Sacred Sound with Yoga Nada

Exploring the Healing Power of Yoga Nada - By Danielle Timms

Reading time: 3 minutes

Yoga Nada, means union through sound. It's an ancient technique that is used to bring the energy points into alignment and balance, through the vibration of matter (as we all hold over 70% of water in the body which can vibrate with sound), connecting and moving the emotional body.

It can have many benefits to our overall health and wellbeing. There are two main Yoga Nadas, internal and external. Both are meant to create inner peace in the body and mind.

Anahata:

The internal sound*, is listing inwards to your own breath and heart beat, known as Anahata. Taking the focus inwards is used as a form of meditation, allowing stillness and peace to flood the body and mind. Listening to the sounds of the body, helps to soften and relax the muscles and fascia; telling the nervous system it is safe and can release stored tension.

Another way internal sound can be used is through Chanting with the breath; this is why we often Chant OM on the exhale. Working with the energy body, each Chakra holds a individual vibrational sound and has it's own Chant (from the Root, LAM to the Heart, YAM).

Ahata:

The external sound, is the sound of the natural world. In ancient times our ancestors believed the beat of the heart represented the rhythm of the earth. Many Sages and Shamans would use shamanic drumming as a form to connect to their heartbeat as a spiritual practice.

They would hold the drums near their heart when playing to create a healing vibration. Often gathering together in tribe to sing and move, creating ecstatic dance. This had a community aspect, bonding and connecting to each other and nature.

The fascinating thing about sound is understanding why it moves us. Have you ever listened to a song and been overcome with a flood of emotions? This is because water holds memory, and our bodies are 70% made of water. The Water Memory Theory states that water can retain memory and we hold such memory within our cells.

This might be why music holds such power in our emotional body, as it can create peace, joy, sadness and remembrance (because it holds memory in the body); this is why sound is sacred.