The Yoga of the Voice

TRAINING MATERIALS
Concepts & Practices developed by:
Silvia Nakkach, M.A. MMT
& Vox Mundi Project International

September 2007
Copyright Vox Mundi Project,2007

OUR VISION
The transformative power of sound and music is unquestionable. Vox Mundi
School offers an integral East-West- North- South approach that includes the
physical, musical, psycho-acoustic, shamanic, therapeutic, contemplative, and
spiritual dimensions of sound and the voice. Expressing the inherent musicality of
the voice is a human necessity. The capacity to listen to music and to sing is also
a human need. Singing is thus a tool to transform consciousness and emotional
and physical dysfunction. Technique and knowledge of ancient cultures of singing
empower the capacity of the voice, and there is an effortless and self-less kind of
listening that happens when the body and the mind focus only on the onset of
tone.

OUR PURPOSE
Support the human search for expression
Offer education and training through systematic instruction, tools, guidance
and an in-depth understanding of the transformative power of sound in
consciousness and in healing processes
Create high level academic programs and study groups abroad to train
professional sound practitioners on the artistic, therapeutic applications, and
traditional indigenous sound medicine
Increase the use of sound, chanting and music in Health Care Centers
& Schools
Revitalize the experience of singing as a sacred art
Re-enchant the world with harmonic energy and the reawakening the
devotional power of music

The Vox Mundi Schools

USA BRAZIL ARGENTINA INDIA
Through private, public, and university seminars, the Vox Mundi Schools offer
instruction on the theory and practice of sound, voice, chanting, and
transformation of consciousness, and how these art forms can be incorporated
into our daily and professional life as:
healing arts
service
education
spiritual practice
environmental & social wellness

Sonorous Yogic Practices

The capacity to connect with energy that can liberate us is inherent in
each of us Steven Goodman
Sound through breath and the voice connects us with our vibrational field of
energy (Nada), and sound or Shabda in Sanskrit, is central to awakening us to
the awareness of our energetic disposition, and the memory of our cosmic
consciousness, One in union with the Divine, and the inner appreciation of the
mystical experience. The continuous practice of seed-sounds connects us with
that collective consciousness, altering our ordinary perceptions, and becoming
familiar with the experience of the sacred.
The sacred can be experienced as a higher state of perception and appreciation
of the ordinary reality.

Sonorous yogas are practices borne out of traditions of sacred sound that
consider sound as the Creator, and a spiritual vehicle to access higher and more
subtle states of consciousness, inner transformation, and healing. Sound realigns
energy patterns, purifies ancestral lines, clears emotions, and helps us to remember our boundless union with the divine. Sonorous yogas are invocatory
words and ancient universal seed-sounds, intoned in particular frequencies that
deliver explicit spiritual information. They are comprehensive vocal practices that
involve breathing, subtle movements of hand and arms (mudras & hasta praia
yogas), consciousness and the continuous focus of the mind in sound, while
sound designs its own landscape through tone and the expressive power of the
voice. The human voice is the most effective and direct instrument of
transformation through sound because of its connection with breath (prana),
resonance, inner vibration (Nada), and how they directly affect the brain,
memory, emotion, and mind states.

