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Music As Yoga
by Patrick Bernard
Noise pollution has a profound impact on our mental and physical well-being.
Definitely upscale for a trade paperback, Music As Yoga is a beautiful book. Rendered in rich shades of red and gold with glossy cream-colored leaves and soft brown type, the reader knows immediately by the cover and book design that the author is creating a soothing environment to enhance the message he wants to deliver.
There's no question that this is a book meant to persuade. Using science to lend credence to his opinions, Patrick Bernard begins with a discussion on how the physical structures of our bodies respond to sound. From earliest times, all known societies have noted that some waves perceivable by human ears are annoying while others are pleasurable. Some tones create stress. Others soothe and relax. You only have to walk through Wal-mart or Best Buy and hear the shrieking intercom system to agree that shrill sounds create feelings of nervousness and anxiety. However, it's less clear whether music actually creates a mood or whether one chooses music based on an existing mood.
Bernard takes these observations to another level by noting that the mood and health of humans can be impacted by sound. Using holistic ideas that state that the mechanical, chemical and emotional aspects of being human are related, he then posits that sound waves can stimulate the body in ways that are either healthy or unhealthy. In other words, what you hear every day can not only make you feel good or bad, but it can cause you to get sick or heal.
Bernard makes a good case for this core issue. He explores the detrimental effects of environmental noise on both plants and animals, repeating the story of healthy, overgrown plants that are exposed to symphonies as opposed to weak, undersized plants blasted by Rock and Roll. The impact of certain chords and tones on the human nervous system can be manipulated for different purposes. He points out that music can inspire or incite, reduce or induce stress, increase appetite, enhance human relationships with each other and with the divine - and man has used it for those functions throughout the ages.
Bernard then goes on to discuss the power of words as symbols, pointing out that many religions recognize a "God-sound". From St. John's "In the beginning there was the Word" to Krishna's "I am the sound of ether" to the Vedic scriptures, "In the beginning there was the Brahman with whom was the Word and the Word was Brahman" to Victor Hugo's, "And the word we should recognize is a living entity", Bernard believes that words are controlling tools in the life of humans. If you are feeling poorly, say "I am in good health!" several times and you will feel better. That's because words power imagination and imagination powers action. For example, the word "WILL" impacts the mind in a positive way and creates an attitude that helps us achieve our goals. This concept is at the core of suggestology. Using words together with music to control the body is a device for achieving better health and peace of mind. It's also the basic idea behind mantras, chants and glossolalia (speaking in tongues).
Music links philosophy, mathematics, physics and biology, but in recent years, those links are in disharmony. The call to action in this book is for composers to create music that is in tune with the universe.
Okay. I buy that - but, I have to say, I thought his premise was somewhat limited. Let's face it, we all know that noise is bad and music is good. It's easier to concentrate when listening to Beethoven than it is when listening to the Rolling Stones. However, as I read the book all those little touches added for my pleasure began to make its mark. Before I was finished, I was curious as to the sounds being espoused by Patrick Bernard so I listened to one of his CDs. It was also beautifully produced. Decorated in golds and red, the cover was rich and pleasing to look at. Entitled "Supreme Moment", CD is a collection of twelve musical productions ranging from a Gitivali Sanskrit Chant to a 14th Century Latin Chant to a Sanskrit Mantra. I listened to it while driving through town. It was so comfortable to listen to that it blended out of my consciousness. However, I found that my mood was lighter and I was focusing on my work with greater intensity. I'm not sure that was a good thing while driving though.
I recommend this book if you are into Yoga to begin with - or if you are intrigued with the roll of music in the well-being of our society.
Title: Music As Yoga
Author: Patrick Bernard
Publisher: Mandala Publishing
ISBN: 193277100X
Review written by: Joyce Faulkner
Reviewer's Rating:8
Reader's Rating: 10.00
Reader's Votes: 2
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