Sound for Wellbeing

The Sound for Wellbeing workshops focus on using Sound and Music as a modality of health and integrated wellbeing, and are based on ancient teachings and wisdom, drawing from classical texts on yoga as well as validated scientific practices.

In today’s world with its varied stresses and demands, developing better connections to our own mind and body is vital to maintain good health and longevity. Sound is a timeless tool that allows us to connect with our body, breath and mind – to release stresses from the body, to deepen our breath and also work with our mind to create stable and healthy emotional patterns.

This workshop offers unique perspectives and practices that combine traditional Yoga practices with classical Indian music and Vedic mantras. Meant to be a transformative program, all areas of learning will be accompanied by theory as well as practice enabling students to immediately integrate the wisdom into their daily life as well as teaching.

This program is suitable for both yoga students and teachers and is open to anyone who is interested in working deeper on the aspects of Yoga, Sound and Music. All sessions will provide accompanying course materials and recordings of the chants and mantras for personal use.

For detailed course contents of the program, click the link to download brochures for Part-1 and Part-2.

This program is for you…

• if you would like to infuse your practice and teaching with Breath and Sound based tools and practices
• if you would like to learn to use your own voice for meditation and use Sound as a tool for personal transformation
•  if you would like to gain an authentic understanding about the links in ancient Yoga, music and mantra texts, integrating them into daily life practices
• if you are interested in Singing, Chanting, Vedic phonetics and Sanskrit

Program Details:

Location:

Goodman Arts Centre, 90, Goodman Road, Singapore – 439053

Dates:

Part 1: Saturday, 25th April to Sunday, 26th April; 9am to 5pm on both days.

Part 2: Friday, 15th May to Sunday 17th May; 9am to 5pm on all days

Registration: 

The cost for Part 1 is SG$450 and Part 2 is SG$675. Email nitya@svastha.net to register for the program. 

For the Sound for Wellbeing program schedule in other locations, click here.

Program Contents

Part 1 – Course Contents:

1. The Origins of Sound

• Sound in the Vedic wisdom and other foundational classical texts
• The Paradigm of Yoga – Vrtti Samskara and Sound
• Why Sound is foundational to changing mental patterns

2. Mantras

• Root meaning – What & Why of Mantras
• How to choose a mantra for myself
• Practicing with mantras and music

3. Vocal Toning

• The Drone and safe space
• Using my voice as a tool – vocalizing with awareness
• Vocal toning with Indian classical music

4. Chanting

• Narayana Upanishad – Chant for health and wellbeing
• Surya Mantras
• Smarta Gayatri
• Shanti Patas, Peace chants

5. Music

• Scales of classical Indian music and emotions
• Practicing mantras with scales from the North Indian and South classical music streams
• Working with different scales and mental well-being

6. Pranayama

• The foundations of classical pranayama
• Integrating Sound with breathing practices

7. Sound in Asana

• Use of Sound in Asana
• Practice Sequence with Mantras
• Teaching Sound in Asana

8. Vedic Phonetics

• Introduction to Panini Sutras
• The dance of Lord Shiva
• The origins of the Sanskrit language

9. Vagus nerve

• Interoception – the parasympathetic nervous system
• Sound, Deep breathing and the Vagus nerve
• Breathing practices

Part 2 – Course Contents:

.1. The Svastha 5 mantra Pathway

• Five key mantras for daily practice
• How to choose a mantra for daily life situations
• Learning to string mantras together for different purposes

2. Steadiness & Stillness with Sound

• Ekatanam – vocal toning with scales
• Connections between speech and mind
• The perfect speech & the steady mind
• Hanuman the outstanding example for practice

3. Chanting

• The ancient methodologies of Vedic chanting – Padam, Kramam, Jatai & Ghanam
• Shanti Patas, Peace chants
• Surya namaskara mantras
• Various Gayatri mantras
• Narayana Upanishad – Chant for health and well-being

4. Pranayama

• Foundations of classical Pranayama
• Prana Sanchara Bhavas from Hatha Yoga
• Integration of a Mantra with Pranayama

5. Yogasutras and Sound

• Svadhyaya – Self-reflection with a Mantras
• Meditation with Pranavam or OM
• Isvara Pranidhana – deeper in practice

6. Vedic phonetics

• The Mahesvara sutras
• The dance of Lord Shiva and origins of the Sanskrit language
• All the Panini ashtadhyayi sutras & pronunciations

7. Asanas and Sound

• Using Sound in asanas
• Integrating simple mantras into asana practice
• Practice sequences with Sound

8. Classical music

• Voice exercises in different scales of classical music
• Deeper exploration of musical scales, ragas and emotions
• Learning to use mantras in different scales, take home recordings

9. Mantras and Positive psychology

• What and why of Mantras
• Choosing a mantra for myself
• Building self-esteem, will power and happiness – emotional wellbeing
• Atmagunas – the positive psychology emotions

10. Brain, Breath & Music

• Polyvagal theory
• Music and the brain
• Breath and the nervous system

11. Ancient Wisdom

• Stories of the musical saints of the Vedic wisdom
• Transcendental wisdom through songs – healing music and its roots

About Nitya Mohan