.
Nada Yoga is meditation through sound not necessary words or melodies. The
source of the sound may be external or internal, gross or subtle. The mind easily
becomes absorbed in sound. The single pointed mind is continuously focus in the
dimension of breath and sound. Through the practice of concentration on sound
using the voice, the mind becomes, calm, clear, and transparent, then the subtle
inner sounds can be heard.
Shabda Yoga refers to the yoga of sacred words y seed sounds. Is the practice
of Vedic mantras, revealing us the transformational power of becoming familiar
with mantra, their strength and purifying influence in the brain, the body, and
the heart, and they protect us from any spiritual harm. Shabda Yoga specifically
involves the practice of seed syllables and mantras, and is evolving throughout
time into various forms of devotional chanting
The Bhakti or devotional tradition of popular Hinduism that was developed as
temple music. Includes Bhava yoga and Kirtan yoga.
The Tantric tradition, which represents the mystic and esoteric schools of nonofficial Hinduism, that later developed through schools of Tibetan Buddhism and
ritual practices involving complex uses of sound through mantra to transform
negative emotions into divine qualities, and embody divinity through sound.
Tantric mantras are empowering practices.
SOUND, VOICE, and ATTUNEMENT PRACTICES
Before we start any practice, and as a preparation, we set the intention to
generate a beneficial condition (bhava). The ultimate intention of our practice is
to benefit all sentient beings through the accumulation of merit by means of japa
and the practice. The INTENTION is FREEING the VOICE from any personal
constraint, vocal impediment, cultural identity, or song structure.
The ability to be completely present on the moment, slowing the mind and the body,
listening to the subtle vibrations of each voice as one, allows the creation of
therapeutically effective music. It is like being smoothly immersed in a transpersonal
field of sound and spontaneous song. We welcome the healing voice.
BREATH POWER
Innovative breathing and movement techniques, integrated with ancient exercises from
Indian and Tibetan Yoga, and Chinese Qi Kun.

Breathing Exercises
Slow breathin Hold slow and long breath-out
HANDS as CLOUDS: subtle movement of arms and hands as gathering
NECK ROTATION: very slow 5 neck rotations towards each side
HANDS & BODY tapping and rubbing + HEAD MASSAGE (shampoo)
BASIC QIGONG BREATHING; Sensing our body ~Emptying our mind
Standing up or sitting, hands are free of tension, the chin is parallel to the floor,
and the eyes are soft, not closed and not completely open. Take a deep breath,
keeping the shoulders down. Bring the open hands and arms near your belly,
while holding the breath in the pelvic cavity for few seconds. Exhale slowly,
directing the air upwards towards the crown. Release the hands and arms.
Repeat at least 3 times. Variation: include 5 neck rotations in each side
(left/right) before exhaling. Duration: 5min

OPEN SOUND daily PRACTICE

Release any sound, focus on freeing expression and explore textural sonorous
realms. No meaning, no melody, just sound and release.

Humming
Aware Posture & slow Breath focus on subtle textures of tone or timbre, lips are
relaxed and touching each other, and produce a sustained long and relaxed tone.
Eyes are soft, chin is parallel to the floor, open hands, active harms, flexible spine. Slow
and perpetual subtle movements of arms and hands coordinating the production of
sound. Minimum 5mi.
Through the ability to be completely present on the moment, Slow down breath and
tone.
We connect with our voice and - if in a group - we participate. Listening in,
tuning-in with the sound of the group.
The voices of the group converge to generate a positive atmosphere for deep listening
that builds community and self-confidence.

SONOROUS YOGIC PRACTICES

seed sounds ~ sacred sounds ~ shamanic sounds
The practice of sacred seed-sounds is an ancient spiritual practice that has its
origins in the Vedas from the Hinduism tradition of India, the Rig Veda, the oldest
of the four Vedas, was composed about 1500 B.C written and completed after
300 B.C..
The practice of the seed-syllables involves the movement of breath, breath
becomes sound, and the mind through breathing follows sound. Energetically
we are working with the movement of prana, life force, or the uninterrupted
energy of life, unceasing potentiality of our primordial energy. Breath
provides the means of symbiosis between different forms of life, and also
between existence and awareness
We focus on a particular syllable in order to evoke a particular quality bringing
the quality into felt experience.
All the practices benefit from the understanding and experience that we are
working with our energy. We are transforming energy through sound by following
these aspects of the movement of sound, breath and energy (prana or ax), they
are conceived as one experience that embraces sound and consciousness by
means of the voice.
dwelling the practice of being and abiding in sound, non change
vibrating non interruption
moving non stopping, moving through the whole chackra-body-mind-spirit
system
transforming energy through sounds, colors, emotions, and consciousness
states
liberating flow free of energy, through the experience of the Self that is nonconfined

