with K. Sridhar

“In India if you go to a temple, you leave your shoes outside the door. Just so, in my workshops, you leave your intellect and ego outside in order to experience the work.” – K. Sridhar

To the ancient yogis of India, music and worship were intertwined. There are numerous examples of composers such as Saints Thyagaraja and Purandara Dasa of the South and Swami Haridas and Baiju Bawra of the North. In Vedic texts there are many references to the metaphysics and science of Sound as well as the artistic and therapeutic applications of music. The Sankrit word “nada” means tone or pitch. Sound is considered to have an operative role in calming the sufferings of the heart thus Naada Yoga can be combined with the art of improvisation as a spiritual discipline whose fruit is inner bliss.

In this workshop you’ll learn the two most fundamental practices for Naada Yoga: Pranayama and Toning. Breath is the key to various states of mind and is also essential to the production and projection of tone. Various techniques of Pranayama can be employed to bring about beneficial mind/body alignment. Tones and their associated mantras are aids in balancing the effects of different chakras. Each body has its own tones and the voice can be freed to slide between notes which allows the energy to pass. The chanting of Om is an example of this type of discipline.

This is primarily an experiential workshop. This is not an academic course full of theory. If you come with a “3-D” mentality, ie. with devotion, dedication, and discipline; you will be able to get much from this workshop. K. Sridhar’s training was highly disciplined, and he teaches in the same manner where beginning skills must be mastered before moving on. At the end there will be time for “satsang” so student questions about the workshop and spirituality are most welcome.

K. Sridhar Bio:

K. Sridhar descends from fourteen generations of temple musicians and practicing yogis including the saintly Narasimha Bhagavater from Tanjore. From a young age, he accompanied his renowned vocalist mother who performed before all the great yogis and swamis of her day. Her teacher, Swami Sivananda, initiated K. Sridhar in the practice of yoga, pranayama, and combining mantra with music. Sridhar then continued his studies with Swami Chidananda, a senior disciple of Sivananda, and has practiced these disciplines for the past 60 years.

K. Sridhar also trained in the traditionally devotional Dhrupad style founded by Swami Haridas under the guidance of lineage bearer Ustad Z. M. Dagar starting in the late 1950’s. His mentor introduced him to other branches of the Dagar family which allowed him to better understand the depth of Dhrupad music. Sridhar has taught workshops in Naada Yoga, Dhrupad Singing, and Pranayama in Europe for the past 25 years. As the senior most disciple of Z.M. Dagar performing in the West, Sridhar presently maintains an active performing and teaching calendar in Europe and the USA, returning to India each year for inner work.