Each of the four elements previously described in this section — posture, breath, sound, and movement — embodies a specific stream of Sound Yoga. Posture embodies shabda, the word; breath embodies shakti, energy; movement embodies bhava, or devotion; and, of course, sound embodies nada, the flowing current of sound itself. The fifth element of Sound Yoga — consciousness — is the natural by-product of all of these elements and streams. When all the elements and streams work together seamlessly as an integrated practice, the experience of pure consciousness is unveiled. This is samadhi, the ultimate goal of yoga and of all spiritual endeavors.
We began chapter one with the idea that our species is suffering from an imbalance. “Human beings, with their disproportionate emphasis on seeing, have brought on the excess of rationality, of analysis and abstraction, whose breakdown we are now witnessing,” claims musicologist and sonic scholar Joachim-Ernst Berendt.1 Berendt further explains that the emerging “new consciousness,” or “new thought” movement, which has been at the forefront of many of the developing paradigms in science, psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and art, has failed to point out one important fact: that the new consciousness will be the consciousness of a hearing people. We must therefore refine our hearing to the degree that it can effectively contribute to a breakthrough in consciousness. The purpose of the Yoga of Sound is to contribute to this evolution in consciousness by enhancing our cellular attunement to the rhythms of nature, aligning our own energy fields with those of the universe, and heightening our sensory faculties through intensified hearing abilities.
DR. ALFRED A. TOMATIS, a revolutionary medical doctor and philosopher born in France, laid the groundwork for a new multidisciplinary science called Audio-Psycho-Phonology. His insights, which explain “the way we listen,” have had a profound impact. In the early 1950s, Dr. Tomatis discovered that listening problems are the root cause of many learning problems.2
Tomatis began his work as an ear, nose, and throat specialist by trying to heal opera singers who had injured their hearing through the intensity of their own voice. His discovery that the voice can reflect the ear’s ability to hear, a phenomenon known as the Tomatis Effect, is now applied in clinics worldwide to effectively treat a number of conditions, including autism and learning disabilities.3 The Tomatis Effect complements the Sufi message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, which states that the human voice is a barometer of the human spirit, which in turn can be radically affected by working with the voice.
According to sound healer and educator Don Campbell, Tomatis’s research defines the ear as a primary organ for multiple physical, emotional, and neurological development responses.4 Tomatis discovered not only that the ear is to be credited for its complex ability to send information to the brain and the body (a task that is primary for hearing and sound perception), but also that our sense of hearing is crucial to our sense of balance and equilibrium.
The Tomatis method has proven that poor balance and difficulty in coordinating body movement can be rectified by correcting inconsistencies in the ear. The Tomatis method has also been successfully used to treat distractibility, restlessness, daydreaming, poor attention, and poor concentration in learning situations by rectifying inconsistencies in hearing. All these conditions can be considered symptomatic of listening problems, explains Campbell, because listening integrates sensations and perceptions.5 In other words, hearing is crucial to the development and evolution of consciousness.
The ear training method of Tomatis is strikingly similar to the process of Hatha Yoga, which systematically works to increase physical balance and mental concentration through its postures. You may also want to recall the image of the ear proportioned by the golden mean discussed in chapter twelve as you read the following poem by Emily Dickinson:6
The Spirit is the Conscious Ear —
We actually Hear
When We inspect — that’s audible
— That is admitted — Here —
For other Services —
as Sound — There hangs a smaller Ear
Outside the Castle — that Contain —
The other — only — Hear —
Interestingly, Tomatis titled his autobiography The Conscious Ear: My Life of Transformation Through Listening.7
FOR THOUSANDS of years, the East has been preoccupied with consciousness. It is only now that Westerners are beginning to examine this fundamental quality in our own nature and in the universe. The West has always perceived God and Spirit as something separate from the world, separate from material existence. The East saw Spirit as consciousness, integral and intrinsic to all existence — material and nonmaterial — at every level of being. The deepest, or ultimate, plane is the realm of pure consciousness, pure spirit.
What happens when we start to take away our thoughts, our images, our concepts, our opinions, even our beliefs? What remains is consciousness. All our perceptions are just forms that our consciousness takes — appearances, so to speak. This has been the fundamental preoccupation of yoga: to eliminate the appearances, the illusion of maya, and discover the ultimate reality of Brahman, or pure consciousness.
