( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) Using Music as A Tool to Accentuate the Power of Aurora, for the Mind and Soul,
ENSPIRE Contributor: LaShonda Thompson
London-based singer/songwriter, producer, engineer, alchemist of sound, and healer Jahna Sebastian hopes her single, ‘Aurora Meditation,’ will be a remedy for the struggling soul. The track encapsulates Sebastian’s mind and soul and is a love letter to her Indian roots. The singles’ cover art features stunning designs by Indian designer Puneet Bhanda and intricate jewelry by Nishel Creations, and the song itself features some of India’s signature musical sounds and instruments.
‘Aurora Meditation’ assists people in using music as a tool to accentuate the power of the mind and soul to ward off negative thoughts. With music’s healing properties, Jahna stated, “When many people are suffering from mental health issues because of lockdowns and isolation, moments when you can connect with yourself, to hear your inner voice are crucial. The more people tune into their intuition, the quicker they will realize that the path to freedom is in their hands, they just need to choose to be free.” The power lies in everyone, whether or not they realize it. Jahna hopes to help them harness it.
From the visuals to the music itself, the beauty and creativity of Jahna Sebastian’s newest release speak to her undeniable talent and artistic maturity. Several albums into her musical career, Jahna is known for experimental tendencies, never being afraid to try something new or take a leap of faith. However, her mission has never changed. She views her musical talents as gifts to bring positive energy and keep the darkness at bay. “The way to combat negativity is to find positive moments in your life, to expand light like rays of the sun.” The release of ‘Aurora Meditation’ is only the beginning of a big year for Jahna. She is also prepping the release of her third album ‘Revelation Ships’ an upbeat, powerful album that encompasses diverse genres and has a little something for all music lovers. The only thing as remarkable as her musical talent is her ability to be a kind, giving, creative person who understands people’s needs and uses her talent to spread love, peace, hope, and serenity.
To give insight as to why “Aurora Meditation” is important right now, Jahna share with ENSPIRE Magazine how life has been in the UK with Covid-19 restrictions. “I had a very intense few months because of lockdowns in the UK, trying to fit in working on music, helping people behind the scenes and also helping create a new people’s political party and helping a Mayor of London candidate with the election – for free and it’s all a part of the a huge people’s movement we have here in the UK, all built on enthusiasm and pure vibes. All of this has been so difficult to do in the time of one of the toughest lockdowns in the world as the UK has been in it for most of this year and had only started lifting some of the restrictions in May and many are still in place including a ban on travelling to many countries. That had a direct impact on the speed and how things could be done.”
Jahna also answered a few questions for ENSPIRE Magazine on her inspiration for ‘Aurora Meditation.’
ENSPIRE Magazine: While it feels very authentic to you. ‘Aurora Meditation’ introduces a distinct vibe to your signature musical style. What lead you in this direction?
Jahna: It is a part of my Life Path. Natural healing is also within my bloodline on both sides – Indian and Russian. Music is one of the ways I share my knowledge, philosophy and spiritual healing to the world. Through the vibrations, sounds, vocals and instruments I am telling the stories and creating moments, when people can go within and search for the truth. All of my albums are a part of the Musical Book as I call it that I am writing to describe the history of humanity. Musically the vibe of ‘Aurora Meditation’ is the sound I was surrounded by in my childhood as my father from Kerala, South India, the birthplace of Ayurveda, played Indian music all the time. There would almost always be Indian incense in the house. In my teenage years I started exploring these sounds more for spiritual purposes, listening to various artists and especially music that involved the sounds of sitar. I even took some lessons playing tabla. At 18 years old while studying at Russian Academy of Music, I worked in a record shop which specialized in traditional music from all around the world, this was before the age of streaming, social media and digital music platforms, so it was the only way to learn more about this kind of music from all around the world in Russia unless you were watching a live performance, by listening to the CDs from the shop. Talking to people and introducing them to different genres, artists, this was a part of my job. My roots are from the East and even my Russian side goes to Siberia, where my great grandmother is from, the place where shamanism and other ancient spiritual practices are well spread and dominant in most places the same way they have been for thousands of years. It is the mystical sound and tradition from the East and it is very natural to me. Traditional Russian culture is also very connected to nature and ancient mysticism. ’Aurora Meditation’ happened spontaneously, I just freestyled and played various instrument sounds in the studio, then recorded the vocals as I felt. It happened very fast. It has that flow and it was made in a very powerful state of mind.
ENSPIRE Magazine: You take a more freestyle approach to the creative process. How do you feel this approach enhances the music you create?
