by Marye Wyvill and Rajesh David

Siamang gibbons, who mate for life, jointly defend their territory. Every morning they sing together, building ever more spectacular, complex sequences. The couple’s song reflects the strength of their bond. Other siamangs pay close attention. The more harmonious their duet, the stronger will be their defence. If their vocalisation is discordant, neighbours sense an opportunity to move in. In this context, harmony is a matter of survival.

And harmony is what links the seemingly separate disciplines of Nada Yoga and Bones for Life. Nada Yoga encompasses a philosophy, and a series of techniques which utilise sound with the aims of developing inner harmony, and deepening spiritual practice. Bones for Life consists of simple movement processes designed to strengthen bones through a harmonious coordination of all the parts of the body. By combining sound work, reflections on philosophical texts and physical movement, both left and right sides of the brain are drawn on, enabling participants to experience the texts’ meaning at a level far deeper than that of intellectual discourse.

Both Nada Yoga and Bones for life focus on refining perception and heightening awareness, for without awareness there is no possibility of meaningful change. We train and discipline body and mind through a variety of practices, but ultimately change occurs spontaneously. In Nada Yoga, the intention to be open to a divine inner presence is cultivated through the gradual withdrawal of the senses as the practitioner moves from sound to silence, passing through the portal to inner realms. In Bones for Life, we are invited to follow our sensations, and realise how some of the movement habits we have accumulated over a lifetime are less than helpful. We awaken the body’s innate intelligence and ability to choose better ways of sitting, standing and walking.

While Bones for Life is a safe and effective stand-alone movement therapy, it also enriches yoga practice and teaching. The programme, consisting of 90 movement processes, focuses on the enhancement of natural movement in order to develop the postural integrity, flexibility and stability that support strong bones. Movement reinforces whatever posture we adopt, and can therefore either heal or harm. For example, bouncing on the heels, used extensively in Bones for Life, powerfully directs bone-building pressure upwards through the skeletal system. However, if the vulnerable curves of neck and lumbar are misaligned, that pressure is dissipated, and the misalignment is reinforced. So first we learn how to secure those often weak links in the spine’s chain.

The same attention to detail, and the ability to differentiate parts within a whole, is brought to the practices of Nada Yoga. For example, within a structure of Indian music scales, the practitioner focuses on chakra points, each chakra location reflecting a different aspect of harmony, whether it be a strategy for survival, as in the case of the siamang, or a deep sensing of the interconnectedness of all life. This is the first step towards developing a practice of meditation with sound.

One of the best ways of experiencing the complementarity of Nada Yoga and Bones for Life is in the spacious schedule of a retreat framework. Marye and Rajesh run a regular Making Sound Finding Harmony retreat in different locations.

For more information about Rajesh, see  www.rajeshdavid.com

For more information about Marye and Bones for Life, see  www.movementintelligence.co.uk