• Raags are musical codes from Ancient India, which evoke specific moods in both the one who listens and the one who sings.
• This mood arises through the combination of particular notes with their emotional signatures. Each Raag has a prescription, which lists the tones we will use and in which proportion - similar to a cake recipe. If the techniques and details that come with each Raag are executed thoroughly and applied, the composition will evoke the desired mood.

A Sabd is part of a sacred text called "Siri Guru Granth Sahib", which has been compiled by the spiritual masters of the Nankian Lineage. Their words carry a healing vibration, and when we combine them with a Raag (Mood) the combination has the power to transform your mental, spiritual and physical reality. Why? Because when we use both words and emotions, we engage the logical and creative parts of our brains simultaneously.

• Mantr is a Sanskrit term that translates to “solution” or “intended result”. Mantr occurs when a tool or “Yantr” and a technique or “Tantr” are combined correctly to create an intended solution.  In our context, your voice and emotions come together with the methods of Naad Yoga to bring about a state of Oneness. Mantr is also the origin of the widely used word "Mantra".

Rhythm is essential to our wellbeing and as well as our survival.The role of rhythm towards our welfare is vital. All life depends on rhythm - the rhythm in the phases of the moon, the change of the seasons, day following night, the cycles of the weather - if nature were to alter its rhythm, it would have a huge impact. Imagine if it would suddenly snow and freeze in the middle of summer! Similarly, our physical bodies follow internal rhythms, like the rhythm of our breath and the beat of our heart. Changes in those rhythms have an immediate effect on our moods as well as on our wellbeing. Naad Yoga teaches us to regulate our rhythm and use it to restore inner balance on a physical and mental level.

In the context of Naad Yoga, emotional agility means to be able to choose and utilize our feelings and emotions to fuel our creativity, personal evolution and life choices. We become more aware of our emotional state and how it affects our perception. We learn to accept our emotions and allow them to be felt fully, before deciding whether to remain in the current emotional state or switch into a different mood. If we determine that we need to change it, we could make the switch at our will and on purpose, using our voice and our listening skills.

Listening skills in Naad Yoga start with tuning our hearing so that we can perceive pitch and rhythm with accuracy. Noise pollution and other environmental factors, emotional trauma and physical conditions can distort our perception over time. Once the hearing has been finely tuned, it is much easier to perceive the emotional charge or undercurrent that accompanies music and conversations.  

The next stage is listening internally, to the dialogue we have with ourselves and the emotions that colour our perception of the outside world constantly. It is essential to be able to tell the difference between our emotional state and the impressions of the world around us.

From there we move into the range of ‘Anhad’ - the unstruck Sound. Anhad is a sound that can be sensed but not heard, the vibration which powers creation and sustains all life. Anhad is the key to truly experience Oneness.

Even before reaching the stage of Anhad, we may notice an increased ability to listen and discern what is going on within us and around us.

The "natural voice” in Naad Yoga refers to a person’s speaking voice and its natural vocal range. So-called “head voice” and artistic techniques like falsetto artificially extend the vocal range and move the vibrations out of the body and into the head area. Because the voice in its natural range has a healing effect on the nervous system and easily conveys our emotional state, we avoid using techniques which artificially alter the voice. Every voice and vocal range is unique and individual; it changes over time and evolves as we mature and grow mentally and emotionally. Exercising the voice by doing vocal agility exercises also impacts the quality, range and tone of voice over time. Our natural voice is a direct expression of our inner state and authentic being, and as such, ideally suited to affect changes and restore balance.

In the context of Naad Yoga, conscious communication means: 

• We are conscious of what we say to another person or even to ourselves. 
•  We are aware of how we say it.
• We observe the intention or motive behind our communication.
• We choose the emotions which accompany and envelope the words that we speak, via pitch and rhythm.

Since the emotional charge has a significant impact on the listener, we must express ourselves with intent and deliberation. This is essential if we want to build healthy relationships, a supportive environment and avoid misunderstandings.  

Therefore we are mindful of how we speak and communicate with ourselves and especially with our body, mind and soul as this conversation is even more critical as it shapes the reality we inhabit. 

Conscious communication extends to our internal as well as our external dialogues. It includes all forms of communication, including those which are non-verbal. These can be images we keep recalling to our mind’s eye, personal affirmations, or the hunches and feelings through which our body expresses itself.

Music is a universal language that is understood by all, and it connects humanity beyond race, gender and culture. Sound and psyche are intimately connected, and we regularly make use of this connection. For example, we put on our favourite feel-good song when we need a little pick- me up, or use fast-paced, energetic music when we exercise.

In Naad Yoga, we explore those connections in even greater depth. We uncover the emotional charge of individual notes when we study Emotional Signatures. We use Raags to induce complex moods to heal, release trauma and emotional blocks, and use the music as a medium for self-discovery. This is possible because music, in general, and the type of music we use in Naad Yoga in particular, allows us to engage both the logical and the creative part of our brains. Music can bypass the intellect and interact directly with our subconscious mind, especially when combined with meditation and Mantr, allowing for deep, but gentle shifts in our psyche.

Contemplation means to turn our focus inwards and let our awareness rest on a chosen focal point like a word (or a series of words), a visualization, a sound, a feeling, a memory etc. In contemplation, we open a space where our mind and soul can enter into a dialogue. This dialogue or internal communication takes many forms, and each is unique to the individual. The important thing is to engage your inner world and allow the conversation to unfold so that we can gain new understanding and insights.

Meditation means that we are in a state of Oneness with the whole of existence. It is a state where there are no more questions, no separations, no past or future - only an eternal “Now”. Meditation is not an active process that we can control or steer in a particular direction, and it occurs spontaneously. Meditation is a moment of grace that fills us with bliss and inner peace. It cannot be forced or artificially created, and is not limited to moments where we actively seek it. It might occur when you are washing the dishes or cleaning the floors – or in any moment where your body, mind and soul are fully present in the here and now.

However, meditation often is initiated by contemplation. In such moments we feel ourselves gradually shifting from actively engaging with a point of focus to calmly resting in the present moment, and merging with our point of focus. Regular practice of contemplation makes the transition into meditation much more likely. 

When your internal communication becomes a regular habit, you can shift your focus inwards quickly, and the present moment is more accessible to you. It is like leaving the door to your study ajar so your cat can walk in unhindered. You can’t predict when it will come in and settle down next to you, but if the door is ajar, you know that it will join you sooner or later.