Sound as Medicine
"Sound Healing" is a term which broadly refers to the intentional employment of vibration to induce a desired change on mental/emotional/physical/spiritual levels.
The practice of using sound as an ally theoretically dates to our emergence as Humans as we currently present. Vocal expressions of emotion must surely be inherent to these, our human bodies. One could quite logically argue that since the dawn of time, creatures have used patterns of frequency to communicate. And audible sound is only one form of frequency communication. Light provides us with a view of the world, colors, patterns, depth. All frequencies, all flicker rates. This experience gives us the ability to envision, to our benefit or detriment. Tactile frequency are the frequencies of the brains of the body, the brains of Mind(head), Body(gut), and Spirit(chest).
Quite rightly one can state that the entire unified Subjective AND Objective universe is made up of a wide variety of frequencies creating the plethora of material entities, egregores, and measurable energies.
Personal wavelengths are that which maintain the illusions of separation.
We ARE “hear”(*here)…
The vibrations used for therapeutic sound sessions can be produced by any object, instrument, voice, and even by thought/intention. The instruments most commonly used for sound healing sessions are: gongs, bells, crystal singing bowls, metal singing bowls, chimes, cymbals, tuning forks, digital oscillations, MIDI, synthesizers, drums, stringed instruments, woodwinds, wind instruments, hand pans/hang drums, flutes, and voice.
The power of the human vocal cords to evoke emotional response, i.e. to assist in the movement of energy, cannot be understated. Non-linguistic vocal energetic communication is my understanding of “light language”, and the practice can be incredibly liberating and undeniable when truly experienced. We each have a voice and a story of emotional experiences.
what’s it look like?
There are two main theoretical approaches to healing with audible sound, in my understanding of the “medicine”.
The first and most common type uses acoustic instruments to relax one into the ‘Hypnagogic State’, the place between wakefulness and sleep, a state of half-sleep. In this place we are very receptive, your sub-conscious mind is free to surface and your conscious awareness is there to perceive, witness, and remember what it saw, even able to make changes to the sub-conscious at will, with practice.
The second most common approach to sound healing works with the theory of psychological and physiological entrainment, the theory that you can ‘tune’ your mind and body to a certain wavelength by extended exposure to that frequency. It is based on the factual reality of “entrainment” which is the natural tendency for things to eventually harmonize with each other with prolonged exposure. It is common for practitioners of this approach to use precision tuned tuning forks, digital binaural and monaural beats, and other precise frequencies to affect change in the mind/body/spirit complex of the recipient. This approach is less common due to the need for precision tuned instruments and a frequency seclusion chamber for the effectual application of frequency prescription.
Sessions in either type of ‘Sound Bath’ style can vary infinitely. Commonly there are practices of:
direct contact with the instrument (tuning forks or singing bowls to electrodes)
immersion in a room of sound, concerts and albums(live and pre-recorded)
vocal creation of frequency (singing or toning)
frequency of movements, as in dance, are a trance inducing tactile immersion/bath
mindfulness allows your body/antenna to harmonize with the wavelengths of safety and acceptance.
energy transfer/channeling/movement modalities are forms of frequency therapy
speech and spell casting is a part of every day life
For those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
For more info or to ask specific questions about healing with sound, reach out on the “connect” page.
Training
Therapeutic Sound Practitioner Training
The fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to begin working effectively with sound as therapeutic tool.
(available for those wishing to perform group/individual holistic healing sessions and for audio engineers or music producers looking to add an intentional healing element to their creations)
You will set goals that will determine aspects of the curriculum. You will then become familiar with the intentions and techniques of a number of the instruments commonly used in that approach of therapeutic sound session. If you are starting from scratch or are intending to use an instrument with which you are already familiar, we will explore multiple session structure possibilities for group, individual and collaborative sound therapy sessions.
Instruments available for focus include, but are not limited to:
digital frequencies (binaural/monaural beats)
audio engineering (live/looped/pre-recorded sound/music)
MIDI controllers
tuning forks
voice
drum
crystal singing bowls
gongs
Himalayan metal singing bowls
chimes, bells, cymbals
stringed instruments
wind/woodwind instruments
There is a mandatory series of discussions and “home-work” practices which focus on idealogical/philosophical and physiological practices and perspectives. Together with the selected area of focus these form on average the 13 minimum hours of scheduled meetings that will help you achieve your fundamental goals and set a solid foundation for future work in the field.
Option to continue through another or all available areas of focus is opened after the training of the initial focus has been completed or officially halted.
Individual Session Work
Guided Journey w/ Sound and Energy Work (120 minute appointment length)
We will spend time preparing. This consists of verbally checking in, and energetically clearing and grounding ourselves with movement, breath, and visualizations. It is ideal for your physical body to be as comfortable as possible, supported by pillows, bolsters, blankets, and wearing an eye covering to enhance inner vision. You are then guided to open up to your higher-self and the spirits you work with, with whom we solidify the intentions for the session.
During the journey itself, the practitioner will proceed to activate tuning forks around the body, inside of the bio-magnetic sheath. This facilitates the entrainment process between the tuning forks and the energy system. During this segment of the session the practitioner will take bullet point notes and verbally interact as you are guided through the somatic/emotional/visual experiencing process. When it is most auspicious you will gently be brought back to Beta brainwave state for the integration segment of the session where we review information that came up during the session and set plans for moving forward both in terms of follow up sessions and “home-Work”. The session notes are sent home with you to keep for integration.
Vocal Toning Session (75 minute appointment length)
Laying or sitting comfortably, this toning session uses tuning forks and crystal singing bowls in 432 hz tuning. As the instruments are played, you will vocalize different vowels, phonemes and combinations of them. This expedites the process of entrainment to these harmonic Earth frequencies. This session is intended to revitalize the energetic bodies by moving stuck energy thus bringing the possibility of balance into the energy body, and most often leads to increased clarity of purpose, clarity around energetic distortions in your life, reduced stress, a feeling of liberation, an ability to progress in your intended direction of growth.
This session is especially recommended for those having a hard time calming an active mind, speaking your truth, feeling love, having trouble with group or individual relationship dynamics, and the grounded ability to perform daily necessary tasks.
Group Session Work
Private Group Sound Bath
Private group sessions available for events including office/work related seminars, birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, family reunions, class reunions, holiday parties, block parties, you name it!
Session style, structure, instruments and length are all malleable!
You are able to set the location of this event, or you can choose from a number of settings around the city including community spaces, churches, and yoga/spiritual centers with which I have worked. *If the latter is the case yet a specific date of performance is needed, the location may need to be selected solely based on its availability.
Common privately selected settings have included living rooms, backyards, and local parks.
Public Group Sound Bath
Looking to host a group sound bath open to the public at a certain location or business? Common locations are healing centers, meditation centers, yoga studios, music venues, and so many more. Reach out to inquire about the possibilities of session structures, session lengths, and energetic exchange (payment) split structures.
Looking to collaborate on an event or regular offering?
Yoga Instructors, Energy Workers, Art Therapists, Acupuncturists, Body Workers, and practitioners of even more modalities and I have already collaborated successfully.
If you are planning a regular offering or single event for the public and you think that any form of therapeutic sound would be a harmonious addition, please feel welcome to reach out and pitch me your idea. Or we can brainstorm an idea together!