This month in our blog – as well as for our upcoming New Years offerings – we are turning our attention to a deeply transformative and ancient yogic practice: nada yoga, or the yoga of sound. The Sanskrit word nada translates to sound, tone, or vibration. It can also mean "universal pulse of life" or “flowing stream of life” (IG: @nada_goa). Nada yoga, therefore, is the philosophical system, collection of transformational and healing techniques, and form of yoga that explores consciousness through sound. It's based on the idea that all things in the cosmos, including humans, are made up of vibrations called nada.
Rooted in the understanding that sound is both a physical vibration and a powerful spiritual tool, nada yoga offers pathways to self-awareness, inner harmony, and connection. In this blog, we explore some origins and aspects of nada yoga, traditional and modern manifestations and ways to practice, and our integration of sound in our upcoming New Year’s Yoga Festival.
Nada yoga, is based on the concept that sound is at the core of creation and Life. Many spiritual traditions speak of sound as a fundamental metaphysical force, and even as the most fundamental force in all of creation. In yogic philosophy, for example, Om is considered the primordial sound, symbolizing the vibration of the universe itself. Similarly, in other traditions, sound holds a central role in creation philosophies and stories, as well – from “the Word” as described in Genesis in the Bible to the ancient Vedic belief in shabda brahman, or sound as the ultimate reality.
Modern science is finding evidence that is complementary to and with these ancient teachings, as well – highlighting the profound effects of sound and vibration on the human body, mind, and nervous system. Studies have shown that sound frequencies can influence brain waves, reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and even stimulate healing and regeneration at the cellular level. For example, there is a field of cymatics – derived from the Greek word kyma, meaning wave – that explores the visualization of sound and vibration by directing sound waves through mediums like sand, water, or powders, cymatics and revealing the intricate patterns and structures formed. While cymatics demonstrates how sound vibrations create effect matter, research on binaural beats suggests that specific frequencies can help align the brain’s hemispheres, reducing stress, improving focus, and bringing multiple of the body’s systems into harmony and coherence.
Sound also deeply affects the nervous system. Low-frequency sounds, such as those often generated and used in sound baths, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a state of rest, repair, and healing. High-frequency sounds, meanwhile, can stimulate and energize the mind and body. This dual capability – to calm and center, or activate and energize – makes sound a versatile and powerful tool for exploring the mind-body connection and cultivating holistic wellbeing.
Now that we’ve outlined some foundational context and fundamentals of the philosophy of nada yoga – and related modern day fields of interest – let’s turn to the applications and practice of nada yoga.
Traditionally, nada yoga would have been practiced in two forms: ahata nada (external sound) and anahata nada (internal sound). While ahata nada involves the use of external sounds like droning, chanting, singing, or playing instruments, anahata nada focuses on listening to the subtle internal sounds that arise in deep meditation (at the end of this blog post, you’ll find an example of an introductory nada yoga practice where ‘grosser’ external sounds are used to move deeper into more subtle sounds).
Examples of Traditional External Sound Practices
Mantras: Chanting aloud or mentally repeating mantras is a cornerstone of nada yoga. Mantras create vibrations that resonate with the practitioner’s body and energy fields. Reciting mantras aloud produces external vibrations, while internal repetition directs awareness inward. A couple of example of mantras are:
Bijas or seed sounds/syllables associated with the chakras (check out this Yoga Journal article to learn more);
Vedic mantras like the Gayatri Mantra, and including devotional mantras to particular deities like Lakshmi, Kali Ma, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, etc.;
Buddhist mantras like the Compassion Mantra (om mane padme hum);
Christianity also contains prayers that are mantra-like, including the prayer(s) recited internally or aloud while praying the rosary, for example.
Bhakti yoga through chanting and devotional singing: In bhakti yoga, sound and song are used as a medium to express devotion. Singing kirtan – a style of call-and-response chanting of sacred mantras, hymns, and songs – immerses practitioners (musicians leading the kirtan, as well as those in the circle or audience as participants) in communal vibrations of devotion, love, and connection.
Indian classical music: Instruments like the sitar, sarod, bansuri (flute), tambura, violin, and tabla have long been used in meditative practices. The ragas in Indian classical music – which are the melodic frameworks that form the foundation of compositions and improvisations in this style of music – are designed to evoke specific emotional and spiritual states, guiding listeners to a deeper connection with themselves and the Divine.
Modern-Day Manifestations of Sound Practices
Mantra-based meditation: Using mantras in silent or guided meditations can help focus the mind and align it with higher qualities, vibrations, and forces. Apps and online platforms have made these practices widely accessible.