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Sonorous yoga exercises include:1) Humming sounding with the lips

closed like the sound of Mmm; 2) Toning chanting one specific frequency with

attention to the embouchure used and duration of the sound; 3) Droning

dwelling in one or no more than three different tones over a drone; 4) Meending
microtonal movement of tone up and down over a drone, pausing in between,
known in the Western tradition as glissando for strings, and portamento for other
instruments 5) Toning with Seed-Sounds the use of long tones in chanting a
seed syllable; 6) Toning over a Pulse short tones accompanied with a soft and
deep drum pulse; 7) Sonic Meditation contemplative attention strategies that
use sound to sharpen auditory awareness; 1 and 8) Vocal Meditation, droning,
and microtonal movement over a chosen scale or raga (the focus is on the
movement of tone within a scale, not on creating melody).

Vocal Release; The Effortless Voice Practice

Allow for sound to follow breath, and voice to follow sound. Release a vocal tone
through a relaxed and small lip opening, like humming (sounding like wuu).
Sustain your focus on that specific tone, toning over a subtle drone played by an
external instrument or device. Keep a clear sense of sounding one or two notes,
dwelling in that tonal space. We attune ourselves to tone, not yet exploring
melody. [The drone is a continuous tone or harmony usually created with the
simultaneous sound of the tonic and dominant (Fifth), or the tonic (Fourth). If
played on strings, it will involve many other partial harmonies and sonorities. As
an essential part of Indian classical music, the drone is sometimes described as
the breath of God, leading the musician and the listener into a state of
contemplation, and slowly clearing the mind to a state beyond thoughts and
emotions]. We immerse ourselves deeply into the experience of opening the
voice, departing from the root tone, diving into subtle undulations of the same
tone, wandering through transformations of timbre and texture. Sounding into
the realm of somatic and emotional resonance, the phrasing is simple, calm, and
knowing. The tone always returns home, to the infinite tonal ground offered by
the drone. Variation: use a variety of seed-sounds such as: Ah, Eh, Om, Ram,
Bam, Yam, Lam, Tam. These sacred syllables are related to the embodiment of
the qualities of the elements of nature. Duration: 5 to 10 min. This sonorous
yogic practice is recommended to enhance deep listening and concentration; the
effect of relaxing the mind through these contemplative and slow sounds is
enhanced memory and creativity.

The Practice of the Continuous Unbroken Sound

SA, A , NA , RI , NUM , OUM
OUM : A + A+ O+ AU+ NG + M
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We vocalize these sounds clearly in one long and relax exhalation with
continuous awareness in the dimension of sound, as the shape of the lipsopening shifts slightly and slowly with the different syllables. Reserve air for the
final consonant M to resonate deeply in the body. Repeat as many times as
possible for 7 to 21min.
The ideal time for this practice is before dawn.
The unbroken quality of sounding has the benefit of stabilizing the mind. Within
that sense of continuous awakening through sacred sound, we dont deny, we
dont accept or reject, all experience feels completed and spacious as the nature
of mind, at the same time we become more sensitive to whatever arises, and we
become familiar with divine energy and auspicious thoughts.

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RESONATING with each SEED SYLLABLE

Example; we select the syllable RAM

We feel through the body where this sound resonates the most, keeping the right
balance between the intonation of the vowel (RA), which connects with the
female and receptive aspect of the seed syllable, and the consonant (Mmmm),
which connects to the male, penetrating, and active aspect of the transformation
through sound.
These practices explore the relation of sound and awareness through:
Variations of intoning, which refers to the treatment of the seed sound in
relation with single points of focus and consciousness.
Lengthening mono-tonally, elongating the sound as much as possible,
especially towards the end of the sound. The focus is on dwelling, abiding in one
tone as long as possible with one exhalation.

