 |
| "He
who knows the secret of the sounds knows the mystery of
the whole universe." |
|
Hazrat
Inayat Khan
|
Sound
plays a vital role in all mystic traditions as it is the bridge
between the lower and higher worlds, the unconscious and the
conscious, the form and the formless.
| "Shanti
is one of the few people in the world to have received instruction
in the practice of Nada Yoga, an ancient science that maximizes
one's capacity to sing through a very sophisticated understanding
of the relationship of the body to breath to the subtle
energy centers. This combination of classical vocal training
combined with the esoteric science of Nada Yoga makes Shanti
a living treasure." |
|
Jeffrey
Lidke, Asst.Prof. South
Asian Traditions, Bard College
|
Shanti
Shivani teaches group classes, private tutorials, weekend workshops
and longer retreats in the following practices:
|
|
|
Nada
Yoga - The Yoga of Sound
The
Power of Sound
Dhrupad
Leboyer's
Toning for Pregnancy and Birthing
| "As
a student of Shanti's, I leave each of her classes with the feeling
of having been bathed in a stream of ancient meditative music and
sound." |
|
Anna
Knapp, massage therapist
|
| "I
have the utmost respect for Shanti Shivani. She really understands
the sacredness of music, not just in the meaning behind the words
sung, but in the sounds of the notes themselves. The teachings that
she has to offer are a wonderful blend of profound delights." |
|
Prakriti
Das, tabla player
|
| "I take a weekly class with Shanti. A life-long
high-strung east coaster, our weekly singing and meditation has
become a profoundly important part of my life. Used to rushing about
and stuck in my rapid-fire thoughts, Shanti's class is a place where
the busy thoughts cease. As I've grown into the practice over the
past months, it has become a time that centers and clears me, an
anchor point. Lately, I have felt a high, or exaltation, that soars
for hours. Shanti's classes are one of the singularly best experiences
of my life." |
|
Rose Shuman, Marketing Woman
|
Nada
Yoga — The Yoga of Sound
Nada
Yoga, an ancient mystic practice, is the core of Dhrupad, the oldest
style of Hindustani classical music. Dhrupad was originally only sung
by Hindu priests in the temples as an act of worship, inducing a deep
meditative state in the singer as well as the listener. The
ultimate goal of this form of Nada Yoga is Self-Realization by connecting
with the unstruck inner sound, the anahata nada,
through the practice
of singing the pure sound. The side benefits are countless and even
those attending only one weekend seminar will learn how to harmonize
their energy.
The Process
Shanti Shivani’s teachings are grounded in
Nada Yoga and they incorporate
•
specific body movements and vocal techniques to free the natural
voice and develop awareness of the breath and body
•
the singing of East Indian ragas (modes of music) to clear
the emotional body and invoke specific energies
•
visualization practices to activate and balance the chakras (energy
centers)
•
meditative practices to heighten the senses, which allow us to
become receptive to our inner wisdom and creativity
•
free vocal improvisation to connect with our own healing songs
•
the chanting of mantras from different traditions to access the
sacred within
•
the six Chinese healing sounds
•
colors and the elements
•
sound healing circles
•
spontaneous drawing
•
and more
Note: All of the above elements and more may or may not be incorporated
in the work depending on the focus of the participants and the
length of the workshop or class series.
|
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The Benefits
This
practice
•
strengthens our health by regulating our inner rhythms, thus creating
inner peace and balance
•
gives mental and emotional stability, clarity and focus
• helps release repressed emotions and traumas
•
brings out our ability to express ourselves
•
heightens the senses and makes us receptive to subtler vibrations
•
purifies and magnetizes the physical and subtle bodies
•
activates and balances the chakras
•
opens us up to our intuitive wisdom and creativity
•
connects us with Self
and
•
stimulates the development of the unborn child in the womb
•
transforms and empowers the expectant mother (see Leboyer ‘s Toning
for Pregnancy and Birthing)
The
Power of Sound
These
workshops integrate all of the above as well as the teaching of different
tools for sound healing
•
singing bowls, cymbals, bells, rainstick, rattle, drum, monochord etc.
•
the voice
•
colors
•
Aura Soma pomanders & quintessences
•
semi-precious stones
Dhrupad
These
classes incorporate
• specific body movements and vocal techniques to open up the body
and breath and unveil the natural voice
• the sacred syllables unique to the Dhrupad tradition on which
the raga is improvised
•
the singing of the main improvised body of a raga, i.e. the alap
•
learning a bandish (composition), set to a tala (rhythmic
meter)
•
learning the talas (rhythms) typical to Dhrupad, i.e. dhamar
(14 beats) chautal (12 beats), jhaptal (10 beats), sooltal
(fast 10 beats) and tivra (7 beats)
Leboyer’s Toning for Pregnancy and Birthing
Please
click
to see separate page
Om Gang Ganapataye Namah
|
