Julie Afsahi
Jun 23

Nada Yoga: The Ancient Roots of Modern Sound Healing

In today’s world of crystal singing bowls, gongs, and sound baths, it’s easy to think of sound healing as a modern wellness trend. I honestly live in fear that we're going to start seeing images of sound healing in the pharmaceutical industry, much like yoga.

But sound as a sacred tool for healing and awakening has ancient roots—roots that run deep in the yogic tradition through a practice known as Nada Yoga.

What Is Nada Yoga?

Nada Yoga is the yoga of sound and vibration. It’s an ancient spiritual practice that views sound not only as a healing tool, but as a direct path to the divine.

As we share in our book Seasons of Sound: Sound Healing for All of Life’s Seasons:
"From the practice of Vedic mantras emerged Nada Yoga, a yoga that considers sound as a powerful tool for spiritual transformation. The term nada means sound or vibration in Sanskrit, and the practice of Nada Yoga involves leveraging the energy of sound to influence the mind, body, and spirit. In Nada Yoga, one aligns oneself to the inner vibrations within the body (Anahata Nad) and the external vibrations of the sacred around us (Ahata Nad)."
This form of yoga sees the entire universe—including our physical bodies—as a symphony of vibrations. When we attune ourselves to harmonious frequencies, we begin to settle the mind, restore the nervous system, and awaken to deeper states of presence.

Resonance and Sacred Sound

One of the guiding principles of Nada Yoga is resonance. It’s the idea that vibrations within and around us can influence each other, amplifying energy and effect. Just as a vibrating tuning fork can activate another tuning fork of the same pitch, sound has the power to awaken similar vibrations within us.

We write in Seasons of Sound:
"In this same way, in Nada Yoga, practitioners are using sacred frequencies to influence the vibrations within their being and in their outside environment. Similar to the body of a violin, Nada Yoga practitioners are vessels amplifying the sacred resonance of the divine."
This is not metaphor—it’s physics. Vibrations affect us physically and emotionally. From the hum of a mantra to the deep tone of a singing bowl, sound creates real shifts in the body’s energetic and emotional landscape.

Nada Yoga and Modern Sound Healing

Contemporary sound healing—what we now often call “sound baths”—draws heavily from the principles of Nada Yoga, whether consciously or not. When we use crystal bowls, gongs, or chimes to create meditative soundscapes, we’re participating in a lineage of practice that spans thousands of years.

Modern sound tools are designed with accessibility in mind. You don’t need a music background to begin exploring this work, but intention and training matter. In Nada Yoga, the practice is never just about creating sound—it’s about cultivating presence, aligning with sacred vibration, and holding space with care.

In Seasons of Sound, we reflect on this balance between simplicity and intentionality:
"Sound healing has no definite beginning. And instruments are not necessary for sound healing – listening to the sound of waves crashing on a beach, the rustling of leaves in a forest, and the singing of birds in the morning can all evoke a sense of calm and tranquility."

A Global History of Sound as Medicine

Nada Yoga is one expression of the deep, global human connection to healing through sound. Across continents and cultures, sound has always been central to spiritual practice, ritual, and community.

In Seasons of Sound, we write about these ancient cross-cultural practices:
"From the African cultures of the Bantu, Ashanti, and Yoruba peoples to the Native American tribes of the Cherokee, Lakota, and Navajo, drums have been used in music, dance, community gathering, and ritual ceremonies... Also remarkable and noteworthy, the didgeridoo, a healing instrument from the Aboriginal people of Australia, may have been used for 40,000 years!
From the drumbeat that echoes the human heartbeat to the resonant drone of the didgeridoo, these practices reflect humanity’s shared wisdom: sound heals.

Bringing Nada Yoga Into Your Own Practice

You don’t need to live in an ashram to begin exploring Nada Yoga.

In fact, if you’ve ever:
  • Sat quietly and listened to the wind or water
  • Chanted Om or hummed during meditation
  • Played a singing bowl with care and presence ...you’re already participating in the spirit of this practice.

If you’re curious to learn more, you can:

  • Grab a copy of Seasons of Sound to explore accessible sound practices, chakra-based sound work, and more.
  • Join our online Sound Healing Certification Training, a trauma-informed, self-paced course designed to help you share sound intentionally and confidently.

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