Splitting the sound in two or more sections. The focus is on the same sound
divided in parts according to each exhalation, accentuating the beginning of each
new exhalation.
Pausing, the focus is on realizing the space in-between, therefore, we dont
separate the seed-sound, but we are aware of making pauses in between each
repetition of the same sound. Through those pauses, we listen and refine tone,
while the mind rest.
Sliding, the focus is on the slow microtonal movement, like an instrumental
glissando. The focus is on moving the tone up and down like a slow siren, but
returning to the original tone that we started from towards the end of the sound.
Ornaments, the focus is on embellishing the vowel part of the sound with grace
notes, moving the tone in a circular manner in the center, but returning to the
original tone that we started from at the end.
Inwards Tending, the focus is on directing the tone inwards towards the spine,
to feel the vibration within the charkas and the gross body.
Outwards tending, the focus is on directing the tone towards something or
someone outside, focusing on the expressive quality of the syllable, accompanied
with the mudra of offering.
Intervallic, the focus is on splitting the sound in two sections, aware of intoning
each section of the seed-sound in one note of the chosen musical interval.
Melodious, the focus is on creating with the seed-sound a simple melody that
repeats itself like a mantra, through modulations of notes in a scale.
Adding a seaningful sacred Word before or after the seed sound,
OM NAMA, JAY, HARI, Sri, AOM in the beginning of the seed-sound
NAMA NAMAHA at the end of the seed-sound
Examples:

Om Nama Ram
Sri-Ram
Jay Ram, Jay Ma
Ram, Ram, Ram, Nama Namaha
Jaya Ma
The 5 Seed Syllables of the Warrior Mind

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Practice including the INTENTION

Connecting the seed syllable with a purpose
Example: for enhancing compassion, healing, devotion, strength, inner
confidence
Intoning Bija syllables with the intention to connect with parts of the
gross body, and the subtle body of the chakras:
Examples:
AH, connects with the throat and the heart (chest), balances emotions- HEART
AOM, connects with the third eye and restores balance and serenity HEAD
HUM, connects with the navel chakra, restores grounding and confidencePELVIS
This connection with specific places in the body are not a fixed
correspondence, and the same Bija syllable can be placed in a different part of
the body and connect with other charkas, according to intention and the
particular context

The Practice of Bija Seed-Sounds

The One syllable sounds

The Vedic language is based upon a primordial language of seed (bija) mantras.
These are single syllable sounds or roots like the OM that have multiple
meanings and indications, depending upon their intonation and the intention with
which they are offered. Out of the bija, or root language, arises the language of
the Vedic texts, which is already differentiated, though not fully, into nouns and
verbs. These bijas are explained more in Tantra, which in its true sense (apart
from current popular distortions) is also a spiritual science of transformation
through the Divine Word. The power of the bija mantras or sounds is within the
transformative energy the sound evokes.

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Pronouncing the Bija Seed-Syllables as in the Tibetan

tradition
with the intention of purifying the elements.
E, space
YAM, air, lungs
BAM, water, blood
RAM, fire, stomach
LAM, earth, root, spine
(This practice can be combined with the practice of the Purification Mantra of the
Tibetan Tradition)

The Practice of the Bija syllables connected with a

Deity
In the Bon Mother Tantra there is a beautiful commentary called The Birthless
Sphere of Light. It says, "From the body of the unborn essence arises the sphere of
light, and from that sphere of light arises wisdom. From the wisdom arises the seed
syllable and from the seed syllable arises the complete mandala, the deity and the
retinue." Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Through visualization and sounding, we transform in the deity, a quality, or a

particular energy expressed in the vibration of that seed-sound. The intention is
to invoke, embody, and manifest a positive quality such as wisdom, compassion,
or inner serenity.
Bija matras or Tantric mantras are the typical fast food type of vehicles to the
divine, and therefore it is that their pronunciation or the sound they are meant to
produce is of utmost importance. Sudhamahi Regunathan, Introduction to the
book Song of the Spirit, Tibet House, New Delhi, India
1. Aim - guru bija (also Agni's wife Usha) (seed syllable of the teacher and
Saraswati)
2. Hrim - shakti-bija (seed syllable of shakti) connected with Shiva
3. Klim - kama-bija (seed syllable of desire) or the God of love
4. Krim - yoga-bija (seed syllable of union) or Kali-bija
5. Shrim - rama-bija (seed syllable of delight) or Lakshmi bija
6. Trim - teja-bija (seed syllable of fire) or Agni
7. Strim - shanti-bija (seed syllable of peace)
8. Hlim - raksha-bija (seed syllable of protection) or Varun, the Sea-God

