“There is nothing in the world which is not the instrument of God”

Hazrat Inayat Khan

What is sound healing?

Sound healing is an ancient healing modality that has been used by numerous cultures-the Aboriginals, Egyptians, Greeks and the Indians in the Vedas (Nada Brahma, the all-encompassing sound of God) as well as numerous indigenous and shamanic tribes, to name some key components, that is currently undertaking a strong resurgence. Sound operates and transforms at a very deep and subtle level beyond the mental body and cognitive understanding, which can activate the healing potential within all of us and in so doing relaxes body and mind through the use of a large array of instruments-most notably bells, gongs, tuning forks and Tibetan bowls, but more importantly and fundamentally, through the voice.

The practitioner is a conduit for these refined, subtler, higher energies to come through with the intention for the highest good of whoever has come to receive the treatment. Sound is the first breath/manifestation of the divine creation in the universe (“First there was the word and the word was made flesh”) and has a higher knowing of where to access and heal. Sound creates a wave form that works on the client to bring about a state of peace, healing and harmony and brings the body/mind back into a state of homeostasis. This homeostatic position, which is our innate presence of stillness and our balance point internally helps align, invigorate and raise the vibrational state of the client’s system at the same time as calming the nervous system. This is caused primarily through two key principles in sound healing-that of entrainment and resonance. By affecting a change in the frequency and vibration, the client is pushed back to source and stillness; the place where the healing works. Intention is key to this too, manifesting as a prayer to higher self/consciousness, to work with sound to affect a deep change within the client. Intention adds a stronger flavour and enhancement to the healing and underpins the expression of sound.

How does sound healing work?

Everything in the universe is energy, just all operating at different frequencies. Sound helps to align/attune our internal landscape to the external. Sound, like breath (and sound is created on the exhalation, the out-breath) brings us directly into the present moment. That “now” moment is the only space where healing energies can work and its potency resonate-not in the past or imaginings around the future. Sound heals on all the levels of the bodies (physical, emotional/mental, spiritual, astral, casual and pranic). The subtler bodies having the effect of healing the more denser energy bodies, sometimes even before any physical symptoms have manifested.

A key tenet behind sound healing is that the body is made up of energy which vibrates at different frequencies-as a whole and part of the collective, for instance different organs. Illness is caused by disharmony within the body, mind and emotions. Sound healing helps to bring the mind, emotions and body back into a state of homeostasis, balance and harmony both within and without and more in tune with spirit.

Resonance is a fundamental principle in sound healing. Every being has a specific resonance, (individual cells and organs too) that collectively become the most normal/natural frequency of that being. Sound can help bring about sympathetic resonance to the client-either as a whole or specific parts of the body.

It is also the absence of sound, in the stillness and the silence after a session where the real breadth and depth of the healing opportunity occurs. This is a fundamental point as it is a key factor in the healing. Sound helps the person to calm their noisy monkey mind, and be more receptive to the quieter, softer, subtler intrusive voices of our higher self by quieting the mind. Sound, whether resonant (birdsong), or dissonant (pneumatic drill or screaming outside as examples), brings us directly into the present moment and is a strong anchor, like breath, to notice and be aware of the Now. The stillness after a session, even for as little as ten minutes, is the real gold and panacea of the healing session. Stillness also retains our life force, our essential energy and assists with delving deeper into the sub-strata of our conditioned and identified selves, rather than dissipating our energy outwards in a constant array of needs, wants and desires, all of which are rarely fulfilled and only operate on the external, material world. Sound runs deeper than that. In the current world where everything and everybody seem to crave instant connections and have their voice heard (oddly whilst majority are not even listening, nor have really activated the true power of their throat chakra having felt so disempowered for generations) it is even more crucial to have a space where we can go within, into the silence of our heart centres, the gateway to the soul, which enables for an even deeper and expansive relaxing of mind and body. Listening is such a crucial and undervalued/misunderstood part of the sound experience too. Sound and listening complement each other, where sound helps to activate a deeper listening potential beyond the concepts of the ego mind and opens up a gateway to the soul.

There are many subtleties at play within the panoply of sound. One of them being intention; as Johnathan Goldman has posited, sound plus intention creates healing. It is the intention behind the act (as an example, the offering for healing sounds to flow through the practitioner for the highest good of the recipient), the service, the surrender to a higher power, the trust in the unknowable, the unfathomable void where all pure potentialities exist and can do their work/manifest at will and as necessary. This is where the healing potency lies. Intention also harnesses attention (two sides of the same coin effectively) which helps the energy flow to where it is required.

Intention is best stated in the form of a prayer-offered at the start of the session and with thanks and praise at the end. Prayers in acknowledgment of a higher state that has an infinite perspective/innate intelligence. An offering of, and a trust in, divine grace to come for the sounds to do the healing.

Chanting is another ancient technique, most notably via mantras in the Indian traditions. These are sacred sounds that can activate specific intentions and /or work on areas of the subtle bodies, most notably the chakras. This relates to Bija mantra sounds, which are seed syllable sounds that work on different chakras, from the base chakra all the way up to the crown chakra (and beyond).