Kirtan circle and concerts: Popular kirtan artists like Krishna Das and Snatam Kaur have brought bhakti yoga, in general, and kirtan in particular, into contemporary settings, creating deeply moving musical experiences that were previously unknown to most people in the Western world. Now, it is not uncommon to be able to find kirtan musicians and/or bands performing at local yoga studios, healing centers, interfaith churches, and event centers in cities and towns across the U.S. and beyond.
Sound baths: This one, of course, is close to our heart here at Namaspa, as we have a number of sound healers who are a part of our community and teaching teams, and who share their gifts with us all regularly! Sound baths are a modern adaptation of more traditional sound healing philosophies and techniques and involve lying down and receiving waves of sound from instruments like singing bowls, gongs, and chimes. Each instrument’s frequencies interact with the body’s energy centers, promoting physical and emotional balance and opening pathways toward spiritual experiences.
Conscious/mindful/intentional music-listening: Beyond and in addition to explicitly traditional or spiritual music, consciously listening to any form of music – be it classical, instrumental, or your simply your current favorite artist – can become a meditative practice. By focusing on the nuances of sound, rhythm, and melody, for example, listeners can cultivate presence and mindfulness.
So, whether you’re a classically-trained musician interested in learning how to integrate your knowledge and skills into your spiritual practice and path, or a beginner without any instrumental or musical training at all, nada yoga has pathways and practices to explore! Nada yoga reminds us that sound is more than just an auditory experience and that it can be a gateway to spiritual experiences and profound transformation. From the ancient traditions of mantra chanting and Indian classical music to modern practices like sound baths and mindful listening, the Yoga of Sound offers tools to harmonize body, mind, and spirit.
This year, as a part of our New Year’s Yoga Festival (New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) nada yoga will be a central theme. Our teaching team will be offering multiple experiences that integrate the transformative power of sound with yoga and meditation, including yoga classes with live music by local musicians and sound bath experiences where intentional soundscapes will be created to interact with the body and body’s energy systems to promote relaxation and healing.
Join us at the New Year’s Festival to explore these practices and welcome 2025 with a vibration of mindfulness, love, and harmony.
An invitation into an introductory nada yoga practice:
Sit in a mostly-quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of this practice. Your eyes can be closed, or if it’s more comfortable for you, keep your eyes partially open by finding a place or object to rest your gaze on – a soft gaze, or a sort of ‘looking without looking’ experience.
Take 7-10 conscious and slightly bigger deeper breaths than your natural breath – in and out through your nose, mouth, or any combination. Use these breaths to begin to shift your attention from whatever you were doing previously, and from the external world, to becoming more present with yourself and more aware of your internal landscape.
Bring your attention to your ears and your sense of hearing. Let any sounds that are present simply ‘come in’ to your sense of hearing, and as much as possible, see if you can begin to reduce the amount of internal ‘labeling’ and ‘categorizing’ of the sounds your brain and mind often automatically does. For example, if you hear the heating system in your home, you might initially think to yourself something like: “that sound is the heat.” From that thought, move toward and into the experience of simply hearing and feeling the sound of the heating system. What does it feel like to just listen and let the vibration of the sound(s) ‘hit’ your eardrums.
Continue this practice by ‘stretching’ your sense of hearing as far as you can away from where you are sitting. In other words, see if you can find the ‘furthest away’ sound that is still audible to you, and move from the ‘labeling and categorizing’ of that sound or those sounds to the experience of simply listening and feeling them.
Depending on how much time you have, do this with one or more sounds that are far away; one or more sounds that are within the building or area where you’re sitting; and then with one or more sounds that are the closest to you. One of these closest sounds could be your own breath, or your pulse/heartbeat, but doesn’t have to be.
Next, imagine and feel yourself ‘listening’ to the air and space around your head and ears. Sometimes, there might be a sense of a buzz, vibration, tingling, or high-pitched noise; other times, it’s more like an experience of ‘listening to silence.’
Whatever your experience of this ‘listening’ to the air and space around you – whether buzz or vibration, or silence’ – spend the rest of the time you have for this meditation returning to this sense whenever your mind wanders, and letting it take you deeper inside yourself. Sometimes the sense of ‘buzz’ or ‘vibration’ will grow louder, and take on qualities of changing sounds, tones, waves, etc.; and again, sometimes it’s the sense of the silence growing or deepening in beautiful and profound ways.
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