PRACTICE

WITH

CROSS-CULTURAL SEED SOUNDS

Technical Centered Practices of seed-sounds

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The intention is to relax the muscles of the face, improving vocal articulation, projection,
resonance, and emission towards the refinement of sound, and the magic of tone. These
seed-sounds to Improve phonetic articulation; the focus is on lips shape and
choreography.
Combined with hands and body movement to free the voice
Includes improvisation, spontaneous composition, and call and response and harmonic singing if
chanting with a group, or more than one person.

OM
AH
AI
AYE
HUM
HA
EE
LUI
HEI
MA
JAYA

Tone, Toning
& Transformation of Consciousness
TONING IS DIFFERENT FROM CHANTING. WE TONE TO RELAX AND EXPAND OUR BREATH,
The embouchure, the
shape of the lips when we sing, is the seat of tone, with the focal point on the
lower lip where the inner air meets the outer. According to Garcia Ricardo, a
devoted student of Rudolph Steiner, the tone has its place of origin in the pineal
gland. It is the combination of ear, pineal gland, and embouchure that creates
tone. The magic of tone is enhanced by emotion, mood, and awareness of the
sound.
Toning may benefit the individual in a number of ways. A breathy texture fosters
a greater appreciation of the function of breath and also auditory sensitivity. The use of
long tones engenders a sense of spaciousness that transforms consciousness. During
sessions I use toning very softly in a lower register first, producing a sound like
Humming but with the lips a bit more open, more like intoning an Uhhhhh sound. I
usually use this form of soft toning early in the session to assess the patients actual
sensibility to music, chanting, or singing a song during the session. While toning, I
leave mindful pauses and space for silence during the toning to facilitate soothing and
relaxed states, according to the mood and the condition of the patient I may include
inspiring words chanted at the appropriate pace to create meaning and intimacy. If
appropriate, I invite the patient to harmonize and tone with me. The effectiveness of
toning depends upon the quality of the intoning, the attack, the timbre or texture of the
voice, the volume, and in particular on the clarity of the intent behind it.
NOT NECESSARY FOLLOWING ANY MUSICAL KEY OR STRUCTURE.

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Dimensions of Toning as a Healing Vocal Technique

Dwelling ~ concentration on a single tone ~Conscious Repetition ~
Resonant repetition
Exploring Texture ~ Space ~ Pace ~ Pause~ Time ~ Duration
Sounding and Listening ~ Pausing ~ Listening and Sounding ~ Pausing
Deep Listening

Conscious Musical Structure

In exploring how the music that seems to resonate best is constructed, the
significance of the conscious use of melody, rhythm, harmony and mood cannot
be underestimated. The modality (tonal arrangement) of a melody, the pace of
the rhythmic structure, and the harmonic movement determine whether or not
the music and the therapist can meet the complex needs of the patient. For
example, music or songs that have dense intricate melodies with many notes and
dense harmonies, unless requested by the patient, may overwhelm the
vulnerable state of the patient and not have therapeutic value. In my approach,
the musical elements that I see as more appropriate are vocal music that is more
melodic than rhythmical, consciously alternating minor and major scales, with a
slow pace, simple rhythmic patterns, clear and evocative harmonies, I explore
chanting and improvising songs over a drone (a long tone). Working with
different cultures, we learn that some people prefer Gregorian chants and others
like to hear Gospel or classical music; some patients like to hear music they
never heard before and others always request the same song in every session.
The music of both Hildegaard von Bingen (1050-1111) and the contemporary
composer Arvo Part is welcome by the terminally ill and many other clinical
populations.
Some of the psycho-spiritual qualities that may be conveyed or accessed
when selecting music for end of life care include inner wisdom, serenity, open
mindedness, selflessness, compassion, devotion, calm acceptance, wonder,
detachment, inner joy and self-love, radiance, and relaxation. These psychospiritual qualities are best manifested within the structure of the music through
the use of simple chanting and the practice of simple melodies over a drone, like
Pre-Baroque and Gregorian chant, Medieval music and lullabies from many
different cultures.I find Spanish Early Music specially powerful in its delicate
treatment of melodies in Dorian and Phrygian modes.

