Sound has the profound potential of healing and harmonises the body, mind and spirit. Ram Doultani, also known as Dhyan Shanto, the founder of SAMA – Sound and Meditation Academy based in Goa was the guest on The Navhind Times talk show, Talk from the Heart that aired on the Goa 365 channel.
An architect by profession, Dhyan Shanto has been practicing Sound Healing for 9+ 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, Meditation Counselling and many more for over two decades. “Meditation needs to be a part of everybody’s life and became a part of mine while I was practicing architecture mainly interior designing in Pune. I then decided to move to Goa in 2015 to be far away from the cement and sand; and meditation then 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, training sessions as well as group and private sessions. By using planetary gongs and singing bowls he creates therapeutic soundscapes that 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 stated.
While sound healing and meditation are both practices that promote relaxation and well-being, there are some key differences between the two. “We have all experienced sound healing. It is a soft and powerful energy therapy that utilises bells, bowls and gongs to take the receiver in to a state of meditation. It is a passive form compared to other meditation techniques like yoga, Vipassana or Osho meditation,” he explained.
To understand the benefits of this therapy, he said it is first important to understand our body. Our body is made up of cells, which are molecules and atoms which are protons, electrons, etcetera. And when there is a imbalance either in the physical, mental or emotional state there also a 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 get in to that space to meditate,” 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 meditation and this could include anything from dancing to laughing and gibberish,” he explained. “The movement forces the mind to expel excessive thoughts and get in to the meditative state.”
The show ended with a 10-minute sound meditation session where each sound and vibration helped soothe and calm the mind.