Jahna: I like to work with all genres and that requires being open-minded. Some things work in hip-hop and dubstep and a completely different approach may work in house or meditation music. Therefore I like to create in this manner, it gives me freedom to work in any style of music. As soon as I touch the keyboard, I have ideas flowing. I work alone, engineer and produce on the go as I make the arrangements, then I self-engineer my vocals and usually I compose the melody and the lyrics of the song as I record. I work in solitude, I got used to it early on and that way I can have complete freedom, dancing around the studio as I am creating. As I am an independent artist, I release music on my own record label Multivizion Music; I am not chasing trends or charts, I am making music to translate my ideas on how to make the world a better place and heal people, so that music can unite people. This approach makes it possible to not be stuck in any imaginary boxes or try to fit into any stereotypes. An all-round musician, a master of the art, and even more – in ancient times it was normal to be a musician, a mathematician, a healer, a painter – all in one – this is the ideal I like, rather than numbers and points in a corporate system. I chose to be independent for these very reasons – to focus on the art of music. That’s how freestyle is also giving it that ‘live in the moment’ feel.
ENSPIRE Magazine: Everything about ‘Aurora Meditation’, from the music itself to the visuals, really highlights your Indian culture and roots. How does it feel to be able to share your culture with such a large audience?
Jahna: There is a lot of deep ancient knowledge in the East and as the world is entering into a new time, it will be very helpful and healing to many around the world. Many people said that listening to ‘Aurora Meditation’ has helped them when they had anxiety, it has a calming effect and helped them become more focused. I see sharing my culture as something that is a part of the Universal transformation and coming alive of humanity. This is the time to go back to the roots, to the original knowledge, to know what being a human really means, what potential a human can have, especially in the times when digitalization is being pushed so hard, there are existential questions that need to be answered as the technology progresses quick – these philosophical dilemmas in the society are about the soul, purpose of life, mental health, soul health and where the civilization is going. Many of the answers have been preserved and kept in my culture and other cultures around the world. It is the time to share the knowledge so that the pieces can be put together for humanity to find the true course into the future. The more people hear the music with a positive message, the more souls will heal on time.
ENSPIRE Magazine: You feel very passionate about the power of meditation and harnessing positive thoughts and energies. Do you have any tips or advice for someone potentially struggling with feelings of anxiety or being overwhelmed that is interested in incorporating meditation techniques into their daily lives?
Jahna: When experiencing anxiety, the first thing to do is to take a moment to take a deep breath, center yourself and just be present for a moment. On a daily basis it is important to try to get enough sleep. In modern society, sleep is often disregarded as an unnecessary distraction, but this way of thinking only benefits corporations, there is nothing human about it. In reality, it’s the opposite – sleep is when your body gets recharged and if you get enough of it, your mind will be clearer, things will take a lot less time to be done and the day will be more productive. You will get to do more things in a shorter time and with lower stress levels. In the morning it’s very important to set the tone by giving thanks for a new day and take at least a minute to focus on setting a positive intention for the day. Morning exercise even for five minutes is good both for fitness purposes and also for establishing balance in the body after waking up, which in turn also helps the mind. Before going to sleep it is necessary to switch off the phone and just take the time to relax, different herbal teas an hour before bed are very beneficial. Put some meditation music on and let it elevate you. It is important to celebrate small wins, congratulate yourself on everything, even the smallest good thing that you have done in the day. Every day. It will help build confidence in yourself over time and reduce anxiety. It is easy to take on too much sometimes, so the power of saying ‘NO’ to things that you won’t have time to do, as well as time management, where you have at least half an hour or more just for yourself, alone without the noise, are very important. Meditation can be incorporated easily, even a few minutes a day, and it can be done anywhere, especially if you put the music on, that can help. Going to the park or a forest is also mediation and recharging through connecting with nature. It’s best to sit and relax on the grass in the park if possible. It’s good to do it at least once a week or more, if possible.
ENSPIRE Magazine: On the cover of ‘Aurora Meditation’, you wear the most beautiful designs by Puneet Bhandal and Jewellery by Nishel Creations. Is fashion a big part of your creative process?
Jahna: Yes, fashion is a big part of my creative process. Through fashion I create the images, visual statements and in turn also another form of art – photography. I design much of the media posts for myself also and edit the photos, flyers and videos. I have collaborated with many designers and it is always an adventure, a new way to express my ideas. Instead of just taking pictures, I also make creative materials that include song lyrics, music, I put all of that together with the clothes I am wearing. I have also done many episodes on my platform Alchemist TV where I had discussions with designers, especially during London Fashion Week. I also launched a new format, which I call ‘Poetic Fashion Story’ in 2017, where I wrote a poem to all the thirteen images taken for the designer of the jewelry I was wearing, the poem described ‘The Opulent Queen’ collection through a story of a woman finding herself and going through an epic spiritual transformation, becoming the stronger version of herself. This photo shoot happened at the same time as I was working on my first album ‘The Alchemist’ and represented my story too as the album is about self-discovery. I love the way fashion can be the visual presentation of the story I am telling as an artist.
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