Rhythm
Recurring patterns of accented and unaccented beats n time, that necessarily
affect all the other elements of composition, including the nature of melody,
harmony, and texture.

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Rhythm is an essential element of the harmonic and melodic treatment of a

composition; these elements move as a whole, and it is not an easy task to
isolate them within the structure of a piece. The use of repetitive slow rhythms
creates a cyclic quality, helping to generate a sense of hovering time, aiming for
a synergy of motion, pace, and tempo. We implement music that has the power
to suspend ones ordinary sense of times passage towards a consciousness of
the eternal moment. I highly recommend the music of the Turkish music
therapist Oruc Guvenc that rhythmically is based on the movement of breath and
the motion of the elements that are part of our body.
Metrical rhythm is nearly always present in dance music because its patterning is
largely analogous to that of bodily motions and step figurations. Rhythm can
exist without melody, as in the drumbeats of primitive music, but melody cannot
exist without rhythm. In music that has both harmony and melody, the rhythmic
structure cannot be separated from them.

Harmony
When using pre-recorded music or singing with the patient, we apply the
same mindfulness to the treatment of harmony. Music, when assisting the end of
life, doesnt always need to go somewhere harmonically. Through simple and
slow cadences and ethereal sonorities, we offer music that features resonant
harmonic progressions, with a transporting timeless quality in their motion.
These harmonies may convey changelessness and a calm passage of time. When
using pre-recorded music, musically sophisticated patients might request precomposed classical music, and that is to be expected. In the Western tradition,
the music of Mahler may be especially suitable if patients feel comfortable with
creative tension and intensity. The cello suites by J. S. Bach and the music of
Arvo Part are also very suitable, as well as the choral early music of Hildegard
von Bingen and Montserrat Figueras and her ensemble Hesperion XX.

Melody
In music, a melody or horizontal line, is a series of linear events or a
succession, not a simultaneity as in a chord (see harmony). However, this
succession must contain change of some kind and be perceived as a single entity
(possibly Gestalt) to be called a melody. Most specifically this includes patterns of
changing pitches and durations. "Melody is said to result where there are
interacting patterns of changing events occurring in time."[1] Melodies
often consist of one or more musical phrases, motifs, and are usually repeated
throughout a song or piece in various forms. Melodies may also be described by
their melodic motion or the pitches or the intervals between pitches

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(predominantly conjuct or disjunct or with further restrictions), pitch range,

tension and release, continuity and coherence, cadence, and shape. The essential
elements of any melody are duration, pitch, and quality [timbre, texture, and
loudness], and rasa or feeling".[1] The succession of tones or melody consists of
component parts, structural units, the principal of which is the phrasea
complete musical utterance.
Musical form ( melody, rhythm, harmony, rasa) depends, therefore, on the
disposition of certain structural units successively in time and with an intention
that can be conceptual, intuitive, expressed, or conveyed.

mode

in music, any of several ways of ordering the notes of a scale according to the
intervals they form with the tonic, thus providing a theoretical framework for the
melody. A mode is the vocabulary of a melody; it specifies which notes can
be used and indicates which have special importance. Indian music is
modal music, as well as mostly of the ancient and sacred music of the West.
(Refer to the Greek modes).

