The Sound of Music

Written by Jessie Paul

Monday, 17 November 2008

Music is the universal language.  Music inspires and unifies people of all ages, races, and countries because it speaks not to the ear or the mind, but to the true self.   When music is made as an act of devotion or a way of sharing beauty, the listener hears the honesty shining through in a way that words can never express.  Let the power of music become a tool to deepen your self-awareness.  Through connection with music, you can feel more connected with others.  Listening to an African drum rhythm or an Indian tabla can transport one across the globe, breaking down the physical and cultural barriers that lead to separateness and creating compassion for all.  The high-rasp of a primitive flute, the plaintiveness of a lone, stringed instrument, the encompassing vibrations of a sitar, or the clear emotion of the human voice are uniquely able to reveal our union with the divine.  I am not this body.  I am not this mind.  Merging with the sound, we become one with all.      Inspirational music can come from all sources so have fun and experiment!  Kirtan, or devotional chanting, is a natural choice for yoga classes.  Kirtan has gained such popularity in the yoga world, that Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Wah!, Ram Das, and Deva Premal are becoming household names, but more and more practitioners are joining their ranks.  One of my favorite chants is “Ghanesha Sharanam” from Jai Uttal’s “Kirtan! The Art and Practice of Ecstatic Chant.”  Maybe on a cloudy day, the Gayatri mantra can bring some light into your heart.  Both Wah! and Deva Premal have recorded classic versions of this beautiful mantra dedicated to the sun.  Popular music is not excluded from the realm of the divine, though.  In fact, some of the greatest hits of all time have attained that place because they resonate with a universal message.  Sometimes you can respond better to familiar songs and broaden your perspective by listening to favorite songs in a spiritual light.  The possibilities are endless and often surprising.  Many of the Beatles’ songs are rooted in love and even contain the Hare Krishna mantra.  Cat Stevens wrote his songs out of a place of deep devotion, and most you could probably sing along to “Peace Train,” but have you truly thought about the meaning lately?  Find singers who have a touch of the angelic in their voice.  I challenge you to listen to Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,” and not be moved.  Take another listen to the soulful joy of  “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and bring that exuberance to your day.  “Birds flying high, you know how I feel.  Sun in the sky, you know how I feel.  Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel.  It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me, and I’m feeling good.”  There are many new artists writing uplifting music.  The band Death Cab for Cutie’s song, “Soul meets Body” swells with the plea, “I want to live where soul meets body, and let the sun wrap its arms around me, and bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing, and feel, feel what its like to be new.”  At home, put your music collection on shuffle play.  See where the music enhances your awareness and where it distracts.  Surrender and you will find a unique mix that comes from your heart.                    If your purpose for listening is to gain inspiration, choose music with a tempo that encourages calm, rhythmic breathing.  You will naturally start to breathe in time with the music, so the right tempo can help you settle into your breath.  Become more unified as you feel the breath within the music.  Make sure the volume of the music does not compete with the ability to meditate on the sound of the breath.  It should invite one to come closer, not drone out all thoughts.  Lyrics should promote peace and support a spiritual meditation.  Think of the expression, “God is love.”  If you can substitute the word “God” for “love” throughout the song and maintain meaning, it is probably a great song to inspire.  It is amazing how your view shifts when you listen to lyrics in this way!  By incorporating world music into your repertoire, you can develop an appreciation for the traditions of all people of the world and focus on our similarities rather than our differences.  Some music lends itself to deeper states of meditation.  As the consciousness rises, it is similar to a rubber band pulling away from the heaviness of the body.  When the listener is receptive, the right type of music or vibrations can stretch the rubber band further away, but the wrong type of music can snap the rubber band back into the physical realm.  A great visualization to use is the snake charmer who uses the power of his pipes to draw the coiled cobra from his basket.  If someone came over and clanged a cymbal, the snake would retreat to the safety of his basket!  Musicians need to earn a living, so help give them recognition by paying for their music.  We are blessed to have almost unlimited and instant access to music by downloading from many legitimate sources.  Don’t abuse that power.  Share information about your favorite artists freely and become a publicist and advocate for their work.  Let people know where they can purchase music and see live performances to promote a wider appreciation.  Picture a world without music, and then give thanks to musicians by giving back.     In the spirit of sharing music, I’d love to include a playlist and hope it can bring you some inspiration.  All of the songs should be available on iTunes or Amazon.com.  The final song, “My Chosen One,” is perfect for the coming out of meditation.  Please feel free to email me at jessiepaul@mac.com with your comments, and maybe submit some lists of your own!  Om shanti, shanti, shanti, peace, peace, peace. Jessie’s Fall Playlist “Feel AM”                    Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas “Jaia Ganesha”                Dum dum Project “The Master Delivers (Beatless Mix)”    Earl Tutu “Who's Gonna Save My Soul”        Gnarls Barkley “I've Known the Garden”            Res “Sweetness & Light”                Lindsay Anderson “Aloha”                    Lemongrass “The Repudiated Immortals”            Of Montreal “So Many Ways”                Gelka “Lighten Up”                    Beastie Boys “Queen Bee”                    Taj Mahal And Toumani Diabate “Time”                        Sean Hayes “To the Stars! To the Night!”            Le Loup “Teardrop”                    José González    “Sometimes (Clean version)”            Cee-Lo     Green “Everybody's Got To Live”            Love “My Chosen One”                Guillemots

Last Updated ( Monday, 17 November 2008 )

 

< Prev		Next >