Nāda Yoga
Awaken your musical Self on the mystical path of sound!
The wisdom of 3 generations of Hindustanī Classical musicians converges in this unequaled course designed for the modern lover of meditative music.
Does your heart yearn to sing freely and fully?
Do you wish to experience music as an inner meditation, solely for enjoyment's sake?
Do you dream of being an instrument for spontaneous music to flow through you?
Is sound your touchpoint with the Divine, and you yearn for a more fulfilling, thrilling, nuanced connection?
Do you wish to learn vocal rāga music in a traditional Indian musical lineage?
Enter the mystical world of Indian rāgas!
Get musical foundations for a lifetime of blissful connection and creative expression. With 100 years of teaching experience combined, Guruji, Sudhanshu, and Anandra offer you every possible online tool to bless your path of nāda yoga!
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS of any age are welcome; we have a special section just for you!
KĪRTAN LEADERS wishing for a rāga-based improvisation style into their practice will be in heaven; we include full training & an extensive repertoire!
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"I have always loved singing and spirituality but never wanted to get fully into Indian Classical music. The way you have fused the two and made it accessible for me to enjoy the sound of my soul through my voice, even though I’m at best a novice musician, is just brilliant."
Sumakshi Singh
Artist
Meet Guruji, Sudhanshu, and Anandra!
Guruji is the source (70 years of music), and Sudhanshu is his senior student (20 years). Anandra is a beginner student (10 years with Guruji) and the bridge to YOU, our global audience online.
Pandit Baldev Raj Verma
As a Top Grade Hindustani Classical Vocalist, Pt. Baldev Raj Verma's singing is an experience of meditation and contemplation. He was initiated into Hindustani Classical Vocal music by his father Sh. Kashi Ram at age 5. Later on, he received rigorous training in Classical Vocal music from Sh. Pratap Chand Arora of Amritsar. His present style of singing has been structured and molded by Pt. Amarnath Ji, a prime disciple of Ustad Amir Khan Saheb of Indore Gharana, known for his mesmerizing music. True to the tradition of his Gharana, Pt. Verma's music is shorn of ostentation and showiness.
His technique imparts a sort of mystic touch to his rendition. His music has an invocative quality about it that transports the audience to the realm of spirituality.
On his 75th birthday, he was honored by the government of India for his lifetime contribution to music. Not only is he a legendary artist, he is a master teacher (a rare combination!) His students now carry his grand musical lineage forward into the future.
In this course, Guruji offers his 65+ years of musical meditation... When that reverberates through his voice, sympathetic strings vibrate in us, and we experience the guru principle in resounding action!
Sudhanshu Sharma
An approved Artist of the All India Radio, New Delhi, Sudhanshu has a career as a performer of Hindustani Classical Vocal with many performances in the Middle East and south East Asia and performances in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Indore and Guwahati and invitations to perform in the US, Europe and Canada.
A recipient of the prestigious Tushar Pandit Memorial Gold Medal and Smt. V. Bani Bai Ram Memorial Medal in Music, he is an internationally respected teacher as well with students all across the globe. He has many musical retreats, Lecture-Demonstrations and Music Talks to his credit.
He strongly believes that Art should have a bigger purpose of bringing hearts together and fostering better human relationships full of Peace and Love – both external and internal.
As a part of the Heart of Sound since day one, Sudhanshu now regularly offers music retreats and teaches many of our global family in private online lessons.
sudhanshusharma.org
In this course, Sudhanshu teaches the foundational skills of Indian classical music. His heartfelt and methodical approach to voice culture and rāga exploration has been honed by years of teaching beginners.
Anandra George
Anandra has studied in India extensively since 1997 and shares Sanskrit sounds, mantra meditation, and Indian music with global audiences at the behest of her beloved gurus.
A musician since age 10, she won various awards playing Western and jazz music. She came to India in 1997 and the mystical path of sound has reverberating in her heart ever since! Since 2009 she has studied at her music Guruji's home in New Delhi.
With Guruji's blessings, she debuted with an Indian classical vocal concert in Tokyo in 2015 at Toyu University. However, it was clear that her passion for music was more inner than outer. The indescribable fullness that Guruji helped her awaken through the rāgas overflowed into service, and she prioritized helping others connect to the richness of their own voices rather than her own performance career.