Understanding Patanjali’s statement that “yoga is the cessation of the modification and movements of the mind stuff ” is the primary prerequisite to perceiving this pure consciousness. It clears the mirror. A parallel statement in Christianity is that of St. Paul: “Now we see clouded, as though in a mirror, but then [in the mystical state] we shall see face to face.” This, too, is the perception of pure consciousness — except that consciousness is not a function of time. “Without moving,” says the Eesha Upanishad, “the Spirit is everywhere.” This means that wherever we go, wherever our body or mind travels, in waking or in dreaming, there our consciousness is. Even the biblical Psalmist prays:
Oh where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there, too.
If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.
Psalm 139
Our consciousness — from which we derive our identity, our sense of “I-ness” — is not dependent on space or time, explains Peter Russell, a physicist who has worked with Eastern philosophy and experimental psychology for several decades.8 Consciousness begins with awareness: sensing our environment, sensing ourselves, sensing each other. Slowly we begin to sense the awareness of our being aware — not of something in particular, but the very awareness of awareness. This is the emergence of consciousness. This is when awareness is transformed into something deeper, fuller, and more independent.
Consciousness does not depend on an object. It simply is. The Hebrew name for God, “YHWH,” means “I am that I am.” This proclamation can be reflected infinitely as in facing mirrors: I am that I am that I am that I am . . . In other words, “I am consciousness.” Consciousness has infinite depth, infinite height, infinite breadth, and infinite length. It proceeds infinitely inward and infinitely outward. The movements inherent within the vowels, as well as the streams of sacred sound that we have worked with, are essential to the expansion and development of our consciousness.
Consciousness is also timeless. “Before Abraham was, I am,” said Jesus. Our normal experience of the passing of time is derived from change, explains Peter Russell.9 The cycle of day and night, the beating of the heart, the passing of thoughts — all these reflect motions in time. Consciousness, on the other hand, is associated with our deepest sense of “I” and is eternal; it never changes. This deep identity of the true self, immersed in pure consciousness, is the objective of yoga practice.
The various forms of consciousness that we perceive as a result of our sensory experiences and our mental states — forms and patterns we identify with — are not our true, unchanging, eternal self. Each of these forms of consciousness has its own specific vibratory frequency. They are literally our personal “vibes,” emanating from our core or simply orbiting our personal center. But pure consciousness transcends all attributes. It is that transpersonal presence of Nirguna Brahman — Spirit beyond all form or attribute. Eventually, when all form has been transformed, the pure form of consciousness remains. An ancient Zen koan asks the question: “If you blot out sense and sound, what do you hear?” The answer is samadhi, the vibration of pure consciousness.
THE WORD sama means “calm” or “tranquil.” It is the state of mind personified by dharma, a harmony with all the laws of the universe. Aadhi means “primal.” In other words, when action (karma) is in harmony with the laws of the universe, it becomes dharma, the universal code of truth. This is establishment in samadhi. Another interpretation of the word “samadhi” is that it is the primal, undisturbed state of the mind, free from all distractions and preoccupations. It is primordial union, perfect harmony with all that is, a goal to be realized by the yogi. The process of yoga is to still all the fluctuations of mind and body to reveal this primal state, which is always there, always present. Consciousness is often associated with light, just as sound is associated with matter. The Yoga of Sound, we can say, is the alchemical process of transforming matter into light, and incarnating light into matter.
Light, explains Peter Russell, is the sense of “I” that pervades our existence and that of every being on this planet; it is that common place from which we all derive our existence and identity, directly from the Divine, which is pure consciousness itself. This is why, at the deepest level of our existence, it is natural to feel so much in union (yoga) with pure consciousness, and why mystics around the world have proclaimed: “I am God,” “I am Brahman.” This is not the individual human personality making the statement, but the knowledge of pure being that utters it. Samadhi is the state of being established in this deepest level of identity. There is no subject-object relationship here, as indicated by the following story. An amazing Jesuit priest by the name of Anthony De Mello once used it to explain the state of pure consciousness, or samadhi. I retell it with a Hindu flavor and in a way that applies directly to our Yoga of Sound process:
An old woman was seen going into a temple early each morning when the gates opened. Without budging even for a cup of water, she sat in front of the shrine all day, absorbed in deep meditation. Dutifully, she stood up at the last bell and walked out when the gates were about to be closed at night. The priest, somewhat curious, questioned her one day. “You seem to have a lot to talk to Shiva about,” he prodded jokingly. The old woman looked deep and penetratingly into the pujari’s eyes. “That’s true,” she replied. “But we’re done talking in a couple of hours. At first I talk and Shiva listens. Later, Shiva speaks; I listen. As the day unfolds, neither of us speaks; we both listen. But as evening approaches, neither of us speaks, and neither of us listens.”
