PIONEERING: SUR-SANJEEVAN Considering different ...

PIONEERING: SUR-SANJEEVAN Considering different properties of Indian Classical Music, different principles from Ayurved (an ancient Indian medical science) Pt. Shashank Katti, associated with a group of doctors, developed a new music therapy methodology called ‘Sur-Sanjeevan’. Firstly the attention is drawn towards the relaxation factor. It is understood that music is relaxing but it should be realised that any music couldn’t be relaxing to everybody. It is totally subjective that which music is relaxing for a person. It can be very easily accepted that the music, which is liked by a person, can only relax him or her. A music liked by a person can be relaxing but not always curing as only particular music which affects the body in a particular way can help the body in curing procedure. It is like taking a medical dose to cure yourself even if you do not like it. Sur-Sanjeevan Music Therapy is built up with 4 major aspects: 1. Modern Medical Inventions 2. Traditions and Applications of Indian Classical Music 3. Mood Elevation Theory 4. Fundamental Principles from Ayurveda CLINICAL SUR-SANJEEVAN The disease (disorder) is firstly diagnosed and its imbalance is categorised according to Kaph, Pitta and Vata doshas and subdoshas. Matching the time a particular raga is selected and applied as Music Therapy using certain rules to enhance or reduce the required energy levels. The treatment goes on for about 30 days for the duration of about 20-25 minutes at that particular time. Patient is asked to listen the music in a relaxed mood sitting comfortably or lying down. Results are observed after 4-5 weeks. It is observed that modification like stressing a particular note in a raga is required to get the required result. Diseases like joint muscular pain, sciatica etc. get comparatively early results. Similarly patients of insomnia and depression get relief quite quickly. But chronic disorders like diabetes, asthma and hypertension take more than 4-5 weeks time. Quite satisfactory results were achieved on labor pains of pregnant ladies, weight gain of premature babies in a maternity home and nursing home. MT was also administered through pre-recorded cassettes, that the patients were advised to listen to, as a course of 4-5 weeks. Patients’ progress is monitored through mail, phones or during personal MT sessions. There is a large scope for the development of this therapy. It’s like we are floating in a small drop of ocean. When many musicians start working on this therapy, surely the combined efforts of all and experiences collected together will help this therapy establish itself as a major therapy of India as it was there at the time of Tansen.