You might think, “Sound healing, yeah, that’s where you lay down with all the crystal bowls, chimes, bells, and the gong, right? Maybe hear some singing or chanting?” Sure, it can and has looked like that. But sound healing can describe any type of vibration or rhythm for therapeutic purposes. If you’ve ever wondered why people love it, or how it works, read on
Long before the Big Bang Theory, ancient texts told of our universe beginning with a sound, AUM (or OM). Its vibration, or movement, began all life. Still lingering in all creation, it is said to bring us back to the beginning, or true primordial form. In modern scientific terms, the movement of atoms are responsible for all that exists, as atoms are the building blocks of all matter. If atoms move with vibration or sound waves, wouldn’t it be possible to change the way they move by changing the vibration of a sound? Yes! A whole lot of experimenting later, and a healing movement was born.
The beauty in using sound for healing is how it can work for everyone, and in different therapeutic needs. The key is a thing called entrainment. It simply means two differently moving things synching to the same rhythm. For example, try this: pick a well-known, easy path to walk with a friend. Start up a conversation while you walk. Somewhere before your destination, while still talking, glance down at your feet. You will most likely find you are “in step” with your friend. This synch-up works with any rhythm – music, drumming, chanting – you get where this is going. So play some relaxing music next time you’re stressed, or chant words you are trying to memorize, and you may fall in love with sound healing, too.
Lisa Garrett is hosting her next workshop on Learning Through Sound in October. To learn more, visit: https://tinyurl.com/learningthroughsound
