Nadanusandhana

Nadanusandhana is a meditation technique that requires the practitioner to fixate their attention and contemplate upon an inner sound produced by chanting. This isn’t just any sound, but the sound of ‘Om’, which is the primordial sound of the universe and comprises three separate sounds: A, U and M, also referred to as A-kara, U-kara and M-kara, which are meditated upon separately. During this practice, the mind is directed inwards and withdrawn from externally received sensory information. As such, Nadanusandhana is sometimes referred to as ‘Nada Dhyana’ (meditating on sound) or ‘the yoga of inner sound’.  In the Hatha yoga system it is said that it helps the practitioner to attain the knowledge of ultimate truth.

Nadanusandhana is made up of two Sanskrit words: Nada meaning ‘sound’, and Anusandhana meaning ‘aiming at’ or ‘being intent upon’, which appears to be rather descriptive of the technique. Nada can be further split up into Na and Da. Na refers to Prana (vital life force) and Da refers to Agni meaning ‘fire’. Therefore, Nada (sound) is considered to be the union of Prana and Agni. With regular practice, it has the ability to awaken the Kundalini, causing it to ascend through the Susumna, an energetic channel (nadi) that runs through the spinal column. Over time, Nada will become more intensified yet subtle, enabling the practitioner to fully absorb their consciousness and even their physical body in the Anhat Nada (internally produced sound).

Once the practitioner is able to deeply absorb the mind in the Anhat Nada, it becomes a powerful and effective technique to restrain the fluctuations (vrttis) of the mind, leading to stillness and deep conscious silence. As a result of this deep contemplation and involuntarily drawing the attention within, Nadanusandhana is considered to be an excellent means of meditating upon the supreme state by ceasing the movements of the conscious mind (citta vrtti nirodhah), and thereby the attainment of Samadhi (bliss).

If meditating with sound is new to you, it is good to start with a practice called Bhramari, also known as humming bee breath. By closing off the other senses using the fingers: the thumbs on the ears, the index fingers and middle fingers on the eyes, and the remaining fingers on the nostrils and mouth, it will become easier to achieve deep concentration to sound.

During the practice of Nadanusandhana, you will initially become aware of the more gross sounds, akin to the crashing of waves, or a big drum. Eventually, as your concentration develops, you will transition to the intermediate stage, where you become attuned to sounds on the same intensity level of small gongs or bells, and finally you will become aware of the most subtle sounds, such as the tinkling of small bells and the humming of a bee. As the Nada begins to become more subtle, the mind will start to merge with it, eventually dissolving into nothing, where the practitioner enters the state of Unmani (the no-mind state sometimes described as a transition state between waking and dreaming), which ultimately leads to Samadhi, the state in which individual and universal consciousness unite and the yogi experiences the highest state of mental concentration possible while still to the body. This state is said to unite the practitioner with the highest reality.

To illustrate this further, Hathayogic texts recognise four intra-psychic experiences or stages in the Nadanusandhana practice. At each successive stage, the practitioner experiences more subtle sounds until finally a soundless state is achieved, which is where the dissolution of the mind happens. As long as there is Nada (sound), the mind also exists. However, once a soundless state is achieved, the mind also loses its existence and will therefore dissolve into a state of Samadhi.

The four intra-psychic stages (as found in the Hathpradipika-IV/69) are:

1. Arabhavastha: the practitioner is able to control their citta.

2. Ghatavastha: vayu (energy) runs through the middle path of the body (Susumna) and the yogi attains stability and a God-like wisdom where they know the past, present and future.

3. Paricayavastha: the practitioner is able to control the mind and achieve mental bliss and peace, and is relieved of feelings of desire, anger and suffering.

4. Nispattyavastha: finally, the mind dissolves in the sound and the practitioner enters a state of Unmani, ultimately leading to Samadhi bringing forth inexplicable joy in the yogi’s heart.

In this practice, we will do 4 rounds of chanting using different sounds: A, U, M, and lastly AUM/Om. The sounds should be produced loudly so you can become aware of the resonance in different parts of the body. This will happen when the frequency of the generated sound matches the natural frequency of the body. You can try using different pitches until the resonance is felt. Eventually you can begin to focus on the post-resonance silence, which will help to deepen the awareness and help to relieve subtle tensions.

PIC-A

1. Sit in any meditative position and adopt Cin Mudra ( Pic-A)

2. Take a couple of breaths to centre yourself and draw the attention inwards.

3. A-kara chanting

3.1 Slowly inhale to fill the lungs completely, and begin to chant A-kara in a low voice (just the ‘AAA’ sound).

3.2 Notice how the sound reverberates in the abdomen.

3.3 Repeat 9 times.

PIC-B

4. U-kara chanting

4. 1 With Chinmaya Mudra ( pic-B ), Slowly inhale to fill the lungs and completely, and begin to chant ‘UUU’ in a low pitch.

4.2 Notice how the sound reverberates in the chest and middle part of the body.

4.3 Repeat 9 times.

PIC-C

5. M-kara chanting

5.1 With Aadi Mudra ( Pic-C ), Slowly inhale to fill the lungs and completely, and begin to chant ‘MMM’ in a low pitch.

5.2 Notice how the sound resonates in the throat and head region.

5.3 Repeat 9 times.

PIC-D

6. AUM chanting

6.1 Inhale slowly and completely fill the lungs.

6.2 Adopt Brahma mudra ( Pic-D ) (thumb inside the fist) and exhale to chant AUM in a low voice.

6.3 Feel the sound resonate throughout the body.

6.4 Repeat nine times.

7. To close the practice, take another few deep breaths becoming aware of any sensations in the body and observe your emotional state.

While seeming contradictory at first, sound can actually be used to find stillness within the mind. Once the Nada becomes deeply perceived, the mind becomes one with it. And once the mind enters these subtler levels of experience, the activity of the other senses come to a standstill. The vrttis (waves of thought) are suspended and in this meditative state, you will become free of all existential miseries (Bhagavad Gita-II/64).

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