5 Ways that Sound Can Help You in Your Healing Journey
Recently I gave a small sound bath healing event to close friends and family. Some did not know what to expect nor understood the significance of sound. How does listening to a tone heal a body when we listen to music every day without miracles occurring? This inspired me to write an article about sound and just how healing sound can be. Let’s start simply with some facts to build a foundation of knowledge: what is sound?
What is sound?
Many ancient religious texts teach that the existence of everything started from sound, from vibration. Hinduism teaches “Om” or “Aum” as the sound of creation, the tone that encompasses all frequencies. It can be a common mantra or chant toned by meditators to bring healing and connection to universal forces.
Sound is what results from vibration. Vibration is movement. Everything in the universe, from the smallest particle to the blazing sun, vibrates, and thus produces sound. Most people can hear vibrations from about 20 hertz on the low end of the spectrum to about 20 kilohertz on the high end. While we process and interpret sound waves through our ears, sound is not limited in how it affects us and our bodies are not limited in how sound waves are absorbed.
Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, Director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine at Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, explains, “if we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.”
Dr. Gaynor conducted a thorough study of the efficacy of sound healing in helping his patients through treatments by using the supplemental application of crystal bowls in his oncology practice. His findings concluded a definitive benefit for his cancer patients; they had improved life expectancy, advanced healing rates, and diminished illness-related depression.
Consider the many uses and applications of music through the ages, from Buddhist monks chanting prayers to artistic expression in concert or films; we already know and have experienced how music has the ability to alter our reality and touch us on a deeper, emotional level. Do you have that go-to song for bad days, when you need a quick pick-me-up or a moment to breathe and zone out? Personally, I love the song “We can fly” by Cafe del Mar and recommend it if you need a few minutes to clear your mind and feel peace in a turbulent day.
Now that we have a basic understanding of the vast concept of sound, let’s look at how sound truly helps us.
5 Ways Sound Can Help You
Reduce stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure
Bring our body to a state of homeostasis allowing the body’s natural healing abilities to occur
Transition brainwaves to a theta state triggering deep relaxation and healing
Allow release in our subconscious mind, altering our thought patterns and unaddressed traumas or events that may be creating a dis-harmonic environment compatible for the growth of dis-ease in the body
Enhance quality of life, and through consistent use can lead to higher states of consciousness and spiritual connectedness
Let’s take a closer look at exactly how this is possible. We’ve discussed how everything in existence vibrates, which means everything in existence emits sound, as sound is simply vibration. This means our bodies are instruments vibrating and emanating sound.
"When we are in a state of health, we're like an extraordinary orchestra that's playing a wonderful symphony of the self. But what happens if the second violin player loses her sheet music? She begins to play out of tune, and pretty soon the entire string section sounds bad. Pretty soon, in fact, the entire orchestra is off. This is a metaphor for disease." This descriptive metaphor was expressed by Jonathan Goldman, Director of the Sound Healers Organization, Sound Healer and musician with over a dozen CDs, and author of several books including "Healing Sounds: The Power of Harmonics”.
Consider what are essential ingredients for creating a body in optimal health: sunshine, exercise, healthy diet, stress-free lifestyle, and other environmental factors such as clean air and healthy home space. When one or more of these are eliminated or limited in a person’s life, the body can be thrown out of balance, creating disharmony. Prolonged disharmony in the body leads to imbalances than can manifest in the form of dis-ease in the mind, body, emotions, or energy field.
Our bodies are miracle workers, they are strong and capable of immense healing naturally when provided the optimum ingredients for restoration and regrowth. Disharmony, which is when the body’s vibrational frequency has been altered away from its natural harmonic state, can be corrected by realigning our vibrations into a harmonious, balanced state. When sound is projected into an imbalanced area, the natural harmonic patterns are reestablished. So sound invokes deep relaxation and fills in missing or out-of-balance frequencies, creating the ideal environment for the body to heal itself.
A quick note of caution: while sound healing has the potential to create immense healing, it is not to be used as a replacement for medical healthcare. Sound therapy is an excellent tool to be used as a supplemental aid in your healing journey. Sound healing has grown in widespread use, now being utilized by hospitals and medical professionals, teachers, yoga studios, meditation classes, massage therapists, healing arts practitioners, recovery centers, birthing centers, and with children with learning differences.
Intention + Vibrational Frequency = Healing
Intention is key when it comes to using vibrations / sounds for healing. My Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Therapy Certification Course taught, “an intention that is clear and pure will create a high frequency and the environment required for a shift in consciousness. As thought-forms are energy, the intention with which one approaches healing work is of utmost importance. Intention is a clearly formed thought, a prayer of sorts, and is the real healer.” When you begin using sound as a mode of healing, whether you attend sound healing classes, experience meditation circles, seek out sound healing treatment, or apply it in personal use with vocal toning, I encourage you to keep in mind your intention for seeking out and using sound for healing. Intention can direct the vibrations and helps your body to better absorb the frequencies. Remember: intention is key.
Vocal Toning
If you would like to give sound healing a try in your own meditation practice or for personal use, vocal toning is a great place to start! This consists of using tones or chants to create an environment that allows healing to occur within mental, emotional, physical, and energetic bodies. You will be making sounds vocally while hold onto your intention. Different tones and vowel sounds can be used to direct vibration towards specific energy points along the body. The energy points, or chakras, correspond to organs within the body. Toning helps to bring balance to these chakras. (Read more about chakras and energy here). Countless YouTube videos can be found where you have the tones to chant along to. For example, the sound “uh” held out applies vibrations to the root or red chakra. You could also use mantras or chants to further enhance your meditation practice, such as the aforementioned “om”.
Sound therapy can be a miraculous modality to bring into your healing journey. I hope you feel more comfortable and informed with regard to sound and its many healing qualities. I would like to leave you with one more quote. “Modern science is now in agreement with what the ancient mystics have told us that everything is in a state of vibration, from the electrons moving around the nucleus of an atom, to planets and distant galaxies moving around stars. As they're creating movement, they are creating vibration, and this vibration can be perceived of as sound. So everything is creating a sound, including the sofa that we're sitting on, or this table, or our bodies. Every organ, every bone, every tissue, every system of the body is creating a sound.” And with these wise and inspired words from Jonathan Goldman, I wish you a harmonious day 🤗
