This practice builds on research conducted as part of a master’s thesis exploring the intersection of Nāda Yoga, heart rate variability, and contemplative music therapy.
Personal Note
What began as an academic inquiry became a personal unfolding. My nervous system, like those of my participants, responded to Dhrupada not just as a listener, but as a vessel.
I hope this blog helps more people experience what I felt:
- That music, when practiced as yoga, becomes medicine.
- That listening, when deep enough, becomes prayer.
What if Music Could Actually Rewire Your Nervous System?
You know that feeling when a piece of music helped you unwind? When suddenly your shoulders dropped, and you started to relax?
That’s not just an emotion, that’s your nervous system responding to sound as medicine.
What if there was a musical practice so precisely designed for healing that it could measurably shift your body from stress to calm in minutes?
What Exactly is Dhrupada?
Dhrupada isn’t entertainment music. Born from the same Vedic traditions that gave us yoga philosophy, this ancient form serves one purpose: transformation through sound.
Unlike modern music designed to stimulate, Dhrupada operates like sonic yoga. Every note is deliberate. Every breath is intentional. In its most meditative sections, namely the Alap and Jod sections, time dissolves and sound becomes a mirror for inner awareness.
This is Nāda Yoga in action: the yoga of inner sound. Ancient texts describe two types of sound, that is, Ahata (external sound you hear) and Anahata (subtle inner resonance you feel when the mind is quiet). Dhrupada creates a bridge between them.
The Science: How Sound Affects Your Body
Your vagus nerve acts like your body’s relax button. When activated, it slows your heart, relaxes your digestive system, and shifts you into “rest-and-digest” mode rather than constant fight-or-flight.
The study conducted, and tracked intermediate Dhrupada practitioners using heart rate variability (HRV), which is a precise measure of nervous system balance. It is a non-invasive tool tracking heart-rate fluctuations. Participants moved through five phases: baseline rest, raga visualization with tanpura, post-visualisation, Alap and Jod performance, and post-performance rest.
The HRV is tracked through the following observations:
- High HRV = Relaxed state (parasympathetic dominance).
- Low HRV = Stress (sympathetic dominance).
Our key findings:
- Dhrupada boosts relaxation: Most performers showed increased parasympathetic activity after playing Alāp/Jod. HRV markers like RMSSD (linked to vagal tone) rose significantly.
- Body-mind awareness heightens: Participants reported feeling more emotionally calm, mentally focused, and physically aware post-performance.
- Breath is central: The long exhalations in Dhrupada align with yogic breathing, stimulating the vagus nerve.
Even more fascinating: the post visualisation finding show that the nervous system responded to mere visualization of the raga before any sound was produced. This suggests Dhrupada works at the level of intention and inner listening, not just external performance.
One participant didn’t show the expected results, their post performance readings indicated sympathetic activation, which was reported by the participant possibly being due to posture discomfort and performance anxiety. This shows that two people, even if they perform the same activity, can have vastly differing experiences. After all, it is us who are physically and emotionally responding to an event, no two people will have the same experience.
Why This Matters?
This study does more than validate a hypothesis, it affirms a deep knowing among practitioners: sound transforms. In a world where meditation apps buzz and burnout rates rise, we have an ancient, breath-filled tool already in our hands.
By exploring the intersection of Nāda Yoga, HRV, and musical sādhanā, this research contributes to a new dialogue: between Indian philosophical traditions, contemplative practices, and embodied music therapy.
Dhrupada is not just a genre, it is a path to ekagrata (one-pointedness), and even samadhi. And yes, the body listens too.
How You Can Start With a Simple Practice
You don’t need years of training or a curved bansuri to experience Dhrupada’s benefits. Here’s a 5-minute practice you can try today:
- Settle: Sit comfortably with eyes closed
- Listen: Play a slow Dhrupada Alap (suggestions provided below)
- Breathe: Follow the musical phrases with your breath—inhale as notes rise, exhale as they fade
- Observe: After 5 minutes, notice changes in your breath, thoughts, and heart rhythm
The key is active listening rather than passive background music. Let the sound guide your attention inward, the way a yoga teacher’s voice guides movement.
Explore Dhrupada:
- Dhrupada Alāp demonstration here and here
- Power of Sound Healing for Stress Management: Click Here
The right sounds don’t just please the ears. They tune the very fabric of our nervous system, returning us to our natural state of calm awareness.
Visit Kaivalyadhama to learn more about our courses, research programs, and opportunities to deepen your understanding of yoga philosophy and practice. Whether you’re a beginner seeking foundational knowledge or an advanced practitioner ready to dive deeper, there’s a path here for you.
~ Written by Toprak Gozden
MA Yogashastra Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University
Kaivalyadhama