About Sound Healing
Sound is omnipresent. Think about it. There is sound around you constantly. Even if it were possible to escape the sound surrounding you (perhaps through a rare encounter with a sensory deprivation chamber), you would find that sound within you is also ongoing.
Your body orchestrates polyrhythms of heart-rate & breath-rate along with vibrations of cell division & subatomic activity as the information superhighway of your nervous system hums with constant neuro-transmission.
The interplay of the outer sounds we receive and the synchronistic inner symphony of our bodies creates the soundtrack to our lives.
The definition of sound healing is:
any intentional use of sound for the purpose of causing therapeutic or restorative effects.
The fundamental concept of sound healing is based on the fact that vibrations can be amplified, dampened, shifted, and completely transformed by other vibrations. The “intentional use” of sound can shift internal vibrations in the body to create conditions that promote healing.
This basic yet profound concept underlies an extremely broad field of modalities — including modern clinical models of music therapy; ancient practices of chanting, drumming, & dancing; the use of resonate instruments (such as singing bowls, gongs, & tuning forks); choral singing; and even just kicking back & listening to your favorite music.
The unconscious sounds we make to express/release certain feelings (i.e. “ow!” “ooh” “ahhhhhh” “hmmmm” “hahahahaha”), when made intentionally, can also be powerful tools of sound healing.
The reason the field of sound healing is so all-inclusive is that sound is so effective in influencing our internal systems that nearly any sound –in the right context, for the right person— can be experienced as “healing.”
As simple as this may seem on the surface, the who’s, where’s, when’s, why’s, & how’s of the effects of sound on us are quite complex. More & more studies are showing the profound and multi-layered effects that sound can have on our bodies, our brains, and our overall states of being. Because the practice of sound healing works integratively on physical, neurological, psychological as well as more subtle levels, it is an extremely efficient & effective approach to promoting healing for conditions of any nature.
Neurologically speaking, all of our major organs are connected by the 10th cranial nerve –the vagus nerve— which responds to sound and, in turn, gives sound a direct line to our major organs. In addition, sound has the ability to balance our brain hemispheres, alter our brain-wave states, and increase neuroplasticity. Sound can also bring about profound psychological responses, although these types of responses often vary from person to person (i.e. while one person may find a gong sound calming, another person will find it invigorating, and still another person may find it painful).
There are innumerable applications of sound healing, all with varying degrees of complexity. At Voice Journey Sound Center, we work primarily with the voice. The voice happens to be very accessible, inexpensive, & portable (*wink*). Unlike other instruments, the voice vibrates from the inside out, working extremely quickly & efficiently on the body — which is it’s natural resonator. Awakening this internal resonance can be the key to unlocking your body’s natural & miraculous ability to heal itself.
Read more about the Voice Journey® approach HERE.