Humming/toning is another strong healing opportunity in the arena of sound. The internal sound creates a strong vibration in the body, and especially in the head. The lower the humming tone the more the sound gravitates towards the entrance of the mouth, the higher seems to concentrate further into the head around the nasal cavity and the top of the skull. The lower sounds are more grounding and work on the lower chakras, the higher sounds tune in further up the body and work on the higher chakras. This is very powerful self-healing tool and follows the same principles much like Brahmari, the humming bee breath pranayama in yoga. It’s also a very simple, great and very effective self-care/healing option to undertake and helps tone and tune up the internal landscape by an internal acoustic massage. In the west the vowel sounds have also been used.

Tuning forks are a common tool for conducting a sound healing session and an important part of the repertoire of instruments used. A very simple, but effective treatment which I use for daily tuning up/self-care is using two forks tuned to the middle C (256) and G (384) hertz tones. A hertz being a measurement of frequency, the rate per second that the sound vibrates as a wave form. Tuning forks are used as part of the basic treatment to clear the energy and any blockages and to help rebalance the system. One key aspect of using two tuning forks with different pitches is that it creates a third sound/tone through the use of intervals. An interval being the resonance of the musical space (and frequency) created by the sounding of two different notes and the different in vibrations between the two. that creates what is known as the fifth interval, known as the perfect fifth due to its strong harmonic quality and interval, one of upliftment and harmony.

Another aspect of using intervals to help align us more into a meditative state is binaural beats. Where the frequency of the difference between the two notes creates a third note; that state that can help move the body/mind into a deeper relaxation and repose. Using the example of the C and G tuning forks- their respective vibrational rate creates a third tone of 128Hz which is the difference between the two notes. The optimum outcome is to induce theta brainwave states, that are in the region of around 20 htz. Another term for this is brainwave entrainment where the brain waves end up in sympathetic resonance with the theta states created as the third frequency. The principle of entrainment was discovered by a scientist called Huygens in 1665 and indicates that when two objects oscillate (two grandfather clock pendulums is a common example) they start locking into each other’s frequencies and move at exactly the same speed. But this also happens in sound and all other areas of life, a lot of it unconsciously working in the background without our knowledge. We all emit a certain frequency and vibration and like magnets pull together (it’s fair to suggest resonance) or repel (dissonance). We gravitate towards those that match or are close to our energy. It’s a natural process of cooperation rather than conflict. The path of least resistance if you will.  

Harmonics are an important aspect of healing. Pythagoras has been credited with discovering harmonics and their ratio within sound. Harmonics being a series of overtones that accompany the fundamental note, at a fixed interval (a multiple of the fundamental note), that effectively spirals into infinity (although as humans we only have a hearing range of around 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz). The voice has a richness in its timbre that can create overtones with practice. It’s a fabulous internal toning massage technique. Gongs and Tibetan bowls also create harmonics. The sound of harmonics creates a strong resonance within us that aids healing and release.

Dissonance and resonance play a complementary part in healing too. Humans generally attune to the more pleasant, pleasurable resonant sounds, like the perfect 5th interval. The more resonant sounds are what we are universally drawn to, whether it’s a piece of classical music, sounds from nature, music from one of our favourite bands, Gregorian chanting or overtone singing. It acts like an echo chamber in our heart pointing us back to the initial memory spark of creation and creates a strong alignment in us that matches the sounds externally; leading to an acoustic union and harmony. We are less inclined to be drawn into dissonant sounds or want to listen to them. This is in the majority the same for all our uncomfortable emotions, body sensations and feelings that rise. We have a tendency to reject them, supress them (or express them) not really able to hold that edge and allow them to pass through us. Quite the opposite really, they grate on us and can cause distress and confusion. It is the sound of chaos. And the majority find this hard. Yet the dissonant sounds also have a crucially important part to play, if we can hold that space without running away both physically and mentally/emotionally as a range of emotions might well be brought to the surface. The 2nd and 7th intervals are examples of sounds that most find difficult to listen to. Yet by bringing uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and sensations to the surface/present moment is the only chance we have to allow them to be released/ dissolved and discharged back to source. It’s important to note also that Fabien Maman discovered in his experiments on the healing power of sound on cancerous cells that “the cancer cells cannot bear the dissonance of the 7th interval. Healthy cells on the contrary remained intact and some even seemed revitalised by the 7th interval.”

The voice is the most important instrument of all, especially because it is self-generating the healing vibrations that shift energetic blockages. It’s not about the quality of the voice, more the purity of the intention. The voice can scan the body by hovering over the body and picking up static disturbances to help with the diagnosis, it has the capability to deliver overtones, rich textures of higher (or lower-undertones) of harmonies and it can be directed with laser sharpness where it needs to land. It also compliments other instruments when used in tandem. Humming and mantra/toning/chanting also play an important aspect of the healing power of the voice and are all very powerful self-healing opportunities too to create more space in our inner landscape.