This is the process of sacred sound. It is a means of approaching the unknowable Brahman. Via sound, we progress through deeper levels of silence until we arrive at para, that level of sound where there is neither subject nor object. By persisting in our practice of the Yoga of Sound, we arrive at that place of pure consciousness. All obstructions have been burned up by the fire of our devotion and the power of our mantras. Consciousness alone remains.
IN 1908, an Austrian psychiatrist named Hans Berger discovered the existence of oscillating electrical waves in the brain. He named them “alpha” waves because they were the first electrical activity discovered in the brain. The publication of his findings in 1908 spurred an interest in these electrical waves. Early scientists mapped out different types of brain waves (alpha, beta, delta, and theta) and began to do psychophysical studies on the “natural reactivity” of these brain waves to sensory stimulation. None of these early investigators ever imagined that people could learn voluntary control of their own brain waves, which were thought to be an exclusively autonomic function. In 1962, with the emergence of biofeedback through a report of Dr. Joe Kamiya, the West discovered what yogis had known and practiced for thousands of years: that states of consciousness can be voluntarily induced.10
The four brain-wave states mapped out by scientists range from very rapid to very slow frequencies. In other words, the brain emits waves, and these frequencies are measured in hertz (Hz), or cycles per second. A normal person in the waking state generates beta waves of 13-30 Hz. This is our state of active awareness or active consciousness during our regular hours of work and play. When we are mentally awake and alert yet relaxed, we produce alpha waves in the range of 8-12 Hz. This is a coveted frequency range, as we are powerfully creative and productive in this state, drawing from a deep place of innate wisdom and limitless possibility.
When we sleep, we produce theta waves, from 3-7 Hz. An interesting meeting point is the alpha-theta range, a type of half-asleep, half-awake state — the type of consciousness that can also be induced by drugs such as LSD and MDMA (ecstasy). This amazing state of consciousness allows us to sense the energy of people and things fairly acutely.
The deepest level of consciousness mapped out by scientists is the delta state, an impressively slow frequency of 0.5-2 Hz. The brain goes into this wave pattern when a person is in a coma or suffering from a drug overdose. In other words, the delta state simulates a near-death experience. This state can also be temporarily produced by drugs such as sleeping pills and barbiturates.
These brain-wave states can be compared to the four states of consciousness symbolized by the mantra Om: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and turiya. They can also be associated with the four stages of linguistic sound developed by the Vedic grammarians: vaikari, madhyama, pashyanti, and para. And we can seek to produce these states of consciousness through the four types of mantra utterances described by Tantric yogis: vacaka, upaamsu, maanasa, and tusnim. The deeper we get into the Yoga of Sound, the more realistic this possibility becomes — provided, of course, that we apply the methods properly.
Brain researchers also discovered that if the left ear is subjected to a specific frequency, say 400 Hz, and the right ear to a different one, say 410 Hz, the brain registers the difference between the two and emits a wave of the frequency that represents that difference (10 Hz, in this example). In other words, you can get your brain to emit specific waves and enter specific states of consciousness by pairing up sets of musical frequencies, a combination known as “binaural frequencies” or “binaural beats.” This is what happens when we chant; the repetitive combinations of frequencies that make up the musical intervals of our chanting cause our brain to emit specific waves that deepen our states of consciousness.
