ABOUT MEDICINE MUSIC

The Benefits of Medicine Music in Daily Life

Identifies blockages, reduces stress and strengthens the nervous system.

Enhances emotional well-being, optimising energy flow in the body.

Improves focus, clarity, learning and memory

Unblocks the creative spirit

Experience new ways to listen to music whilst changing your brain 's physiology .

Medicine Music has both preventative and therapeutic benefits and is a purifying process

Our work is suited to anyone interested in seeking peace, wellbeing and enjoying a state of higher consciousness in daily life.

We have presented Medicine Music talks and workshops to major yoga conferences, yoga centres, universities, hospitals, institutions and to the general public. We have also been featured on national network television.

Medicine Music can be presented in the following ways -

Kirtan - a form of meditation, involves devotional singing in Sanskrit and Hindu devotional songs, chanting of God's glories. In the tradition, it is sacred sound, repeated in prayer, that has an inherent power to bring into being the reality it represents. It is generally presented in the call and response style. (Chanting mantras elicits a feeling of wellbeing, upliftment and peace). We have chosen very well known, powerful and popular Indian chants, with words printed for the convenience of participants. Today, Kirtan is growing in popularity as a participatory live music, healing and inspirational experience all over the world, particularly in the US where it is experienced in thousands of yoga studios and concert halls. As Ron says, in a typical Kirtan session, it is not just listening to the music and chant - the participants become a channel for the divine sound.

A concert based around classical Indian music, featuring an array of traditional and modern instruments and voice, performed by Vicki and Ron - sometimes in collaboration with other musicians. Audiences forget their worries and stresses, often getting lost in the magic of their music. They can experience tears of joy one moment, sheer ecstasy the next. Whilst appreciating that music is for entertainment, their raga sangeet takes the listener deep into a meditation that is healing, nourishing and fulfilling. Their music is a bridge to the ancient wisdom of Vedanta and a journey into many other cultures and traditions; an expression of spontaneity and a joyful celebration of life.

"We are grateful to you for conducting a workshop on Nada Yoga (Yoga of Sound) which was very well appreciated, at the "Yoga - Science of Infinite Possibilities" conference held on 21 and 22 August 2004 at Sydney University. Your rendition of music provided a grand finale to two glorious days"

- Swami Atmeshananda , Vice President, Vedanta Centre of Sydney

Satsang ( a Sanskrit word meaning a spiritual community, coming together seeking 'sat' (truth)) and includes dialogues on music and consciousness, devotional singing and discussion. Satsang provides a supportive environment for people to look within in a world dominated by one's attention always being 'out there'. The elevated company also takes the form of hearing or reading inspirational spiritual texts, reflecting on them and discussing their meaning.

Sacred Sound Yoga Workshop. A detailed explanation on the science of sound, the relationship between sound and the chakras; the therapeutic power of music that changes brain physiology and enhances emotional well-being, enriching one's life.

Lecture Since the dawn of the new century, Ron and Vicki have worked to change the mindset of people through an exploration of the nature of consciousness and sound. They demonstrate how different sound frequencies affect the human body and brings about changes to the heartbeat, breath and brain physiology. Through their talks and music, they encourage people to focus on the mind and spirit. It is a transformation that they bring into people's lives that will affect the consciousness of the 21st Century.

Any combination of the above can be presented in a session or weekend workshop.

More About Medicine Music

The western focus on yoga to date has been the physical and measurable health benefits that result from a prolonged practice of this tradition. The postures or asanas often presented as yoga represent only a proportion of what is described as a psycho spiritual technology.

Whilst Medicine Music is not aligned to any particular religion, it is nevertheless rooted in the spiritual dimension of life. One's relationship to oneself and fellow beings, inner conflicts, destructive habit patterns, all have as their final destination the realisation of the self beyond the ego self.

Our western history is rich in the examples of the fruitfulness of bringing two sets of techniques, two sets of ideas, developed in separate contexts in pursuit of truth in contact with each other.

Whilst MM workshops explore music and yoga as the main modalities it utilizes a multimodal approach whilst still following a path that is thousands of years old.

The term yoga is derived from the sanskrit verb "yuj" meaning to yoke or unite and is often referred to uniting the body, mind and spirit. Yoga is an ancient tradition that began in Indian prehistory as a system of mental, physical and spiritual exercises.

In approximately 500 BC the physician and sage Patanjali formalised this tradition into a science with four major and four lesser branches involving ethical restraint, self discipline, mental focus, physical exercise and meditation. The entire system was used in and integrated fashion to attain one's maximum potential

When we look at the origins of music we observe the sages and rishis of ancient India were very wise and respected, they were great philosophers and men of religion. They lived a pure life in the forest close to nature and spent hours in meditation on many subjects from medicine, music, astrology, astronomy along with the practice of yogic traditions.

The ancient rishis studied the sounds of the animals and the birds and discovered they made musical sounds and here we have the origins of the musical scale on which it is founded.

This is also the basis of Nada yoga which is the science of sound. Underlying all music is the knowledge of musical intervals, those specific distances between notes dividing the musical octave. So we we see the tradition of sacred sound has its origins very clearly rooted in the Vedas and carries that tradition into the schools of Indian classical music. Nada yoga urges the practitioner to listen to the body and to the Universe with both inner and outer ear tuning into those frequencies that make up the infrastructure of our existence. It can be most commonly experienced through the ragas.

The rishis discovered a particular sequence in which the notes were used produced a pleasing effect and that is the meaning of RAGA – to create a pleasing effect. Because ragas are made up of a combination of notes the raga also has a collective frequency which when understood can be used to heal the body.

The rishis and sages were not just the greatest original musicians they were great yogic practitioners as well which means to attain a state of self realisation through the discipline and practice of yoga.

They found a relationship between the musical notes and the body and how to heal the body through this understanding. Music is a channel for the divine energies to flow through If it comes from purity and then God's love can be carried by the notes, through the melody and rhythm and can go on to change the world. This then is yoga of sound as used in a holistic way.

See events page for workshop dates