1His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchindananda Swamiji is a great Vaggeyakaara (singer-composer) of the present times and credited with thousands of compositions in several languages. On one hand His tunes are simple and catchy (In Naama Sankeertana style) while on the other hand they are intricate and stimulate inner inquiry (e.g. Tattva Bhajans). Some also belong to the Manipravala style and some have the intrinsic lyrical complexities like the various Padabandha and Swarakshara krutis. His bhajans contain the seed letters which arouse inner energies. His mellifluous voice, judicious combination of yoga and music, bring about the desired therapeutic effect in the listener, based on the level of concentration of the listener.
Sri Swamiji encourages both active therapy and passive therapy. Active therapy is singing (e.g Naama Sankeertana) and Passive therapy is listening to music. He reiterates that group singing (e.g. during bhajans) has a greater impact in letting out the pent up emotions and relieving the mental agony. He therefore encourages one and all to chant the divine names with soulful involvement.
For passive listening sessions, He asks us:
- To sit comfortably or lie down with closed eyes,
- To simply allow the music to work,
- Not to intellectualize about the process,
- To use a good quality headphone or speaker,
- To avoid external disturbances,
- To listen as soft as possible,
- To listen as loud as necessary to appreciate the fine structural developments,
- To Listen for at least 15 minutes,
- To listen preferably at bed time or during the time of difficulty or stress, and
- To listen regularly every day. I am teaching sri swamiji sankerthnas and vishu lalitha sahasra namam hanumanchalisa for all age group.
