Do you know nada brahma was mentioned in the Rig Veda that dates back to the roots of Sanskrit? Nada Yoga refers to sound, since Nad is the Sanskrit term of the same. It signifies the union of the body with the self. It refers to the process of flow of human consciousness and its interconnecting nature with the human body.
The yoga form causes relaxation and dilation, reduces aches and pains and anxieties associated with chemotherapy. It is true that mind and body are dual, but they both are interlinked, one affecting the other. Therefore, through calming of mind, a soothing sensation is allowed to overflow in the body of the individual. Best practiced in midnight in the dark, one can perform it anytime of the day after sufficient practice. The four stages of sound are explained in a scientific manner:
1. Vaikhari (audible sound): The first stage of nada is called Vaikhari. It can be easily pronounced and can be heard easily as well. Friction causes the sound to be universally heard by humans and reproduced as well.
2. Madhyama (mental sound, un-struck sound): A low frequency sound that is higher than the former but lower than the rest, is the sound of whisper. A sound is produced due to collision but whispering does not produce sound gross enough to cause a largely perceivable disturbance. Due to its transient nature, it acts as a bridge between the consciousness and unconsciousness.
3. Pashyanta (a subconscious sound): The third stage of frequency has no sensory stimulus on the ears but on the eyes. It is a sound that can be seen. No matter how absurd it sounds, the existence is compared to a music we hear in dreams. The existence of sound in the subconscious dimension of dreams gave its name Pashyanta.
A chant of Rama’s name mentally with eyes closed gives a form and color to the sound. The inner eye can visualize it in a sphere where the external existence of other sounds fails to penetrate the attained consciousness.
4. Paranada (transcendent sound): This one has the highest frequency that with zero vibration. The ‘Om’ sound is Paranada that is composed of pure energy and light. The ultra frequency renders the sound inaudible to human ears. Om is said to reverberate through the veins of the universe.
Para means ‘the other side’, a state of super consciousness where sound exists in an unexplored dimension. As science tells us, our ears can perceive a limited range of audio waves. The multiple states of vibration of a sound pass through some of the phases which we cannot hear due to their negligible vibration. The Vedas tells us that such sounds present in the celestial cosmos that we are not aware of.
A sound at its highest point becomes motionless, also called Para Nada. ‘Om’ is a manifestation as we can hear it. Hence it is physical and perceivable. The Upanishads thus clearly mention “That is Om, that sound is Om.”
