by Julie Skipper
Igor Iwanek (center) is introducing people to the yoga of sound through his business, Music & Mysticism. Here he demonstrates his technique at Butterfly Yoga in Fondren. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam
Igor Iwanek's Polish accent and training in traditional Western music aren't what one might expect for a teacher leading a workshop on Eastern practices of mindfulness. Yet, as he sits on the ground in an Indian tunic, playing his harmonium (an Indian portable organ) and leading students through exercises in chakra tuning and mantras, he is nothing if not at ease.
Iwanek always enjoyed classical Indian music. As a teenager in Lodz, Poland, where he grew up, he bought bootleg cassette tapes from the genre. As he studied music and composition in the Western tradition, in his spare time, he transcribed those recordings and began teaching himself Indian songs and theory by listening and reading. "The first book I bought in the United States (in 1996) was on the yoga of sound," he says. He moved to the U.S. in 2001.
The "yoga of sound" is a practice in which students learn techniques to quiet the mind, incorporating sound in some way, be it the use of vibrations, clapping, musical instruments, chanting, sung tones and especially, breathing. The practice can include use of sound to reinvigorate chakras (energy centers) in the body, using chants to boost confidence, Indian music and instruments in meditation, and singing mantras.
After receiving his bachelor of music in composition at Boston Conservatory in 2008, Iwanek pursued a doctorate in musical arts from Boston University. During his studies, he began teaching a class at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012.
A chance encounter in the MIT cafeteria with professor George Ruckert, who taught Indian classical music, led to a conversation and an offer from Ruckert to let Iwanek borrow (and eventually purchase) his harmonium.
"That chance meeting seemed like a green light for me to go for it and pursue Indian classical music," Iwanek says.
When he moved to Mississippi in fall 2014, Iwanek taught a Community Enrichment Series class at Millsaps College on music and mysticism.
"I finally saw how my life's parallel tracks of study—music and comparative religions—could finally coincide," he says. He says students enjoyed that six-week-long course and expressed an interest in continuing the study, so he started conducting meetings in his living room in Madison.
That interest continues to build as Iwanek engages the community. Recently, he, organized a Mindfulness Day at the Municipal Art Gallery. His business raises funds for an orphanage in Nepal, and he seeks opportunities to collaborate with other mindfulness practitioners. He still does the class twice a month in Madison and also leads a yoga class at Butterfly Yoga, which is separate from Music & Mysticism.
"The yoga of sound is something the students really enjoy after a more active physical practice," he says.
For more information on Music & Mysticism and to see a full calendar of events, visit thinkartmusic.com.
The "yoga of sound" is a practice in which students learn techniques to quiet the mind, incorporating sound in some way, be it the use of vibrations, clapping, musical instruments, chanting, sung tones and especially, breathing. The practice can include use of sound to reinvigorate chakras (energy centers) in the body, using chants to boost confidence, Indian music and instruments in meditation, and singing mantras.
After receiving his bachelor of music in composition at Boston Conservatory in 2008, Iwanek pursued a doctorate in musical arts from Boston University. During his studies, he began teaching a class at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012.
A chance encounter in the MIT cafeteria with professor George Ruckert, who taught Indian classical music, led to a conversation and an offer from Ruckert to let Iwanek borrow (and eventually purchase) his harmonium.
"That chance meeting seemed like a green light for me to go for it and pursue Indian classical music," Iwanek says.
When he moved to Mississippi in fall 2014, Iwanek taught a Community Enrichment Series class at Millsaps College on music and mysticism.
"I finally saw how my life's parallel tracks of study—music and comparative religions—could finally coincide," he says. He says students enjoyed that six-week-long course and expressed an interest in continuing the study, so he started conducting meetings in his living room in Madison.
That interest continues to build as Iwanek engages the community. Recently, he, organized a Mindfulness Day at the Municipal Art Gallery. His business raises funds for an orphanage in Nepal, and he seeks opportunities to collaborate with other mindfulness practitioners. He still does the class twice a month in Madison and also leads a yoga class at Butterfly Yoga, which is separate from Music & Mysticism.
"The yoga of sound is something the students really enjoy after a more active physical practice," he says.
For more information on Music & Mysticism and to see a full calendar of events, visit thinkartmusic.com.
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