Sound in Yoga

We had an amazing gathering last night at the studio for our monthly meditation/study group. Our mission was to explore mantra.

In verse 1:2 of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines yoga as a practice to reduce the fluctuations, or vrittis, of the mind. Last night we looked at how vrittis occur... creation itself exists due to movement. It is the vibrations in our universe that create matter. Therefore, your mind exists as movement. Vrittis are inevitable and necessary. It is when the movement of the mind, or vrittis, becomes randomized or uncontrolled that we are brought to suffering. Here is where yoga can help.

The movement in the mind, or vrittis, initiates more movement. Vrittis cannot exist without physical expression. Thoughts act upon the glands (hypothalmus, pituitary, etc....) to initiate physical movement. By exercising through yoga asana which are specifically designed to act upon the glands in a targeted manner, we can whittle away at the vrittis systematically. That is one reason why asana is almost sure to leave you feeling quieter and more relaxed.

In yoga philosophy, there are 50 different types of vrittis or categories of thought. When you look at illustrations of the chakra symbols, you will notice a flower like outline around each symbol. Each flower has a different number of petals. For example, the root chakra (muladhara) had four petals. Each petal represents a different vritti or kind of thought. Throughout the chakras (up to the throat chakra), there are increasing numbers of petals and an increasing number of thought types associated with each. As a movement occurs in the mind, if it cannot find adequate expression at that time, it will land as a vritti, represented by one of these petals. You can imagine how crowded these petals can get, philosophically speaking!

We know asana is a great tool for expressing these vrittis, but sound is also invaluable. Each petal has a specific sound associated with it. Chanting these sounds can stimulate the energy of that "petal".

Sounds a little fantastic, doesn't it? But there is even more depth to the philosophy. In sanskrit, the ancient language that we use for yogic chanting, each pronunciation of every syllable is designed to hit your voice making apparatus in a specific way. We viewed a chart, which I am happy to copy for you if you ask, that showed how an "r" or an "ah" sound hit either the back of the throat or tip of the tongue for example. As the sounds are produced in these various areas of the throat and mouth, different areas of the brain are stimulated. The sanskrit alphabet arranges syllables to shake out the vrittis in an artful way, like no other known language. So the very act of speaking the sacred words can reduce movement of the mind.

This is just the most rudimentary of overviews in this fascinating subject of sound & yoga. Tonal vibration, sankalpa (resolve or intention) and bhavana (conscious direction of energy) all play into its power.

To explore the power of mantra to calm the mind for meditation, we chose "Om Namah Shivaya", a powerful yet universal chant that announces our willingness and intention to bow to the inner wisdom - the part of us that remains intact when all else fades. Many of us were delighted to discover how much easier it was to relax into meditation with this practice. For those of you who have wondered why there is 108 beads on the mala or why a chant is traditionally said 108 times, here is a great article to check out.
www.swamij.com/108.htm

Our next meeting is Tuesday Nov 30 where we will begin to explore duality : sun/moon, male/female, Shiva/Shakti. This is yoga's way of helping us understand all those opposites in our lives like joy/pain, rich/poor, dark/light. For more information on membership at the Yoga Centre of Niagara, please consult our website, www.yogacentreniagara.com.