Maria Fernandes reports in The Navhind Times (Goa) on a talk with sound healer Dhyan Shanto, published on 29 October 2024
Sound has a profound potential for healing and harmonises the body, mind, and spirit. Ram Doultani, also known as Dhyan Shanto, the founder of the Goa-based SAMA (Sound and Meditation Academy), was a guest on The Navhind Times talk show, ‘Talk from the Heart’ which aired on the Goa 365 channel.
An architect by profession, Dhyan Shanto has been practising sound healing for over nine years and sharing a variety of OSHO meditation practices and therapies like OSHO Mystic Rose, No-Mind, Born Again, Awareness Intensive: Who Is In?, Tantra, Meditation Coaching, and Meditation Counselling for over two decades.
“Meditation needs to be a part of everybody’s life; it became part of mine while I was practising architecture, mainly interior design, in Pune. I then decided to move to Goa, in 2015, to be far away from the cement and sand; and meditation became a major part of my life. It was not an abrupt switch, but a gradual move,” he said.
At SAMA (which in Sanskrit means calmness, tranquillity or equanimity, reflecting the peaceful and balanced state that can be cultivated with meditation) Shanto conducts workshops and training sessions as well as group and private sessions. By using planetary gongs and singing bowls he creates therapeutic soundscapes which promote physical, emotional and spiritual healing. “I believe that specific sound frequencies can bring harmony and balance to the body and mind, facilitating deep relaxation and inner peace,” he said.
While sound healing and meditation are both practices that promote relaxation and well-being, there are some key differences between the two. “We all have experienced sound healing. It is a soft and powerful energy therapy that utilises bells, bowls and gongs to take the receiver into a state of meditation. It is a passive form, compared to other meditation techniques like Yoga, Vipassana or Osho meditations,” he explained.
“To understand the benefits of this therapy,” he said, “it’s important to first understand our body. Our body is made up of cells; molecules and atoms which are in turn made up of protons, electrons, etcetera. When there is an imbalance, either in the physical, mental or emotional state, there is also an imbalance in the energy state.
“To restore balance, meditation is a powerful tool. However, many find it difficult to meditate and here especially, sound helps passively to move into that space of meditation,” he said. He also highlighted other benefits like enhancing mental clarity, improving sleep, reducing stress, relieving pain, supporting physical healing and elevating spiritual awareness.
In addition to sound healing, he also spoke about Osho meditation which is an active style of meditation. “Movement and activity are integral parts of this kind of meditation. It could include anything from dancing to laughing or gibberish,” he said. “The movement forces the mind to expel excessive thoughts and can take you into a meditative state.”
The show ended with a 10-minute sound meditation session where each sound and vibration helped soothe and calm the mind.
navhindtimes.in (image and edits by Osho News)
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