She created the Heart of Sound, world’s first yoga teacher training based entirely on the transformative power of sound. She also founded the Sacred Sound Stage at the prestigious International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh (India), as well as the global Mantras for Peace subtle activism project. She has taught and sung at the world’s largest yoga festivals, and has been featured in Hindi, Russian, Japanese, German, and English press for her pioneering work with sound and mantra.
In this course, Anandra's focus on the meditative side of singing makes it accessible to all.
"The deep emotional journey of sound is something Anandra is truly gifted at. As a teacher she knows how to articulate the impact of sound on the spirit in profound and insightful ways. As a practitioner she guides people on journeys through their hills, valleys, caverns and skies via voice. For me this journey of sound has opened new channels into the self, it has given me a new language of expression, and helped me grow as a person. It is not just about the special moments and experiences, it also presents a broader approach to life and living."
Boaz Mourad, Ph.D.
CEO and NYU Professor
This Unparalleled Course Includes:
- 30+ hours of video teaching with Anandra, Sudhanshu, and Guruji; a mix of live classroom teacher training footage and recordings made just for you.
- A 40-page PDF handbook of scale charts, practice exercises, rāga overviews, and a rāga-based kīrtan songbook, and much more!
- Guided practice Mp3s you can listen to anywhere and practice on your phone, on your commute.
- Step-by-step, call-and-response learning that instills good practice habits and prepares you to sing with confidence.
- Invitation to LIVE group practices led by Anandra, Sudhanshu, and other Heart of Sound teaching team members online.
- Rāga-based kīrtan repertoire how-to videos, cheatsheets, and skill-building exercises.
- Kīrtan Leader prep tips for rocking an amazing improvisational rāga-based group chant session!
- Every answer to every question Anandra has received in teaching the Heart of Sound course to eager beginners from around the globe, woven into the curriculum
- Mobile app or computer course access for your convenience
- Private Lessons option with Guruji's senior students, to continue your learning, get feedback, and refine your rāgas.
Supporting Generations of Indian Music:
- Your money goes into Guruji's retirement, supporting the active generation of his students to keep working in music, and into scholarships to keep this music alive for future generations!
Join our musical family!
Learning Indian Classical music is a labor of love. Many say it stretches across lifetimes, and even then there's always more to learn. This unique online course gives you the opportunity to at least start your journey, from right where you are, knowing you're in good hands of a time-honored tradition (delivered with modern technology)!
Even total non-musicians can enter into the magnificent world of musical vibration. Our focus on the meditative side of singing makes "the song of the soul" accessible to ALL!
"The enlightened ones say 'Go Within!' I have always wondered where ‘WITHIN’ was, and how do I get there? And am I there yet? ;) I can now see/feel a springboard, to dive off daily, with the nāda yoga you've taught me...Exciting!"
Mario, Italy
Nāda Yoga Online Course Student
Course Outline
This teacher training depth online course takes you into the mystical and practical foundations of a personal Indian music practice. For novice musicians, we learn how to play with the rāgas in an easy-to-learn call and response format and build your rāga based kīrtan repertoire! Serious musicians will have a significant foundation with which to pursue further private study. There are BONUS materials galore, and more will be added regularly!
Module 1
Finding Your Self-Shining Voice
Set the foundation for a profoundly enjoyable meditative experience of your own voice.
- Setting up your musical sonic environment for home practice
- Voice as meditation and mystical pathway
- In-depth instructions on vocal toning
- How to find "SA," the best starting note for your voice
- Got stress? How singing can help reset, restore, and rejuvenate your nervous system.
Module 2
Sargam: The Language of Hindustanī Music
With these step-by-step practice techniques, anyone can learn to "speak music" and begin to get creative with expressing what's on your heart!
- Get to know each of the 7 notes like old friends, their texture, color, mood, and effect.
- Step by step call and response learning videos at slow, medium, and fast tempos
- Mp3s to sing along with
- Extensive patterns and exercises for your enjoyment and brain exercise! (Traditional in Guruji's musical lineage.)
Module 3
Rāga Bhūpālī
Soothe your soul with the sweet tones of this nourishing, grounding evening scale.
- Learn the 5 notes by singing them and playing on the harmonium
- Take time to feel each note in your body and voice with slow call and response.
- Recognize the musical signatures of Bhūpālā rāga, the rules for improvisation
- Sing along with key phrases in both slow and fast call and response
- Practice using 2 different rāga-based kīrtan songs in Bhūpālī
Module 4
Rāga Bairagi Bhairav
Uplift your morning with this evocative, meditative scale.
