How does sound work as a healing modality?
If you have come to any of the groups or courses that I run, sound work is always very important. From the very beginning of our lives sound is part of our way of expressing our innermost thoughts and feelings, you only have to be around babies and toddlers to realize that. They have no filter and it is all in the open for everyone to hear.
Somewhere in childhood we get the message that feelings need to be hidden so we start by being quiet, to keep our feelings in check, to put on a stiff upper lip, to not show when we are hurting. We bury them deep within, hiding them even from ourselves. I have observed what happens with some children when they do this. Some become quiet and others become very loud, most probably because we are all born with a tendency to be either introverted or extroverted in our personalities.
Along the way we have learnt nursery rhymes, counting songs, hymns, and later on we will become attached to the popular music of the time. Hopefully we will be exposed to lots of different styles of music and yes, have preferences but live music has an appeal all of its own. Sitting with others, joining in with the music, dancing and singing along why can it illicit such emotion, and why is it so good for us? I believe it is the greatest way to keep us in this ‘now’ moment. It allows us to not think about the past or the future but to just ‘be’. Sometimes it can allow us to express ourselves more fully. Who hasn’t cried at a poignant piece of music, allowing a build-up of emotions to come through? Who hasn’t felt so much better afterwards. And who hasn’t felt their spirits soar as they have listened to some stirring music and especially laugh at happy memories attached to others. The best part of sporting events is the community singing at the beginning. Who hasn’t sung ‘You’ll never walk alone’ at the top of their lungs in a crowd of hundreds? Things in the past were wrapped up by singing The National Anthem and everyone went home happy.
We move our bodies to sound, and when we sing we expand our lungs, oxygenating our bodies and freeing our minds to “just be in the moment”. How good is that, yet our school systems now are shutting down music programs and there is no singing of hymns.
What a shame.
So how do I work with sound?
Every morning after Meditating I do some sound work whether that is singing the five principals of Reiki, The Lord’s Prayer, going through the Bija seed sounds of the Chakras, or toning.
When working with clients I gauge their energy by toning by tuning into their vibration.
When doing Meditations for others I take them in to the quiet space with toning and bring them out with a small song.
I work with drums, Crystal bowls, Chakra Sound bowls in my Sound Healing sessions along with clearing the Chakras with the bija sounds and mantras.
A Sound workshop includes connecting sounds with emotions we are holding on to and teaching Mongolian chanting and Chakra chanting.
I love it! Now, that could be because I have been in choirs all my life and have experienced the benefits that come from singing with others, but I encourage everyone, don’t judge your voice. That isn’t important. It’s the expression of sound that is important. Releasing your voice into the heavens and letting go of your inhibitions and getting back to that small child who just was saying how it is before they had the words to express it. May your homes be filled with sound and may you feel the healing benefits that will naturally come around you.
Love and Light
Sheila Morgan
Reiki Master & Medium
The Light Workers Way