The deeper we journey into ourselves using sound, the slower our brain waves become. The paradox is that instead of becoming dead to the world as our brain waves slow down, we awaken! We awaken to the true meaning and purpose of life, which is the experience of consciousness. Rather than fill ourselves with drugs that harm our body, mantras and musical tones can actually induce states of consciousness that propagate self-realization and samadhi. It’s a cheaper, safer, decidedly organic way to alter consciousness. This is the ultimate benefit of Yoga of Sound practice: it is an alchemy of the soul.
PROGRESS ALONG the spiritual path is best measured in terms of consciousness, which becomes more refined, heightened, spacious, deep, full, and rich as we journey inward. An evolved consciousness also contains all the spiritual qualities we admire: peace, love, joy, freedom, confidence, connectedness, integrity, wholeness, and abundance. Although the word “consciousness” is often used interchangeably with “awareness,” I would like to contrast these two terms to help define this fifth element of Sound Yoga.
Spiritual practice begins with awareness, but it should lead to consciousness. Awareness is the individual self sensing an objective reality. Consciousness, on the other hand, is the very substratum of all existence; it is intrinsically self-aware. Awareness is dualistic: “I am aware of something.” Consciousness simply is; it is nondualistic and all-pervasive, as in “I am.” Awareness is partial; when we are aware of something, our perception singles out that object from other things. Consciousness is complete and inclusive; it is a sense of the whole, all parts included.
You can be “aware” without fully developing your consciousness; you can sense something without realizing its complete significance. Consciousness, on the other hand, includes awareness, intelligence, perception, and the ability to respond creatively on behalf of a larger body. In consciousness, awareness becomes cosmic; all its components function on behalf of a collective whole.
Spiritual practice should always be undertaken on behalf of the whole. That is why the systematic development of consciousness is essential to spirituality.
FOR THOUSANDS of years, yogis have practiced yoga nidra, a healing and spiritually nourishing exercise that can significantly alter our brain-wave patterns and take us to the realm of pure consciousness. In this state, the body is able to renew itself spiritually and energetically, and you can see your way through complex problems — be they spiritual, personal, or work-related — and then return to your life with renewed spirit and confidence.
Although yoga nidra may be practiced at any time of day or night, it is best to perform it when you are relaxed and alert. We often forget the value of proper relaxation, which actually increases our productivity and helps us achieve more by allowing us to expend less energy. In the following exercise, we will use the word “awareness” to help us progress toward a heightened consciousness. Eventually, both words will point to the same experience.
Acute listening, feeling, and receptivity are the objective of yoga nidra. Through this exercise, we learn to hear and feel the vibrations of our body and our mind, not just with our physical ears but also with our spiritual ears, our intuition, and the deepest sensitivities of our soul.
To perform yoga nidra, make sure that you are wearing loose-fitting clothing, preferably without underwear. The ideal is to wear no clothing — just being clothed with the sky.
1. Lie down in the corpse position, savasana, and allow a deep letting-go to take place. This means that we don’t push anything out of our awareness, nor do we encourage anything to remain in our field of sensing. Allow your awareness to pass into the region of your head and sense your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and cheeks, and the sides, top, and back of your head. Stay aware of all sensations, whether pleasant or unpleasant. This is a bit like taking stock of your inventory without making plans about what you are going to do with it.
As you take stock, allow your thinking mind and your imagination to rest without judgment or commentary; observe any visual manifestations of energy in each region you explore. Generally, your sensations may appear as images, colors, shapes, or patterns in your mind’s eye. Also stay attuned to sonic manifestations of energy, which may take the form of words, sounds, rhythms, or vibratory textures.
2. Shift your awareness smoothly from your head to your throat, and practice the same totality of awareness. Feel the texture of energy caused by the passage of air in your throat, and deliberately regulate its flow by performing the audible breath. Make sure your face stays relaxed as you perform this subtly controlled breathing, allowing a steady stream of energy to flow in and out of your body.
3. Let go of the controlled, audible breathing and move your awareness into your chest and solar plexus. Isolate your breathing to your upper chest by keeping your stomach relaxed. Gradually settle down in your heart-space and stay visually present to all manifestations of energy in your chest region. Keep your mind free of all deliberate activity as you listen intently to all the sounds that register, such as your pulse and heartbeat.
