FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SACRED SOUND YOGA

Q. What is Sacred sound ?

  A. Sacred Sound yoga is a path of exploration of consciousness through the medium of sound. The human body is like a musical instrument expressing different frequencies and rhythms. It responds to different sound frequencies and undergoes changes to heartbeat, breath and the brains physiology changes. So the aim of sound yoga is to bring the body in alignment with their natural vibration. It is journey through sound to the realms of the mystic and an understanding of consciousness as the agent that makes enlightenment possible.

  Q Is sound yoga akin to music therapy?

  A. Music therapy is an established health care profession that uses music to address the physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of people and seeks to improve the quality of their life. On the other hand whilst sound yoga addresses these factors it is much more than that.

  Q. Is sound yoga then a path to enlightenment?

  A. Sound yoga prepares the spiritual aspirant for enlightenment. In the dictionary “Enlightenment” is described  in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions as the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation characterized by the extinction of desire and suffering.  Sound yoga is a pathway to enlightenment that uses sound to transcend the ego/mind. (Every spiritual pathway is simply based on different approaches for transcending the ego/mind). Sound yoga is a tool that we use to clear the obstacles and purify the pathway. Life is then seen in a different context and it helps us to reorientate human experience. Enlightenment is a progressive realization. It means that prior to enlightenment the former identity and all that had been believed of self have been dissolved and transcended.

Q Is Sound yoga then a philosophy?

  A. Philosophy is made up of two words “philo” meaning “love” and “sophia” meaning   wisdom. So it is both love and wisdom. But yoga sound is more than that it is an effective tool we use on   the pathway that leads to enlightenment. The nature of Divinity has been described accurately by the great incarnations that have taken their birth in the East and the tradition of yoga sound is of Indian heritage. In this tradition the frequencies of sound are used to purify the passageway to divinity so yoga can take place naturally and spontaneously. The continuous practice of the yoga, study, purity of intention and familiarity raises consciousness eventually leading to enlightenment.

Q. How do you define mysticism?

  A. Mysticism can be defined as a belief based on the personal  testimony of mystics that God, Truth can be directly experienced. It also includes teachings and practices that can be passed on. Mysticism has been found throughout the ages and is at the heart of the world’s spiritual traditions. As the Buddha said the Ultimate authority of truth is not any scripture or dogma but one’s own experience.

Q. Can you describe what yoga is?

  The term Yoga means “union” and the many different techniques of yoga are all aimed at unifying human nature with that of the Divine. It is also referred to as the union between the Self with a Higher Universal Consciousness (Spirit). It began in ancient India as a system of physical, mental and spiritual exercises. After yoga has taken place a new level of human awareness becomes accessible to consciousness and one becomes completely spontaneous and draws knowledge and awareness directly from the cosmic principles without the intellect and ego getting in the way.

Q Are there different types of sound yoga?.

  A Yes there is, the teachings reflect the local culture and traditions from which the teachings are drawn from. The different forms can be useful in different ways in helping different people with different needs.

Q. Does yoga sound use any asanas?.

A. Sound yoga is traditionally defined as meditation. In the west people are more drawn to the asana tradition or posture side of yoga which is the most popular and not the meditation side. The posture side appeals to the physically oriented culture of the western mind but yoga traditionally defines itself as meditation not as asana  which is taught merely as an aid to meditation.