In today’s scenario when everything seems a little bleak, learning music could be the right antidote to all the ills. Learning music, especially an instrument that has a beautiful simple origin, is easy to carry around, has a soothing effect on the mind, and can be learned through videos is a boon.
But the big question remains — How to take out time from your busy schedule to learn to play a musical instrument? The big incentive to do that your mind and body will thank you for choosing this. If you dig deep, you will realize 30 mins a day or a couple of hours a week is not a big price to pay for the returns playing a musical instrument can give you.
Besides learning to play, a musical instrument releases the happy compound in the body. This elevates the mood, makes the brain sharp, and reduces stress. (source: a study by Myriam V. Thoma, Roberto La Marca, Rebecca Brönnimann, Linda Finkel, Ulrike Ehlert, and Urs M. Nater). The gray matter volume in the brain and neural pathways also increases when a person learns to play an instrument. The added benefits are improvement in memory and abstract reasoning skills.
Now the question comes; which musical instrument to learn from among the plethora of options available. Learning to play a musical instrument is not an easy task. It requires dedication, time, and effort over a period. There are various instruments to choose from, but the musical instrument one, which stands out, is the Bansuri or the bamboo flute. Why is this one of the best musical instruments to learn? The reasons are plenty.
The divinity of the Bansuri:
Bansuri or Venu or Murali, as the Indian bamboo flute is called is a divine instrument is often associated with Lord Krishna in our Hindu mythology. The Cosmic Flutist is seen holding a flute in all the pictures, paintings, and idols. So it’s also a very ancient instrument dating back to the Dwapara Yuga. It is said, the Lord used to keep all the residents of Vrindavan in divine bliss with his flute playing. In fact, the Gopis used to be very jealous of the instrument as it was lucky to be always beside the Lord himself.
The bansuri by itself is empty, but when someone blows air into it, he/she pours his/hers prana energy into it. What it spiritually signifies is to be like the flute and allow Him to play through you. It means, to fill our egoless empty self with the thoughts of Lord Krishna. This is the highest and purest form of Vedanta.
This significance of the bamboo flute is found in the history, culture, and religion of many countries. The earliest flute dating back to about 43,000 years ago. Bamboo flutes are found in the cultures of India, Philippines, China, Japan, Thailand, and many South American countries like Peru and Mexico. The form and shape of the bamboo wind instruments may vary but the core principle is the same. There is a spiritual connect
Bansuri and the human body:
There are nine openings or holes in the Bansuri just like the nine gates in the human body. These nine gates are known as “Navadwaras” in Sanskrit. Similarly, there are seven main holes in the Bansuri, the blowing hole, and the six finger holes. This resembles the seven chakras in the human body.
According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the music from the flute affects the Anahata chakra (fourth chakra) until the Vishuddhi chakra (throat chakra).
There are many parallels drawn between the bansuri and Indian spirituality.
The Bansuri as a musical instrument looks so simple; just a hollow piece of bamboo with some holes in it. But, in its simplicity lies its divinity. It does not produce any sound of its own, but when in the hands of a player who puts his prana or blows air into it, it becomes alive. A soothing, melodious sound is thus produced.
Some of the health benefits of playing the Bansuri are:
- Health benefits of playing the flute are enormous, the main one being strengthening the lungs and lung capacity(source: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Medicine, Athens, Greece)
- Flute playing exercises the diaphragm, abdominal, and core muscles of the body.
- Increases dexterity and hand coordination.
- Calmness and relaxation increases as flute playing are like doing Pranayama and meditation(according to Pt. Ronu Majumdar, a renowned flute maestro).
- Reduces stress as flute playing takes the brain into a meditative state(based on research by Clint Goss and Eric B. Miller)
Since most of the music classes are now online due to the pandemic finding good flute training online for beginners is important. You can now learn online bansuri classes from the comfort of your home.
I was a teacher of music have a passion for teaching and all Mystic Bamboo Academy beginners, intermediate online flute, and advanced bansuri courses are very structured. It provides an ideal platform for easy and sustained learning of online flute classes. There is a section on free online flute lessons on the site themysticbamboo.com
Therefore, I look forward to you to commence your musical journey with the bansuri to find happiness and peace. Please visit my page www.himanshunanda.com to know more about the Bansuri and to make a musical beginning. Hari Om.
