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KÄ«rtan Chanting and the Brain: Mirror Neurons and Direct Sensory Experience
KÄ«rtan is a call-and-response musical form that's unique!
I have been musing about this lately, and recently wrote a short piece about this I thought I'd share on my blog. :)
With call and response mantra chanting, participants in the chant experience get to enjoy both: â
1â
Listening to a leader sing or chant a mantra (and often accompanied by wonderfully skilled musicians in the kÄ«rtan band!) â
This activates the mirror neurons or what I connect to the "guru principle", giving the participant a sense of aspirational elation when observing someone do something that's...
10 Years of Heart of Sound: Raising the Bar for Sound Yoga Therapy Worldwide
This year marks a milestone: 10 years since the first cohort of Heart of Sound teacher trainees gathered to immerse themselves in the transformative practice of nÄda yoga and mantra-based healing in Rishikesh, India!
Since then, hundreds of graduates have carried the essence of this lineage-rooted, heart-centered training into the worldâinto yoga studios, trauma recovery centers, refugee camps, hospitals, cancer wards, classrooms, and homes.
And in this tenth year, we want to give a shoutout to the diversity and ingenuity of our trainees! It's inspiring and humbling ...
Sound as Medicine: Healing Mantras in Neuroscience & Ayurveda w/ Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary
Dr. Kulreet Chaudharyâs combined expertise in both modern neurology and the ancient science of health known as Ayurveda has uniquely positioned her as an expert able to pull from the broadest possible base to treat her clients. Dr. Chaudhary was the Director of Wellspring Health in Scripps Memorial Hospital for ten years. She is the author of The Prime and Sound Medicine and has appeared as a medical expert on numerous programs including
The Dr. Oz Show and Home & Family. She is also a neuroscientist and has participated in over twenty clinical research studies. Her r...
High on Kirtan? The Good Drugs our Brains Make When we Chant with Dave Stringer
The Neuroscience of Kirtan Chanting
I had a lovely conversation with Dave, who is a Grammy nominated producer, musician, songwriter and Kirtan leader. He explains the good drugs our brains make when we chant, whether we believe in it or not.
Dave Stringer, a Grammy-nominated producer, musician, and songwriter, is widely recognized as a leading voice in the modern Yoga movement, including sound healing, mantra chanting, and nÄda yoga. As both a captivating singer and profound public speaker, he merges the worlds of neuroscience, yoga philosophy, and art into a partici...
The Science Behind Om Chanting with Dr. Hemant Bhargav, Chief Scientist at NIMHANS
Ever wonder happens in your brain when you're chanting OM?
Watch the video below! Chief Scientist for India's National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Dr. Hemant Bhargav, explores the fascinating intersection of ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience in his research on the effects of chanting Aum.
âWhat we observed was that when the subjects chanted Aum, there was a deactivation of the limbic system of the brain, particularly in the amygdala. We know that the amygdala is the primal area of the brain, which is associated with emotions like fear and the ...
What defines "Sacred Sound"? What's the best way to start?
When asked about the best way to start or the most powerful approach, I believe cultivating listening is something anyone can do.
Listening awareness is Sacred Sound, ...
Sound Yoga Therapy: Interview with Anandra
Recently I had the pleasure of doing a video interview with Daniel Aaron from The Art of Vibrant Living, and we got into some wonderful topics.
Sound and Mantra Therapy Conversation Topics:
- Sound yoga therapy and nervous system self-regulation
- Sound and music as a path of self-expression vs. sound as self-inquiry
- Defining the interoceptive approach to sound yoga therapy, mantra therapy
- What's the most interesting, powerful, effective way of using sound or being with sound for transformation specifically?
- What defines "Sacred Sound"?
- What's the difference betwe ...
The more you know, the more you know you donât knowâŠ
The more you know, the more you know you donât knowâŠÂ
Is there any realm in which this is not true?
People.
The longer you know someone, the more you realize that you have no idea what is really going on for them deep inside. They hold multitudes of mysteries, complex trauma, perceptual, differences, patterns, and habits built on foundations that you can never understand fully, because you have not lived at yourself.
Mantra.
Are used to think that learning how to chant, more mantras, sing more songs, do more complex, and longer chance meant that I knew more, and h...
