Paths of the Yogi – An Afternoon of Indian Classical Music, Meditation and Movement

We warmly invite you to attend this special afternoon concert and yoga class. It begins with Indian classical music performed by George Ruckert on sarod and Jerry Leake on tabla, followed by a group meditation and gentle chair yoga class led by Tanja Short.

(Chair Yoga is gentle stretches—no mats required.)

Yoga has its base in the ancient Vedas of Hindu scripture. Often translated as ‘Union with God’, it has been practiced in a multitude of ways for nearly 3,000 years. Nad Yoga is the spiritual union with sound, and it includes the vocal and instrumental traditions of Indian classical music. As with Hatha Yoga, which focuses on breathing and bodily postures, the “musical” Nad Yoga seeks the goal of divine immersion.

Our Program

George Ruckert has studied vocal and sarod music for more than 50 years. With a PhD in ethnomusicology and as a Senior Lecturer emeritus at MIT, he has taught and performed in India, Europe, and North America.

He will be joined by Tanja Short, a Jaffrey-based yoga teacher. Together they will demonstrate the connection between the disciplines of musical yoga and the yoga we know from yoga studios, and how both are aiming for the same goal.

Our Performers

George Ruckert began his studies under Ali Akbar Khan in 1967, and served for many years as director of the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA. He has spent the last 26 years on the music faculty of MIT, written five books on Indian music, composed and recorded for various ensembles, and has recorded two CDs. He now teaches in Stow, MA.

Jerry Leake is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and is currently on their faculty. He has written several teaching manuals on tabla and percussion, and recorded many CDs.

As a tabla soloist, he has accompanied many distinguished artists in concert, as well as being a featured tablaist and percussionist in the fusion ensemble, Nataraj.

Tanja Short has been on the Yogic path for almost 30 years. She has been a student of Iyengar, Bikram and Vinyasa Yoga; Tai Chi and Chi Kung and the Meir Schneider method of Self-Healing. She draws from all these forms to teach her ‘Yoga for Health’ at Bodyworks in Peterborough, helping students recover from their health challenges. A disciple of the great Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, she studied vocal music with him for many years, until his passing. He is her greatest inspiration, and she is eternally grateful for the gift of his music