4. Isolate your breathing to your lower lungs, around your abdomen; your mid-chest and upper chest should stay relaxed. Observe the inflation and deflation of your abdomen as you continue to breathe this way for a short while. Inhale deeply into your lower lungs and hold the breath inside for a moment; release the breath slowly, relaxing your body and allowing your awareness to descend into your pelvis and genital region. Relax your upper, middle, and lower lungs and try to isolate your breathing to the region just above your pelvic area. Observe the effects of this type of breathing around your genitals, and stay aware of the sensations that register there. Be present to any pulsations, images, or sounds as they manifest in and around your sex organs.
5. Move your awareness down farther, into the base of your spinal column, and become aware of your anal opening. Gently contract and relax the anal sphincter muscles (performing the ashwini mudra; see appendix two), which you can work in rhythm with your breath or at whatever pace is comfortable for you. After a while, let go of these contractions and move your awareness into your thighs; stay present to all the sensations in your upper legs. Slowly move into your calves, then your ankles, and eventually rest your awareness in your feet; stay present to the sensations in your toes and the soles of your feet. Allow your entire body to sink into the floor and merge with the energy of the earth (or whatever material you are lying on).
IN THE REVERSE PROCESS, you will keep your entire body relaxed; there will be no controlled activity of breath or muscle. We will use the word “consciousness” instead of “awareness” from this moment onward. While earlier you might have felt somewhat removed from your sensations, everything you will now experience will feel grounded and much more immediate to your sensing.
1. FEET TO HEAD: Starting with the feet, slowly allow your consciousness to creep up your legs, feeling the heaviness of your muscles as though something is gently pushing through you, like a serpent entering your body. This experience may take a visual form, such as smoke or a golden glow that makes its way up your body. Direct your consciousness slowly and deliberately up your body until it reaches the top of your head, allowing it to penetrate every cell and tissue in its path. The movement of your consciousness is accentuated by the stillness of your body. When you arrive at your head, stay there and take in all the sensations manifesting in your head, as you did when you started this practice.
2. HEAD TO FEET: Journey downward into your throat and toward your feet without controlling your breathing in any way. Keep still and relaxed; allow your body to breathe naturally while your consciousness explores each region. Don’t spend too much time in one place, but don’t spend too little time, either. Above all, don’t skip over a region.
3. UP AND DOWN: Journey consciously from your feet to your head, but do it a little faster, making sure you aren’t going faster than will allow you to take in all the energy and sensations you are encountering on your path. Travel up and down your body a few times as fast as is comfortable for you. Your speed should match your consciousness in one smooth process.
4. REST: Eventually, come to rest. Choose a point of reference in your body, such as the movement of your abdomen, your heartbeat, or the delicate sensation of your breath in your nostrils. Keep your mind free from deliberate thoughts or images, but don’t suppress what naturally arises. Refrain from following ideas or feeding images that pop up; stay attuned to all that is going on in the entire field of energy that is your body.
5. BRINGING CLOSURE: When you are ready to emerge from this experience, initiate movement in your body. Start by flexing your toes. Then move your feet and shake your legs gently without disturbing the upper part of your body. Next, flex your fingers and hands; shake your arms and forearms lightly. Finally, move your head slowly from side to side, then stretch your whole body any way you feel inclined to. Roll over onto your left side, and use your right hand to raise yourself up in a way that minimizes pressure on your spine. (You can reverse this process if you are left-handed.)
6. Sit quietly for a few minutes before you resume normal activities.
SELF-REALIZATION and consciousness are to the East what love and justice are to the West. The realization of consciousness is the realization of our immortality; it is what remains after death. The Indian mystic Kabir urges us: “Oh Friend! Hope for the Divine whilst you live, know whilst you live, understand whilst you live; for in life deliverance abides.”11 Matter, life, energy, and intelligence are ultimately consciousness; the whole purpose of the Yoga of Sound is to realize the fullness of this consciousness. This depth of consciousness is available to us, right here and right now, in this body, in this life, in this world.
This is full, that is full
From fullness, fullness proceeds
Taking fullness away from fullness
Fullness alone remains.
Poor-na-ma-da-ha, Poor-nam-idam
Poor-naat, Poor-nam Udach-ya-te
Poor-nas-ya, Poor-na-maa-daa-ya
Poor-nam-eva, Ava-shish-ya-te
From the Vedas