Melody Carries the Emotions

When you listen, you exist (Baschet).
Melody is defined as a tonal configuration with movement that unfolds in
relation to time, in accordance with given cultural conventions and constraints. In
early Western music, the treatment of melody was organized around modes, and
it has always been a means to express meaning and feeling.
The term mode and modal music has been used to define classes of scales
and melodies, Modes involve the internal relationship of notes within a scale and
the predominance of one of them over the others as a tonic or resting point.
Modes and modality are intrinsic to the structure of many musical cultures, such
as the Chinese tyao, the Arabian and Turkish maqam, the ancient Greek,
Gregorian and Medieval chant, and the Indian raga mentioned earlier.
For vocal improvisations constructed over a drone, the Greek modes, in
particular, the Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian and Aeolian 2 are recommended.
These modes have a strong correspondence with ancient Indian ragas used
specifically for healing. The practice of vocal meditation (slow tonal and
microtonal ascending and descending melodic patterns) is a good way to become
familiar with the flavor of each of these modes. Melodies constructed with
simplicity and minimalism, and involving a great deal of repetition most
effectively convey the rasa, the emotional taste of the music. It is helpful as
one begins to create chant-like songs with these modes, and to recognize the
modes used in familiar songs and to vocalize with these as well.

SeeTheNewGroveDictionaryofMusic,StanleySadie,editor,formoreinformationonthesemodes.

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In music therapy end of life work, chants that are in pentatonic scales
have strong healing qualities in both major and minor keys. Nearly 70 percent of
the healing chants, mourning songs and prayers from many parts of the world
are constructed in minor modes and pentatonic scales.

Mindfulness as Clinical Intuition

A therapist must rely on his or her clinical intuition, selecting the modality
that is appropriate for each situation and setting, and this influences the patients
emotional and consciousness states. I refer to this treatment of melody as
spiritual melodicism - the mindful use of melody in perfect synergy with ethereal
harmonies and textural rhythms. The melody leads the emotion and becomes a
metaphor to evoke meaning, aid memory, hold, embrace, and comfort,
improving the ability to cope with stress and fear.
Melodies help the mind to concentrate on a specific activity, and to attain a good
balance between the activity of the left and right brain hemispheres.

Melody Practices
Identify Seed Melodies storage in your memory or inspired
Melodies as Mantras

with Sanskrit or Sacred Syllables

Architecture of Music ~ Melody Shapes & Movement

Short Lines in time

Long Lines longer duration

Circular Melodies..round shape, simple, short & repetitive, infinity mudra,

balancing,
induces celebration and joy

Arrow like Melodies ..an ascending line reaching out, Invocatory &
devotional, calling in a quality to be manifested through sound

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Circular Melodies & Arrow like Melodies combination of both

Spiral Melodies .goes up and down linearly as a scale logic

Intervalic Melodies angular up and down lines, the relation between the
notes is wide intervals. Mind is focus on that sharp linear quality

Pulsing Melodies ..starts with a pulsing ornamental movement and that

resolves in a single long line

Types of Melodies
According to Mood or rasa.. the Ragas
(refer to Rasa article at:
[Link]
According to Rhythmic Intensity .. focus time on a rhythmic pattern simple
or complex
According to Density.. focus on space dense or sparse
According to Harmonic Consonance or Dissonance..focus on the relation
of many melodies at the same time chords or vertical movement
According to Tonality .. tonal and predictable, atonal and unpredictable
Micro-tonal Melodies focus on the space in between the notes follows a
sense of modality
Diatonic or Chromatic [Link] on the tonal space in between
according to equal tuning of a piano

When Practicing of Melodies with a Drone

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Focus on minimal change

Focus on Maximum change
Focus on quality of the Voice
Focus on Rasa
Focus on SAREGAMA and tuning
Focus on Free Expression
Focus on the Space in Between
Focus on Melody and Deep Listening

When Practicing Healing with Music Keeping in mind.

Beginning in a relaxed state
Focusing the attention on breath
Breathing peacefully
Choosing one tone
Dwelling peacefully in one tone as a home
Moving slowly approaching neighboring notes
Chanting each note bending the pitch sensibly
Flowing softly within the intervals
Finding resonating timbres
Aligning melodic imagination with a particular mode or scale
Exploring simple movements of melody
Finding medicine melodies
Repeating the melodic patterns as often as possible
Empowering melodies with simple words of wisdom and beauty
Remembering lullabies, indigenous prayers, and mantras
Chanting old and new melodies from the heart
Deeply listening to pace, pause, texture, and breath

Dwelling in Silence..

Only for use of Vox Mundi School Students

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