CLASSES

"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, Prof. Religious Studies, Berry University

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

"The most uplifting experience of sound!! To be with Shanti sparks a light of inner beauty all around. She is grounding, patient, sweet, healing, wise & kind. Each class I cherish as a timeless treasure to keep and intertwine in harmony with everyday life." Cayla Blue Campbell, 19 yr. old

"It would take a lot for me to miss my class with Shanti Shivani. It revives me and soothes me, challenges me and sustains me, stretches my mind to surrender and holds my heart tender. Such is the nature of the music, the Nada Yoga, gifted to me during this class. Shanti knows her craft well and imparts to us the precise message and the subtle nuances. I am growing in something beautiful that I had believed I could never do. I honor the Spirit in Shanti." Christy, 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 Executive

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.

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
  • 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)

Om Gang Ganapataye Namah