Page 51 - NAMAH-Jul-2025

Namah Vol. 33, Issue 2, 15th July 2025

As final speaker, Arnab presented an oral too. A superset of SARGAM is the Rāga or
paper titled ‘Heal Through Rhythm: Where Rāgam, which can be defined as melodic
Yoga of Music meets Medicine’ followed by modes with healing potential. This healing
a concluding workshop as practicum titled, potential comes from the associativity of Rāgas
‘Know Your Rhythm — training programme to Nava Rasas, emotional archetypes which
blending Music Therapy and Yoga Therapy’. are Rāgas can also be mapped to Prahars, i.e.
Scientific conference brochure: https:// unit of time across the day and sometimes
ninad.in/IYD-2024-JIPMER-Brochure.pdf specific Ritu or season. Tāla or Tālam, consists
of complex rhythmic structures vocalised and
Abstract: ‘Heal Through Rhythm: Where played with phonemes such Ta, Ka, Dhi, Mi,
Yoga of Music meets Medicine’ Dha, Dhin. Raaga and Tāl working hand-in-
hand and determine the important notion
We are told by our RRssis that the universe of Laya, tempo, defined in Beats per Minute
started with a cosmic sound vibration or BPM just like our pulse rate. Laya, Rāga,
called, AUM or OM. They experienced this Tāla and Rasa have the power to influence
primordial sound during heightened states us as Rasikas or receivers of Rasa, or Srota
of awareness attained in deep meditation. or listeners, creating significant changes to
The Aitareya Brāhmanna of the RRgveda, in our physical health parameters and mental-
section 5.32, suggests that the three phonetic health parameters including haemodynamic
components of Om (a + u + m) correspond to parameters such as pulse rate, blood
the three stages of cosmic creation, and when pressure, cortisol levels and assessment via
it is read or said, it celebrates the creative psychometric questionnaire.
powers of the universe. Each letter A, U,
M indicates one of these three in ascending In a clinical setting, a Rasika or Srota could be
order and the syllable as a whole brings out either the patient, i.e. care receiver or even
the fourth state, Turīya, which rises to the the care-gives or both. In this oral paper,
Absolute. The RRssis believed that mantras evidence-based case studies from Know Your
consist of elementary sound vibrations Rhythm illustrated how integrating Music
that reflect various aspects of the Universe. with Yoga Therapy can benefit the well-
Etymologically, the word mantra consists being for the care receiver. Know Your Rhythm
of two syllables: “man” - which goes back blends the paradigms of Yoga of Music and
to the Sanskrit word for “mind”, and “tra”, Mantra with Yoga Therapy which includes
which means “instrument”. Thus, a mantra is Mudrā, Prānnāyam and Yoga Nidrā. Two case
a tool of the mind that helps a person to know studies were presented from evidence-based
himself. It is known that mantras have several published studies where Know Your Rhythm
levels of interpretation. The depth of their played a critical role.
understanding depends on the diligence of
the practitioner of Mantra Yoga. AUM is one The presentation concluded with the release
of the bīja mantras mapped to cakras, which are of the video focused on Śānti Mantra from
d
essentially the intersection of 108 meridians. Garuda Purāna (35.51). Śānti Mantra is dedicated
Similarly, we have musical phonemes SĀ, RE, to peace and well-being and is the closing
GĀ, MĀ, PĀ, DHĀ, NI mapped to chakras mantra for Common Yoga Protocol, Ministry

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