I hope this month’s musings will resonate with you (pun intended)! The last couple of months I’ve been able to enjoy several sound baths. Like many of you, I have experienced the healing power of mantra, chanting, kirtan, and sound baths. Did you know that symphony conductors live 8 years longer than most people because they’re constantly in a sound bath?!
During one of our journeys with my shaman sisters, we were to exploring sound healing. Even though we use drumming with journeying, in this case I learned that the external drumming was drowning out the internal sound. I couldn’t hear anything from my spirit guides with the drumming, so I ended up journeying later in quiet.
It was then that I was introduced to a black panther and her song. I merged with her and could hear her subtle sound. It was a combination of a low purr or hum as well as the sound of her paws against the earth. As she runs, there is more of a quiet grunt.
So, panther’s song is not an external vocalization but an inward one. A quiet power of stalking one’s dreams (or navigating the “valley” of death). It’s like being underwater and hearing your own breathing or blood pulsing and everything around is dull and just falls away.
While her deathwalker song is nothing like the sound of OM. There is a comparison between them. While OM is spelled AUM, that is not how it is correctly vocalized. Just like the “ph” in English sounds like “f”, AU in Sanskrit sounds like “O” as in Open (not Ow). AU is the beginning of their alphabet (and root) and M is the end (lips). There is a whole science to where sound originates in the body and mouth when using Sanskrit. OM, is the merging of the lower chakras and the upper chakras. O is sounded 3x longer than the M. Most people ride the “M” train for much too long and loop right back to the O again and they miss the pause. The magic IS the pause; the power of vibration is felt AFTER the sound. This is where you sit in the vibration. This is what panther told me about the power of silence.
When I searched for yogic subtle sounds, I found this description: “Both in Judaism and Christianity, God's appearance is described as the sound of many waters, or the sound of invisible waters. The sound of God's voice is not heard in the physical ear, but in the inner ear.” And…” the aim of Hatha Yoga is to hear this soundless sound, which is OM, the dissolution of all sound, and the music of the spheres.”
I wrote about OM in much detail years ago. I also recently took a 3-part Sanskrit class with Prashant & Manju Joshi. Their excitement and love of the history and origins of this “mother of many world languages” was obvious. They shared how proper pronunciation creates certain vibrations in the body and, therefore, has inherent healing properties. They went into depth about the structure of the phonetic & poetic language as well as the physiology of articulation. The 5 stanas or points of articulation in the mouth & throat, vibrate the different chakras. They said the signs that you are advancing in your yoga practice are:
The body gets leaner because you are balancing out the hormones.
Your voice gets clearer and sweeter as you chant mantras along with yoga practice; and
You start hearing the inner voice. (This validates what panther shared with me.)
Pythagoras called the universe “cosmos” which means ornament. He intuited that the universe is in continuous song and that sound, numbers and geometric forms constitute its basic building blocks as it unfolds in pure beauty. He could sit so still that he could hear the vibrations of the planets and the Sun. It was from the Sun, said Pythagoras, that one could sense the “music of the spheres.” Through music, we ascertain the laws which govern the celestial bodies, and by which their motions are directed. Through music, we resonate with all beings and depending on the frequencies and tones, we can heal, and we can transform.
Although space is a virtual vacuum, this does not mean there is no sound in space. I think what Panther showed me would be comparable to nada yoga which is hearing the most subtle of all inner senses. So, thank you Panther for reminding me of the power of silence as well as researching more about Nada yoga and nadam.
“The body is held together by sound. The presence of disease indicates that some sounds have gone out of tune.” ~ Deepak Chopra
The body is not only made up of the physical body, but we also have a luminous energy field (LEF) that extends beyond our physical. Author and journalist Lynne McTaggart shared some history about medical applications using sound frequencies to heal the biofield and therefore the physical body… In the 1920s, Russian scientist Alexander Gurwitsch first postulated that a field, rather than biochemistry, was probably responsible for the structural formation of the body. Later, German-born physicist Herbert Frohlich predicted that certain frequencies could be generated by vibrations in the body. It wasn’t until the mid-1970s that German physicist Fritz-Albert Popp created sophisticated equipment to measure this light. He theorized that this light must be like a master tuning fork setting off certain frequencies.
As new quantum devices flood the market (such as EESystem scalar energy) there is more and more evidence to support their efficacy. It is believed that the use of special tones and sounds can be used to open up any blocks, heal deficiencies, and balance the chakras. Blocks and imbalances in the biofield or LEF can cause physical and/or emotional stress leading to dis-ease.
Stress is the underlying cause of many physical conditions. Emotional imbalances are at the root of many physical diseases and when we heal our emotional bodies, the physical symptoms disappear. Sound and emotions are deeply connected.
It’s scientifically proven that sound influences cancer cells. Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, a leading oncologist who pioneered new strategies for the treatment of prevention of cancer, actively uses sound in his integrative oncology practice. Experimenting with various acoustic sounds including the human voice, gong, acoustical guitar and xylophone, he found the vibrations actually transformed the cell structure. The human voice produced the most dramatic results – exploding cancer cells and energizing healthy ones; however, the rich overtones of the gong being played for 21 minutes also caused cancer cells to disintegrate and ultimately explode.
Biofield Tuning was developed by pioneering researcher and practitioner Eileen Day McKusick. By treating the body with vibration, it autotunes the body back to its natural rhythms and re-energizes us.
