanishad says, “The mind that is ever connected to the Divine Sound longs no more for any sensory objects(1).” Comparing the human-mind to a poisonous snake, the text also declares, “The serpent-mind practicing Nada Dhyana (Yoga of Sound) perseveringly, gets completely lost in it and concentrates itself solely on the Nada (Divine Sound), forgetting all other objects around it(1).”
Adi Shankaracharya stated in Yogataravali that, “Lord Shiva, the propounder of Yoga Shastra, has listed 1,25,000 ways of dissolution of mind. Amongst these, Nadanusandhana (meditation on the inner sound) is the best as well as the easiest way(1).”
Meditate, O Brother, upon the Lord’s immortal name. That true sound reverberates in bodies, one and all.
-Maharshi Mehi Paramhans
Benefits of Sound Nada Meditation
A research paper by Dr. Bhawana Srivastava(6) states that practicing Sound (Nada) Meditation has the capacity to successfully reduce anxiety, especially in older people. It also helps eliminate physiological and psychological disorders. This was confirmed by a more recent study conducted by Dr. Kamakhya Kumar and Shivcharan Naudiyal(7). According to its findings, while listening to soulful sounds or music during Sound (Nada) Meditation, the practitioners feel a sense of well-being. It relaxes your brain and reduces the fluctuations of your mind.
References
- Santmat Satsang Samiti | Yoga of Inner Light and Sound by Swami Achyutanand Baba | Page 41
- Prakash Pubns & Export | Meditations from the Tantras | by Swami Satyananda Saraswati | Page 269
- Divine Life Society | Hatha Yoga by Swami Sivananda | Agochari Mudra | Page 116
- Lotus Press | Awake Kundalini by Rajnikant Upadhyaya and Gopal Sharma | Page 75
- Snow Lion | The Practice of Dzogchen by Longchen Rabjam | Page 306
- International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences | Volume 3, Issue 2 | 2014 | Nada meditation as an intervention strategy for Anxiety among Aged People by Dr. Bhawana Srivastava
- International Journal of Science and Consciousness | Volume 6, Issue 3 | 2020 | Page 31 – 34 | Practice of Nada Yoga and its Psychological benefits by Dr. Kamakhya Kumar and Shivcharan Naudiyal
