This blog introduces you to healing through sound. YOUR sound. Your unique voice can be used to harmonise the cells of the body bringing them into resonance with each other (healing). It’s easy to explore and has such rich and profound benefits.
Pulsating
Many years ago I experienced a nourishing yoga class which included a ‘sea of Om.’ This chanting section for me was the highlight of the class because I’d never experienced sound and vibration in this way before. It felt a bit like receiving a Reiki session. I could feel energy swiftly moving around my body, circulating and pulsing. It felt SO healing.
Never Ending Om
In the session, individually we would take a nice even breath and then ‘Om’ on the exhale for as long as the breath lasted. Of course everyone had a different length of breath and pitch of voice so the surrounding sound was a rich blend of male and female voices which continued endlessly for about 3-4 minutes. It was blissful to be bathed in this sound. I was hooked right there and then! I went on to explore more in various classes, every teacher had a different style of teaching chants which was really interesting to experience.
Inner Technology
The voice is a beautiful self healing tool, there’s no case to carry around, no gadget, nothing to ‘plug in’ (apart from connecting to yourself) so we have easy access all of the time. Often this inner technology (a strange description maybe but that’s what is feels like to me) can be overlooked as a potent healing tool for health and well being.
Huge Benefits
After researching more about sound in general and using my voice for daily healing, I discovered so many benefits. Here’s what I found out...
It soothes the nervous system and reduces Cortisol (stress hormone). That’s why you feel very relaxed after any sound exercises.
It clears the mind and swiftly brings mental clarity and peace. It cuts through the internal ‘noise’.
The Throat Chakra function is enhanced which helps with creativity and self expression. The throat literally can feel more open.
Harmonises the Chakras above and below (Heart and Brow Chakra). This can be felt and general sense of harmony or well-being.
Stimulates the production of Endorphins (happy hormones). It’s SO uplifting!
It takes you right to your centre and brings you into the present moment. Partly because you have to focus on the breath (which forces you into the present moment) You feel more at rest with yourself.
It enhances self confidence. By hearing your own voice, the feelings of being heard and being able to ‘speak out’ and expand the sound, is SO healing.
When you hum, sing or chant for more than 20 minutes more oxygen enters the brain. This can feel refreshing and uplifting and relaxing at the same time.
Group chanting (Kirtan) or group singing creates a feeling of connection to others. In this type of environment Oxytocin is produced in the brain (the social bonding hormone). The sense of One-ness or togetherness can be felt as a lovely warm glowy feeling.
It brings the cells back into resonance with each other. One definition of ‘healing’; coming back into wholeness, helping the cells to ‘dance to the same rhythm’.
Of course everyone is individual so experiences will vary.
Explore
There are so many ways you can use your voice to bring about these benefits. The key is to find what works for you. Singing in a choir might just be the thing that really connects with you. Or it could be something as simple as including some voice exercises into your yoga practice or daily meditation practice. It maybe just using your voice to self heal while you’re in the shower! My point is it has to be practical and easy to do otherwise you won’t continue to experience regularly, this is where you get the full benefit. Anything more than five minutes is a bonus for your body, mind and spirit!
3 Easy Self Healing Exercises
Start with humming as this warms the voice up easily and gently.
Sit quietly for a few minutes and feel the breath, just feel the inhale and exhale.
Feel your feet on the ground if you’re seated on a chair or standing. If you’re seated on the floor with crossed legs you can root down from you Base Chakra (located between the anus and genital area).
Put your hand on your chest and on the next exhale hum gently and feel the vibration in the chest for the whole length of the breath.
Next, inhale then exhale gently with a lower voice than before to feel the vibration even lower in the chest area. This helps you to connect with the Heart Chakra by feeling the vibration.
Now try the same way, but this time raise the pitch of your voice so it’s quite high, the hum will be felt more in the throat and even the face or sinuses.
Play around and move your voice up and down to notice where the vibration is in the body. Really FEEL for where it is.
By now your vocal cords will be nice and warm and ready to explore more.
Now play around with singing using the scales Do, Rei, Mi, So, Fa, La, Ti, Do.
There are plenty of scale exercises on YouTube so you can follow the pitch until you get the hang of it on your own. Each pitch of the scale connects with each Chakra starting from the Base Chakra upwards and beyond to Divine Connection or higher self.
Now put your hand on the lower belly and really let go so the muscles are very relaxed and soft( easier to do if you are seated), this creates more space in the lower abdomen so you feel the vibration more easily.
Inhale and exhale Ahhhhhhh with a nice smooth low sound for the whole length of the breath ( this is the sound we make when we see or feel something lovely Ahhhh). You’ll feel it in the chest initially but you can encourage the body to ‘send the sound’ down to the lower belly where your hand is resting to feel the vibration there.
By putting your hand on the lower belly with a slight pressure, you’ll feel the lower belly and connect with it more. Set the intention for the sound to flow way down into the belly. When we request the body to do something like this, it’s always happy to oblige.
On the next exhale feel the Ahhhhhh again for the length of the breath travelling slowly down, down, down to the belly. It may take a few repetitions to relax into it. When you relax and let go it much easier.
Maybe by the 5th or 6th round you’ll start to feel sound vibration move down more swiftly. But if not just be happy with where the body is showing the vibration today. It’s very likely as you practice this daily or however often you can, that you’ll gradually increase the connection and feeling to the Sacral area (which is great for the Sacral Chakra – relates to zest for life, flow, creativity and passion) and it’ll start to be felt more in the torso in general.
Even if the physical sensation can’t be felt in the entire body (which takes a lot of practice and development to ‘tune in’) the sound that you are creating is still being experienced by the entire body, it is so subtle that it can’t be felt right away. That’s why it is SO healing because it does reach every cell.
Reflect
Notice how you feel afterwards and maybe journal on what’s different or what you feel you’ve unblocked. Maybe even note the difference in clarity about a topic or situation. It really is quite surprising what can be changed by this simple yet potent exploration.
Self Love
These exercises are enhanced greatly if you are intentionally wanting to heal the body. Another part of this beautiful equation is if you choose to feel the self appreciation and self love while doing the exercises. The vibration of love in itself is healing, when you blend it with YOUR sound, YOUR voice it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Try it if you haven’t already and you’ll understand what I mean.
Summary
So there it is, the what, why and how to explore your voice to experience self healing and take it to the level of self love. The step by step guide will help you as a starting point, the 3 Easy Self Healing Exercises are really easy to do. I may write another blog in the future on more advanced techniques, but this is a really good place to start if you’ve never tried anything like this before. ENJOY!
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Disclaimer - All information in my videos, blogs, website, Conscious Art or anything I create is for information only. I do not diagnose, treat or cure any illness or disease. Please refer to your healthcare practitioner for advice.
Copyright 2022 Nina Heaton
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