Vedic Threads | Self paced
Rāga, Remedies & Constellations
This session explores the relationship between jyotiṣa and Indian classical music, presenting rāga as a powerful upāya (Vedic remedy) for emotional and energetic balance. Allison Dennis explains how specific rāgas, aligned with one’s nakṣatra and birth chart, can support healing and self-awareness. Emphasis is placed on śruti (micro-tones) and deep listening as meditative practices that guide awareness inward. By linking sound, astrology, and consciousness, the session highlights rāga not just as music, but as a subtle therapeutic tool for preventing future suffering and cultivating inner harmony and connection.
Guest Instructor
Allison Dennis
Allison Dennis is a dedicated yoga teacher, Vedic scholar, and founder of the Heart of Yoga School in North Carolina. Her journey began through injury, leading her to the philosophical depth of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras and India’s wisdom traditions. With over 1000 hours of training across major lineages, she integrates asana, Sanskrit, chanting, and music into her teaching. A longtime student of K. Sridhar, she has developed an 800-hour teacher training rooted in classical texts and daily sādhanā. Through festivals, kirtan, and courses, she brings together yoga, music, and Vedic knowledge in an experiential and community-centered way.
Rāga, Remedies & Constellations with Allison Dennis
Topics Covered:
- Exploration of the connection between Jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology) and rāga (Indian music)
- Understanding upāya (remedial measures) through specific rāgas based on one’s birth chart
- Rāga as both a cause and a tool for healing, influencing emotional and energetic states
- Introduction to nakṣatras (lunar constellations) and their psychological and spiritual qualities
- The role of śruti (microtones) in creating depth and emotional nuance in rāga
- Listening to rāga as a meditative and heart-centered practice
- Exploration of specific rāgas (e.g., Bhairav, Vasantī) and their emotional or remedial qualities
- Discussion on sound, pronunciation, and breath in chanting and musical practice
- Inquiry into how music, astrology, and Ayurveda intersect in healing
Learning Objectives:
- Define key concepts: nakṣatra, upāya, and śruti
- Understand the relationship between rāga and nakṣatra in the context of healing and balance
- Explore how sound and music can be used as tools for self-awareness, meditation, and transformation
About Vedic Threads
Every Indian wisdom tradition carries within it a vast web of ideas, stories, and living knowledge. Vedic Threads is an invitation to explore that web — one theme at a time, in the company of lifelong practitioners and sincere seekers from around the world. Join hosts Drs. Ramkumar and Claudia Welch and Navneet Raman, and our distinguished guest instructors, for conversations that deepen your understanding of Ayurveda, yoga, and the traditions they emerge from.