- Learn the 5 notes by singing them and playing on the harmonium
- Take time to feel each note in your body and voice with slow call and response.
- Recognize the musical signatures of Bairagi Bhairav rāga, the rules for improvisation
- Sing along with key phrases in both slow and fast call and response
- Practice using a Vedic mantra + rāga-based kīrtan songs in Bairagi Bhairav
Module 5
Rāga Yaman
Surrender into devotional romance with the Beloved through this sunset scale.
- Learn the 5 notes by singing them and playing on the harmonium
- Take time to feel each note in your body and voice with slow call and response.
- Recognize the musical signatures of Yaman rāga, the rules for improvisation
- Sing along with key phrases in both slow and fast call and response
- Practice using a rāga-based kīrtan song in Yaman
Module 6
Rāga Bhairava
Experience the mystical, dynamic play of consciousness in this morning scale.
- Learn the 5 notes by singing them and playing on the harmonium
- Take time to feel each note in your body and voice with slow call and response.
- Recognize the musical signatures of Bhairava rāga, the rules for improvisation
- Sing along with key phrases in both slow and fast call and response
- Practice using a Gaṇeśa rāga-based kīrtan song in Bhairava
Module 7
Rāga-Based Kīrtan Repertoire
Enjoy these simple call-and-response mantra melodies that use the notes of the rāgas we've learned so far. This repertoire gives you great way to practice improvising alone at home. Aspiring kīrtan leaders can learn to share a fun, creative musical experience with others!
- 11+ videos of each melody variation sung and played on a harmonium
- Handbook with melody in sargam, iTablaPro presets, and rhythm
ADD-ONs
Optional Teaching Training Certification
- If you’d like a certificate of completion for this course and/or the option to claim continuing education credits towards your professional credentials via Yoga Alliance and/or the International Association of Yoga Therapists, you may purchase a one-on-one practicum testing option.
Private Lessons
- You can also opt to receive a monthly live, one-on-one lesson with a Heart of Sound teaching assistants and/or one of Guruji's senior students. (Select the "Private Lessons" option, which includes the teaching certification course level PLUS a monthly private lesson for 1 year.)
"Being a total music newbie, I need a 'model’ to copy from over and over. This platform delivers encouraging music teachers right here, to be with me! It’s the sweetest, joyful and most heart-potent energy having Guruji, Sudhanshu and Anandra guiding and encouraging me to the access the richness of these practices."
Hamsadevi
English Teacher, Australia
Why Learn in a Traditional Lineage?
Sudhanshu and Anandra try to describe the indescribable blessing of the guru principle, telling a bit of Guruji's story and our hopes for spreading the intimate, spiritual joy of an Indian Classical music meditation practice far and wide through this special online course. (Sorry about the wind in Rishikesh!)
Want a peek at the Training Manual?
Our 40 page course handbook contains a decade's worth of practice curriculum, tips, and tools! Seriously. It's deep. Get a glimpse below:
Course Options
You're welcome to choose the long-awaited, much-requested full online course for your own development... but if you want to be able to lead meditative singing experiences in your own professional sphere, you'll want the certification. Private lessons are crucial if you want to develop your Indian musicianship further!
ONE TIME PAYMENT
$697
Course Includes:
- 50+ hours of video teaching
- A 40-page PDF handbook
- Guided practice Mp3s
- Step-by-step, call-and-response practice checklists
- Invitations to join LIVE Heart of Sound online practices
- Invitations to join LIVE Q&A and skill study sessions online
- And SO much more!
ONE TIME PAYMENT
$897
Everything in the full course, plus:
- Supervised practicum and personal feedback on your chant leadership skills
- A certificate of completion with a Heart of Sound teacher
- 60 Hours YACEP credits
MONTHLY
$129
PER MONTH FOR 12 MONTHS
Everything in the certification course, plus:
- A monthly private video lesson with one of Guruji's senior students for 1 year
- Your monthly lesson can be with a Heart of Sound teaching assistant if you prefer
Need a Payment Plan or Deferred Payment?
We've got you covered! Remember, proceeds get cycled back into perpetuating Indian traditional practices for future generations. If you also wish to defer your first payment for a few months until the economy gets going, contact us.
Need a Scholarship?
