Understanding Ragas and Its Therapeutic Qualities on Mind and Body

AGRITA CHHIBBER

The medicinal properties of sounds and vibrations, as well as the ideas that would eventually be associated with them, were known to the ancient Arab, Greek, and Indian civilizations long before acoustics became recognised as a field of study in Europe.

Even though music is generally appreciated for its ability to amuse listeners, Indian civilization was the first to recognise music’s therapeutic qualities.

Understanding Ragas and Its Therapeutic Qualities on Mind and Body

In the present era, music is essential to every individual’s existence. Many individuals resort to music as a form of relaxation when they feel weighed down by their job or daily duties. The human body’s energy expenditure increases when engaging in music. It impacts the listener’s and performer’s “Central Nervous System” and circulatory system via quickening breathing, influencing internal secretion, and enhancing muscular activity.

A raga is a series of chosen notes, or swaras, that provide the right “mood” or feeling together. It’s a sort of yoga system that is delivered through rich audio. Ragas can elicit or amplify happiness, sadness, aggression, or peace, depending on their character. It is this quality that serves as the foundation for musical application.

Ancient Reference to Treatment by Ragas:

The long tradition of raga therapy in Hindustani and Carnatic music’s ragas has long been known to have therapeutic properties for ages. Indian classical music’s greatest exponents once claimed that ragas significantly affect people’s emotions by changing the body’s resonance. In the outdated system, it is called Nada Yoga.

One can improve their level of consciousness by channeling the vibrations produced by the music. A treasure trove of ragas and instructions on how to employ them to heal a variety of physical and mental diseases can be found in an ancient treatise called Raga Chikitsa, which is kept at Tanjore’s Saraswati Mahal Library and was written by Raja Serfoji.

Here is a list of a few Ragas and their effects:

Raga Pooriya Dhansari: evokes sweet, deep, heavy, cloudy and stable state of mind and prevents acidity..
Raga Bageshri: arouses a feeling of darkness, stability, depths and calmness. This raga is also used in treatment of diabetes and hypertension.
Raga Darbari: is considered very effective in easing tension. It is a late night raga composed by Tansen for Akbar to relieve his tension after hectic schedule of the daily court life.
Raga Todi: give tremendous relief to patients of high blood pressure.
Raga Ahir-Bhairav: is supposed to sustain chords which automatically brings down blood pressure.
Raga Malkauns: helps to cure low blood pressure.
Raga Bhairavi: Provides relief T.B, Cancer, Severe Cold, Phlegm, Sinus, toothache.
Raga Malhar: Useful in the treatment of asthma and sunstroke.
Raga Todi: Provides relief from cold and headache.
Raga Hindol & Marava: These ragas are useful in blood purification.

The “Musical Trinity,” the eminent Indian classical music composers who were oddly the contemporaries of the “Trinity of Western Classical Music,” Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, were highly perceptive of acoustical energy.

According to legend, Saint Thyagaraja‘s composition Naa Jiva Dhaara from Bilahari revived a deceased person. It is thought that Navagriha kriti by Muthuswamy Dikshitar might treat stomach aches. Duru Sugu, a song by Shyama Sastry, is a musical prayer for health.

Impact of Raga on Mom- To- Be

Music has several beneficial effects on the body, including improved blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and even body temperature. Positive reactions from the foetus are triggered by it, especially in pregnant women. Since ancient times, music therapy has been utilised to treat a wide range of health issues because of its regenerative properties.

Some medical professionals believe that listening to their preferred music might reduce anxiety. It is also well recognised that providing music to patients increases the likelihood that their surgery will be successful.

Research has also demonstrated that listening to music during pregnancy has numerous advantages for both the expectant mother and the developing kid.

Prenatal music exposure has been associated with significant improvements in the mental, cognitive, psychosocial, and general development of unborn children.

Strengthens the bond between you and the foetus
Positive feelings can be evoked by songs, which may present a chance to bond with your helpless foetus. Parents have hummed to their kids for ages. Every town has songs and ballads that have been passed down through the ages.

The practice persists, with new ones being written and shared; it is an important aspect of human civilization. These songs will calm babies, allay their fears, and keep them entertained during their early years.

Mothers-to-be can have restful sleep
The pregnant woman’s unborn kid is suffering because she is not getting enough deep sleep, even though the city’s population is growing less responsive to sleep. In cases of insomnia, the specialists vehemently oppose the usage of sleep cycle medications. However, there have been instances where expectant moms have occasionally taken drugs to fall asleep.

You can sleep much better if you have a lovely, relaxing music playlist because it’s the most natural remedy. Instead of rushing to take sleeping pills, turn on a beautiful song that captivates and has a great tune to help you go asleep peacefully.

Conclusion: The idea that ragas might be a secure substitute for a variety of medical procedures is becoming more widely known. The tried-and-true sedatives are simple, repetitive musical rhythms with low-pitched swaras, like in kirtans and bhajans. They can even replace synthetic analgesics, which have a lot of negative side effects.

The brain waves’ alpha values indicate that they have the ability to induce relaxation. They might also cause the system to experience beneficial hormonal changes.

Agrita Chhibber is a research Scholar and from Jammu.

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