SNEHA RAMESH
In conversation with
Nithya Rajendran
Nithya Rajendran is a dual Indian Classical vocalist in Hindustani and Carnatic music with over 3 decades training . She is founder and curator of Music Vruksh , an initiative to spread awareness and appreciation of Indian Classical music for its aes-thetic , spiritual , wellness and transformative potential .
What drew you towards wellness through music ?
Having been a vocalist for over 3 decades , classical music and singing were more than familiar . But how the wellness dimension got added was through intense person-al experience . As life ’ s travails took me through some pretty serious bumps , I dis-covered meditation , yoga and actively got on a path towards spiritual wellness . While on this path , which I continue to be on , I stumbled upon an amazing synergy between spiritual and holistic wellness and Indian Classical Music . I realised how symbiotic both were . About 6 years ago , I started noticing the inadvertent yet powerfully trans-formative impact music was having on many people I was performing for or those that I taught . I started formally structuring wellness for music and now I impart this structured set of techniques as wellness lessons .
Who did you learn from and what were your biggest learnings ?
Sometimes life and your responses to it are some of the best teachers . Much as is true with most spiritual realizations , my learnings about wellness , spirituality and music came like a secret book revealing itself to me while going through those tough life patches . It ’ s amazing how much we think answers lie in books or intellectual learning while all answers actually are already available hidden within yourself . A powerful push from circumstances followed by submission with humility and patience to the sometimes painful process of self discovery , rewards one with precious gifts . One of the many gifts I have received in this spiritual pursuit is the discovery of how music and wellness are so symbiotic . I hope to continue discovering new
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