Vibrations can heal and restore harmony. Reela Hota demystifies sensory perceptions for Utpal K Banerjee at the International Ancient Arts Festival
Ancient Arts: an International Festival/Symposium featuring music, dance, healing sound and allied arts, organised recently by Rays of Wisdom Society, was a class apart from the run-of-the-mill cultural events of the capital. Fourth in the series held over last few years, the festival presented the significance of classical and contemporary performing arts embedded in sculpture, painting, crafts and ancient languages. Artwork by the underprivileged and gifted children,Healing Sculpture by Manissha Khanna and yogic accessories by Bijoylakshmi Hota — spread out at the spacious foyer of Kamani auditorium — provided curious spectators the perfect artistic setting needed for the festival.
Elaborating the objective to bring healing sound into the domain of arts, comments the principal organiser Reela Hota, “What we see around us in this universe is energy that is in constant vibration, producing a subtle sound. What is wonderful about this energy is that it has consciousness and is influenced by our actions and emotions. The vagaries of living can do disrupt its harmonious flow, creating energy blockages. As in a flowing river. Blockages lead to back-ups and stagnation.”
She adds, “Sound vibrations, with which we were all created, is a powerful tool for restoring harmony and perfection within us and beyond. This was well understood by ancient cultures around the world especially in India, China, America, Egypt and Africa. Each developed its own unique system of sound manipulation, integrating and presenting it as dance, music and language!”
lecturing on ‘Can sound healIJ’, Mandara Cromwell of the USA, brought out a kaleidoscope of tools and techniques that spanned over breathing in and out the Sanskrit Aum, using resonance with Chinese bowls and producing tunes with Egyptian urns. Says Hota, “Experiencing a love for Gregorian chant as a child, I continued on my sound journey, traveling to India to study Sanskrit chant, yoga and meditation. Years later, I was introduced to the world of Cymatics by Dr Peter Guy Manners, a British osteopath who discovered audible sound-wave frequency patterns that effect cellular regeneration. Manners worked in collaboration with a group of scientists and medical doctors, for decades, formulating bio-signatures and healing frequencies for each part and function of the body. These ‘Cymatic Signatures’ create cellular symphonies that nurture and nourish our body, mind and spirit, resulting in a state of harmonious health.”
Another scientist, who was available but could not speak due to indisposition, was Sue Daniel, heading the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne in Australia. She explains, “I have been teaching and conducting workshops throughout Japan since 1986, recently working with a project for the Great Eastern Earthquake effort for the Japanese Red Cross Society. I have conducted psychodrama workshops and training seminars in over 23 countries. I have over 35 years experience in the health field as an individual and group psychotherapist. As one of the pioneers of psychodrama in Australia and New Zealand, I brought psychodrama into Russia and Bulgaria in the 1990s.”
On where do we apply psychodrama, Sue responds, “It works wonderfully with community work in multi-cultural families, adolescents and young adults. It is also effective in drug and alcohol rehabilitation.” What a pity we could not hear her!