Nada Yoga - At One with Concert Music

Here in the concert hall, the energy is crisp. The crowd is entranced, hanging off each and every note. Ricocheting off the ceiling was the sound of my son shifting in his seat. There he sat alert and aware, his tiny frame at risk of being swallowed by the recoil of the fancy concert seat.

"Try to really listen to the music," I said to my three-year-old as we sat amongst a crowd of passionate music-lovers listening to Schubert's string quartet in G major. "Let the music fill you up and carry you away, " was about all the advise I could give him.

The lovely young thing sitting next to us, who must of been a student at IU's School of Music, sat there with her eyes closed. I could practically feel her spirit soaring up above the stage, pulsing with the ebb and flow of the violins and cello.

From our second story balcony seats, I watched beads of sweat fly from the second violinist's brow with each deep thrust of his bow.

It was completely seductive.

Nada Yoga means union through sound. It is the ancient spiritual art and science of inner transformation through sound and tone. Meditation on sound is one universal path to Self Realization, accessible to anyone, and appropriate for people of any religion or spiritual aspiration.

Back in the concert hall, my son wants his granola bar. I dare not attempt to unwrap it, for fear of rudely awakening anyone from their nada yoga experience. Instead, I hand him an apple, and hope for the best.

Amazing things happen when a concert hall full of people are deeply concentrated on listening to the music. Things like a three-year-old boy being able to sit still(ish) for over thirty-minutes while he hums softly and begins to understand what it means to be "at one with the music".

Then, just like that, it was over. The crowd applauded adoringly. The musician left the stage, and both me and my son looked at each other like someone pulled the plug out of our music box. Was that it? No, just the intermission.

Earlier this week, after the third day of my son waking me up asking if we were going to the concert today, I had to sit him down and talk about expectations. I feared he would be greatly disappointed. It was just a free concert, so there might not be a lot of people. It might be a small stage; a small concert, with just a couple people playing music.

But one look into his eyes at that moment, I knew for sure, he wasn't disappointed.

I was so grateful for this moment for so many reason. Firstly, to live in a small community that has access to beautiful concert halls and world renown musicians. Thankful for people who follow their passion, and have the determination and will to practice, and then share their passion with us.

And, what a blessing to be able to share a simple beautiful moment, one without thoughts or words, with others (especially one that I love).