People from countries with undervalued currency (i.e. Nigeria, Indonesia, Panama), or from historically underprivileged backgrounds, are encouraged to apply for full or partial scholarships.
How it Works
- Enroll and get immediate access to the materials.
- Go through the online course materials at your own pace.
- Utilize the wealth of video, audio, written, and teaching support materials however it suits you!
- Connect with us during LIVE online practices and in the community forum to meet others doing the same course, share your insights, and ask your personal questions.
Guarantee
- After you've successfully completed the full course, if you do not feel a profound shift in your singing practice, we'll happily give you a full refund.
- Only those who don't do the practices as instructed don't feel the benefits, so the guarantee only applies if you fully participate in the course.
- Simply schedule a meeting with one of our Heart of Sound teaching faculty and let us know about your experience.
Current & Aspiring Teachers
Continuing Education: If you're a Yoga Alliance registered teacher, this online course is eligible for 60 hours of continuing education. Select the "Certification" option (above) if you'd like to receive credit.
Prerequisite: If you're considering the Heart of Sound 200-hour teacher training, this online course will be a resource for your teaching for years to come.
200HR TEACHER TRAINING
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you are registered and have paid for the course and at any time during your participation in the course, there are no refunds given.
You'll have access to the course materials for as long as the Heart of Sound is online = years and years to come.
We'd say "lifetime access" but that seems like too long to promise! ;) LOL!
No. This is not a 40-day mantra practice group. Please visit our course page to sign up for one of those.
However, this Nāda Yoga course IS part of the online teacher training!
If waiting for the next in-person 200-hour Teacher Training to be announced, it'll be a great (optional) preparation for you.
This is a bonus feature for those who are Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT) with Yoga Alliance. Once you've completed the course you can login to your YA account, search for the course in their registry, and add the course and your hours. Once Heart of Sound has received a confirmation request, we can confirm your CE hours.
Throughout April and May of 2020, we'll be offering a number of LIVE group practices where you can experience many of the nāda yoga techniques taught here.
We'll also schedule many "office hours" with a Heart of Sound teaching assistant to give you and others invaluable live feedback and skill support. You'll be notified by email!
Make sure you add [email protected] as a contact and "safe" sender in your email program so you don't miss it.
You'll also be invited to join a private online community where you can upload videos of your own practice exercises (from our step-by-step practice checklists) and get feedback that way instead. This is a great option for those who can't make the LIVE calls due to busy schedules or time zone differences.
Join the Affiliate Program and help us help get this training out there!
It's a WIN - WIN - WIN - WIN ! ! !
You earn a bit of $ or credit towards your own future Heart of Sound training, your friends get a profound upgrade in their yoga of sound experience, proceeds go towards perpetuating Indian culture in India, and the musical vibrations resound with maximum effect!
Please email [email protected] for any other questions.
Yes, most likely.
You'll want to double-check with your tax preparer, but if you are in the wellness industry this course would probably be considered continuing education for professional development and be 100% deductible.
Since Anandra started teaching mantra globally in 2009, she has been living extensively in India. When profits exceed expenses, funds have been used to directly support numerous educational and social service projects in India. The Heart of Sound teacher training was also designed as an instrument to perpetuate legacy: it supports her music Guruji and his senior students to continue their musical tradition (both financially and via new student referrals).
After factoring in annual basic business expenses and modest admin + teaching salaries, our end-of-year statement usually works out to show a very small profit. (For instance, in 2019, it was $7,329.). However, we're grateful we've been able to continue to serve due to a combination of frugal management, barter, and extensive volunteer support.
Our hope is that the new online era of teaching will enable us to share the sound-based practices with more students worldwide and increase our ability to offer more scholarships as well as grow our service projects like Mantras for Peace and the Sacred Sound Stage. (To get involved, contact [email protected] to volunteer)
In each course, there's a Pay it Forward section where you can go to find out more about the specific India service projects.
If you'd feel safer to have more detailed financial transparency, you're welcome to contact us.
"Sudhanshu, it has been an honor to learn this mystical music from you that has fascinated me since I was in my teens. Thank you for opening your heart to us to share your beautiful song and voice. I feel as though I am permanently expanded ever upwards to the Divine!"
Bonnie Augustine
Sound Healer
Before You Go!
Want to be inspired by the beautiful meditative music of the Indore Gharāṇā? Listen to the performances below.
