meditation and sound HEALING
MEDITATION
MEDITATION
Evidence of meditation being used is thought by many archaeologists to date back as far as 5,000 BCE. It was found to be embedded into the cultures of ancient Egypt, China, Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and most of all Buddhism. By the fifth or sixth centuries BCE the practice moved throughout Asia. However, it was not established fully in the West until the 20th century where it expanded to to use outside of religion.
In 1967 the heath benefits of meditation were researched at Harvard Medical School by Professor Dr. Herbert Benson, which subsequently led to him publishing “The Relaxation Response” and founding the Mind/Body Medical Institute. In an interview with Time, Dr Benson reported that all he did “is put a biological explanation on techniques that people have been utilising for thousands of years.” This is why meditation is used as part of our sound therapy sessions and is so powerful. Both are only now being understood by the scientific community to have healing benefits for the mind, body and soul. This is the wisdom that has been known for thousands of years by our ancestors.
Various types of visualisation meditations are used as part of our sound therapy sessions. Meditation triggers a relaxation response, as research studies have shown that it decreases the sympathetic nervous system activity and metabolism. It also has the added benefit of reducing pain, anxiety, depression, hostility, and stress. The use of mediation along with the sound bath works on a vibrational level to heal and has amazingly restorative effects.
SOUND HEALING
SOUND HEALING
The use of sound is an ancient form of healing using the restructuring of energy we all contain in our bodies from tissues and organs, cells, molecules and atoms. We are pure energy! In ancient energy practices it is understood that there are seven discs of energy, a chakra, of which there are 7, located in a line from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Each chakra has a role within our bodies and needs to remain in balance for our mind and body to be healthy. For more information on chakra’s see The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Chakras – Chakra.org
The known benefits of a Sound bath include;
-physical and emotional healing
-restored energy circulation
-improved self-confidence and self-esteem
-improved sleep and relaxation.
Albert Einstein, once said that ‘everything in life is vibration’and we know that energy vibrates and is therefore linked to sound, even when we cannot hear, feel or be aware it is happening. Therefore vibration is important and the frequency of the vibration then can become greater. The main area in our body that resonates is the chest cavity and this is a main area where sound can create healing resonance by directing the sound to the natural vibration of each person.
Drums:
We have a wide range of hand held drums such as frame drums, buffalo, djembe, tambourines that are played within the Sound Bath session by us although we also may encourage you to try them out too! Using rhythmic techniques, the benefits of collective drumming include boosting immunity, stimulating body and mind balance. There are studies evidencing the benefits of drumming and is becoming an important part of medical science. Some of the health benefits include a sense of belonging and connection with others, helps with Alzheimer’s management, anxiety and stress reduction – and science confirms drumming gets the right and left hand side of the brain to work together thereby increasing brain energy!
Gongs:
Leaving aside our voices, the gong is the oldest instrument to be used for sound healing and relaxation. My first sight of a gong was in my grandmother’s hallway when I was a small child…a dinner gong brought back from Singapore by her eldest son during his National Service in the 1950’s. I was fascinated by the sound and would wait for the instruction to hit it to summon others to mealtimes. Gongs are traced back to Burma, China, Java and Annam and gongs have been seen as an item of status, wealth and success. During a Sound Bath session, the gong bathes our bodies in sound, penetrating all areas of our body with its wonderful song and vibration. It is believed that a gong sound/vibration will help to heal emotionally, physically, spiritually and energetically.
Tibetan Singing Bowls:
It is a type of bell that can be rung with a mallet or played using the rim. They have been found and used in China, Japan, Korea and the Himalayan regions. They are strongly associated with Buddhists. They date back around 5000 years. The vibrations from the bowls are believed to relax and energise! Singing bowls are believed to speak to the theta brainwaves which are the strongest and able to be changed. This stimulation of brainwaves is thought to boost mental energy, provide stress relief, help with negative thinking -amongst other benefits.
Crystal Singing Bowls:
These bowls are more recent additions to Sound Baths but work in a similar way to the Tibetan Singing Bowls. We use crystal bowls that are assigned to a main chakra, so we have 7, all are played through intuition and reading the vibrations of those who are receiving the strong vibrations. They are played like a bell and around the rim of the bowl. Each bowl is played separately to connect with each chakra; they are then blended to produce a cacophony of beautiful sound and vibrations that envelop the body.
Wind chimes:
They really are a magical sound with the ability to transport the mind to an ethereal realm. They require the natural element of air to vibrate harmonising and maximising the flow of our life force helping us to relax and creating an aura of peace.
Native American flute:
The flute that is played during our Sound Bath session is hand made in the UK to specific dimensions, essence and spirit of the North American ‘first people’. This flute was named by some tribes as ‘Soyon-tanka’, the breath that gives music to the wood to honour ‘Wakan-tanka’ in a spiritual way. They were originally played by both women and men and reflected the natural sounds around them and were used in courtship, rituals, ceremonies and healing. The tuning of the flute on the Circadian Rhythm and it’s Pythagorean tuning gives a pleasing, haunting sound. To play the flute is an honour but also difficult as it is not made to blow air into like normal woodwind instruments but instead gently exhale, a ‘haaa’ without sound from the stomach. It is played from the heart not a musical score as the breathe vibrates causing a steady resonance of air pressure in the sound chamber of the flute that creates the sound.