The use of vibrational sound (for example tuning forks) on the soft connective tissue of the body loosens up fascia, knotted muscles, relieves tension, and stimulates blood flow. Used on bone, it can stimulate nerve repair such as in cases of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Diabetic Neuropathy. When used in the energy field, sound can help release past suppressed trauma (similarly to Shamanic Soul Retrieval).
Sacred frequencies,
Resonating deep within,
Healing body, soul.
In 2021, Stanford researchers developed a quantum simulator that exhibits the building blocks of sound. This was the result of years of work building a device that allowed researchers to fill an empty mirror cavity with ultracold rubidium gas. Author Taylor Kubota, says “when exposed to light, the superfluid spontaneously rearranges into a supersolid – a rare phase of matter that simultaneously displays the order seen in crystals and the extraordinary fluidity of superfluids.” This research was published in Nature.
Marcel Vogel became famous in the 1980’s for creating the Vogel crystal. In one experiment, he focused his mind on an oleate of cholesterol for an hour, while visualizing the Blessed Mother. The imprint from his mind actually imprinted the mental image into a visible appearance in the liquid crystals of the cholesterol. He demonstrated the reality of crystals receiving and holding stable imprints coming directly from the human mind. Mind over matter!
Dr. Masaru Emoto revolutionized the idea that our thoughts and intentions impact the physical realm. For over 20 years, he studied how the molecular structure of water transforms when it is exposed to human words, thoughts, sounds, and intentions.
In my meditation using spiritual light, also called Transfiguration, I state: “In the beginning was the word. But before the word was the breath. And before the breath was the light.” What if our words were transformed into light? And that light carries our thoughts to the stars?
According to John Stuart Reid’s The Therapeutic Power of Vocal Sound there is a magical relationship between sound and light. “When atomic particles bump into their neighbors they pass on their vibrations. This transfer of vibrations between two adjacent atoms and molecules, is known as sound.” This transfer is like the chain reaction movement in a game of dominos.
Reid continues, “the model of sound waves is incomplete.” Sound does not come in waves but in bubbles. Words begin as a thought and then are transcribed into sound bubbles that emerge from the mouth. Think about the power of intention!
Reid says, “Visible light is electromagnetism of a particular frequency or range of frequencies.” Natural light also produces a bubble. The only exception to the spherical nature of light is coherent or laser light which generates as a single ray. He continues, “When collisions occur between atoms or molecules there must be a release of light. But unlike sound, which needs a medium to travel in, the light radiates away from the site of the collisions without needing a medium; that is light can travel through the vacuum of space. A similar phenomenon occurs every time you speak, sing or tone: trillions of atomic collisions not only carry your voice away through the air, they also create a tiny amount of heat, technically known as infrared light.” Not only does our voice – an infrared bubble - travel to outer space, the stars also radiate their songs across the universe in both the infrared and visible light spectrums.
Sound affects every cell in your body and can trigger the body’s natural healing mechanisms. The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system - your ability to rest, relax and digest – and is sometimes called the brain-gut axis. It controls your digestion, heart rate and immune system and can be stimulated by sound. Reid suggests that “the implications of this discovery are that when we sing, we are actually singing directly to the music of our DNA sequences.”
“Sound will be the medicine of the future.” ~ Edgar Cayce
Sound & Light of the Stars
Sound and light have powerful biological effects and health effects on the human body. The oscillation of the Earth’s geomagnetic field can affect the cardiovascular system and autonomic nervous system. Many studies have concluded that cosmic ray variations and geomagnetic disturbances impact human physiology indicating a link between events occurring in our solar system and life on Earth.
My friend Ashana, author of “Crystal Singing Bowls: The Angelic Sound of Healing, Relaxation and Spiritual Awakening”, reminds us there are many tools and offerings using sound for healing these days. However, sound healing is NOT the be all and end all, but it can be a valuable part of a holistic program for wellness and healing. It was never meant to be THE answer in and of itself. We are complex, multidimensional beings that are affected on many levels. And healing happens in unique ways for each one of us.
In the 1990’s, McTaggart was recovering from an illness using alternative medicine. These were so effective that she started a blog and website called "What Doctors Don't Tell You." Her magazine by the same name is the world’s number-one health magazine and her book of the same name is now published in 15 languages worldwide. She cautions each one of us to research the many methods available carefully (tuning forks, crystal/Tibetan bowls, quantum devices, scalar & frequency technologies, etc.) and discover what works for our own particular body, mind and spirit ... and leave the rest.
In a world filled with chaos and disconnection, the healing power of sound emerges as a guiding light, weaving its harmonious threads through the very fabric of our being. From the gentle lullaby that soothes a restless soul to the resounding symphony that stirs our deepest emotions, sound possesses an innate ability to restore balance and nurture our spirits. Through its ethereal vibrations, it transcends language and cultural barriers, speaking directly to the heart and igniting a profound sense of unity within us all. As we embrace the transformative gift of sound, let us surrender to its healing embrace, allowing its enchanting melodies to dissolve our worries, mend our wounds, and awaken our innermost potential. In this symphony of life, may we discover the profound solace and joy that arise when we attune ourselves to the resounding harmony of sound.
Albert Einstein said, “Future medicine will be the medicine of frequencies.” Energy medicine is the medicine of the future. So, raise your voice and sing to the stars. Doesn’t that sound good?