Tuning In: Naad & Body

प्रथम शरीर ज्ञान

Prathama Sharir Jnaana

First comes the knowledge of the body.

- Traditional Dhrupad lyrics c. 15th century

In Naad Yoga, the first place we start in understanding our vibration is the body.

The first thing we must master is our knowledge of the body and the way it works in order to correctly understand the data we receive. If there is a flaw in some way we are receiving data, we won’t actually perceive the right information to ascertain knowledge. Therefore it is important to make sure our bodies are functioning optimally.

There are two aspects to the vibrations that we hold in our bodies. Ones that are internally cycled, and ones that are externally expressed. To harness these vibrations, we can use practices and rituals to help us.

Internal Vibrations

Internally, our bodies fundamentally give us physical shape within which we can experience a vibration current. We hold patterns of currents in our bodies. Depending on what shapes our body can make, we can experience a certain set of currents and generate a certain set of patterns. Here are some ways to maintain our body’s health from the ancient Vedic system of thinking.

Asana

Asana is perhaps the best known yogic practice designed to open the body up to promote the best flow of prana. Because our experiences are grounded in our bodies, making sure that we aren’t getting misinformation due to misalignments in our bodies is essential. Asana is the first physical practice to make sure everything is tuned up so that we aren’t circulating any internal vibration patterns due to dis-ease in the body. Posture and shape play a big role in determining what resonates within us. Imagine for a second the posture of someone who is hunched over, walking with brooding shoulders. It is more likely for this individual to circulate vibrations of sadness, depression, etc. In contrast, someone taking a power stance is more likely to circulate currents of strength, confidence, etc. This is a very overt example of how this can take place. In subtler levels, vibration currents are linked to specific shapes. When we circulate a specific vibration, we tend to take the shape of it as well. Therefore Asana practice is deep and powerful with many secrets of its own.

Bodywork

Sometimes our bodies carry traumas or injuries. Sometimes we may carry knots. There are many Ayurvedic massage therapies that have been designed for this purpose from centuries ago. Additionally, in today’s day and age with growing research, bodywork such as trigger point massage, NKT, accupressure, or other such physical practices could help release any tensions to allow for better alignment.

Treatments

Sometimes our body can benefit from a little boost. Natural treatments for the skin and body sometimes help detoxify, purify, and relax tension. Non-toxic natural body washes, skincare routines, and facial treatments can help boost our health. This has been an old practice in Ayurvedic care for centuries.

Diet & Supplements

There is no health without diet. Mindfulness when it comes to what we consume, and attunement to the body’s nutritional needs is vital to make sure it functions optimally. In the Vedic systems, Ayurvedic diet is prescribed specifically based on a person’s lifestyle and conditioning, and maintained accordingly. There are also many supplemental herbs, adaptogens, and natural boosts for health in this system.

Clothing

The clothes we wear impact our body and energy in multiple ways. If the fabrics we wear that sit close to our skin carry chemicals or harsh dyes, these sink into our body’s bloodstream. The colors we wear influence our mood - and at a very overt level, when we look good, we feel good. Therefore choosing healthy clothing with natural fabrics minimizing chemical exposure is recommended. Today, clothing is made in overseas international facilities with a long shipping journey. One doesn’t always know where the clothes have been before we wear them - and depending on quality or synthetic nature of the fabrics, they could contain harsh ingredients for the body.

Additionally, in any representations of people in Vedic times from paintings to sculptures, people are always well adorned and take ownership of their expression with their style. Any image of any deity is pictured with colorful textiles, adorned with jewelry, flowers, and owned with confidence. It is also considered a mark of auspiciousness to be dressed well. All to say - own your style, and make sure it makes you feel your best!

External Vibrations

Externally, our body is our vehicle to experiencing vibrations of consciousness around us. Our bodies allow us to interact with the world around us. The body is responsible for the production of expression, and reception of information. Therefore, taking ownership over our expression makes us more conscious of how we expend our energy. One way to develop this is through sonic practices - as sound is manifest Naad.

Swara

Our command of our tone of voice impacts a large part of our communication. Most of our communication is nonverbal, and studies show that nearly 38% of our communication is received through tone of voice. Even without words, babies, and animals convey emotions purely through tone of voice. Mastering this gives us the ability to have greater command over expressing our intent.

There are 4 main practices used to practice externally manifesting our tone. Naad Yoga for this - Aum practice, Mantra chanting, Raaga music practice, and devotional musical meditations. These will each be discussed in more detail individually on subsequent posts. What is important to note is that each of these practices not only helps develop a connection to our expression, but also provides immediate feedback of the vibrations running internally within us. The vibrations we carry will affect the quality of our Naad as well. Therefore, these practices can help us discover and become conscious of our inner vibration patterns.

Saahitya

Our speech, and our words are a powerful way we generate manifest energy currents. Being conscious of our words is an important aspect to staying conscious of our externally manifest Naad. Engaging in things that stimulate our command of language can help refine our expression - including poetry, and literature. Even Raaga or Mantra practices with emphasis on Shiksha, or clear diction and phonetics, with study of lyrics can help with this. In Mantra practice, Shiksha is the most important part of codifying energetic expression and stimulates our language center. Raaga music theory, lyrics are considered to be half of expression - the other half being musical expression. Together, these are said to represent the essence of the Goddess, who embodies expression.