13 October 2014 - QA 5

Dear Gurudev, music and dance is the way to balance energy. Is it wrong to listen to pop, jazz, and rock and roll music?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, there is nothing wrong, but if it’s too noisy then it’s too hard on the nervous system. Jazz, rock music, etc., activates the first chakra, so it takes you out of inertia, no doubt. But it can also be very jarring if you’re more subtle, and if your nervous system is very refined.
Just like how a super-computer needs an air-conditioned controlled proper atmosphere, same is with our nervous system. It cannot handle anything too rajasik or too jarring. You can just try listening to some very loud music in a rock concert, just stand there for some time, you may enjoy it for five to ten minutes, but afterwards you want to run away from there. And when you come back home, your whole body may shake. How many of you have had this experience? (Many in the audience raise their hands)
See! many people. I’ve never been to any rock concert, still we rock wherever we are.