Rhythm (the beats per minute of a piece of music) can be used as a form of entrainment, most notably via drumming to hook into the same number of beats per minute as a regular heartbeat, usually in the 60-70 beats per minute range. It’s the energetic pulse within any musical composition. Drumming has also been used extensively in shamanic cultures to help tap into the otherworldly realms. Gradually slowing the beat down can create a more relaxed state too.

Sound healing can be done either individually or as a group (gong and sound baths, drumming circles). A common range of sound healing instruments includes Tibetan singing bowls which can be struck or played by using a beater around the rim to create a rich harmonic overtone sound. Gongs are also very popular for group sound healing sessions-there are a large variety of sizes and sounds, which help tap into the primordial sound; the first out-breath of creation. The digeridoo is also an instrument that has a strong earth connection and deep grounding opportunity.  A shruti box gives off a drone sound based on an octave scale-most usually C or G- and can be used very effectively for chanting or toning. Rattles, rain sticks and drums offer alternatives too to the session as do a flute and recorders. And, of course, the voice.

What makes sound healing such an effective therapy?

As a practitioner, sound energy is manifesting through me for the clients highest good, but as a consequence, I am also receiving a dose of this energy too. So, I can also be in a position of not just commenting as the giver, but also having received this as well as a bi-product of each treatment. From my experience as a student and a qualified sound practitioner, it’s very apparent that sound healing is a very effective therapy and works in numerous and subtle ways and can touch people very deeply, some extraordinarily so, far beyond what they thought was possible.

The most common healing theme and benefit was apparent on the emotional/mental sphere, where the majority of people feel a range of benefits they had encountered-most notably improved sleep patterns, more relaxed state of being, calmer, more accepting, less depression, less anxiety, less overactive thoughts and mental chatter and more confidence.

I have also got a lot of feedback on physical ailments being improved after a sound healing. The following areas all benefited from the treatments-back, neck, shoulder, hip, knees and ankle pain.

I also got some surprising examples of deep healing on a spiritual/astral travel plane level as well. Feedback about astral travel to Sirius or stepping back in time as a witness to the individual’s karma and past memories being played out are two examples.

Sound has far deeper wisdom and awareness than the practitioner giving the treatment. Emerging from the stillness of existence to affect the energy field of whoever is coming in for a treatment, whether individually or in groups sessions like a sound or gong bath. It’s so important for the healer to” get out of the way” during the treatment and not imprint the healing with their own ego. Sound creates a safe container for the space to open up and open out for the healing to occur and in the stillness pushes each client back into their true self, their uncontaminated essence nature, where aspects of acceptance, love and bliss, and a range of other positive qualities and properties harness the power of the session further and deepens and enriches our experience of our own innate natural presence and nature. 

Qualities and benefits of sound

It’s portable the voice with intention can tune into the energy requirements of the client. Tuning forks are very portable too, as are some small Tibetan bowls, or a flute for example. You don’t need a lot of additional paraphernalia to make it an effective resource wherever you are.

It’s multi-faceted it deals on all levels and all energetic layers/bodies from the physical through to the astral, sound has higher wisdom and perspective than the ego cognitive/interpretative mind of the individual (and practitioner) and is aware of the right dose that the client can handle at any given time.

it’s safe a natural high, a natural health treatment with no contraindications (other than to stay aware and grounded). That’s a key point when compared to the current excesses of western pharmacological medicine that abounds, all with significant side effects. However, it can make the uninitiated, or those a bit unaware of the potency of sound, slightly floaty and ungrounded and can therefore take people by surprise. I firmly believe that sound knows exactly the right dose that can be held by each person during the session and they get exactly what they need in that moment, even if they end up falling asleep and not remembering much about the session at all! I had one client, especially during the case studies who clearly was shocked by how powerful the treatment had been. Sound goes to the heart of the matter-treating the cause at a very deep level, rather than the effect or superficial level.

It’s a very strong conductor for water, and it travels very fast. As human beings are predominately made up of blood/water, (around 75%) it has a strong effect. Sound aids better circulation that improves muscle relaxation and lymphatic system and energy flow.

It’s non-invasive /intrusive. There is no tablet to take or injection to have. No medication is required at all, other than an open heart and mind ideally.

It’s intuitive, wise and transformational sound acts as a reflection and reminder of our natural state and pushes us back in touch with the divine symphony that we are. There can also be quite a long after-tail effect of the treatment that can last days, sometimes weeks and even months. That can affect deep changes and transformations in our lives, and by creating more space in our internal world, it better allows us to cope with what the external world throws at us in any given moment.   

Its potential is huge the future of sound healing is vast and is in a state of re-emergence from a lost tradition and wisdom I feel. The science and study of sound healing is stretching further into vibrational frequency medicine, vibro-acoustics too. Recent studies have shown that cancerous cells given the sound of 11th harmonic (11 times the multiple of the fundamental note played) can help break down and kill these cells when sounded together. These results have proven in clinical trials. As previously mentioned, Fabian Maman has carried out research on this subject too, this time around the 7th interval and a correlation with killing cancer cells.

It works! The efficacy of sound is without question, certainly in the realm of emotional/mental, relaxation and release. There are many claims about what sound can heal and lots of emerging opportunities to consider, but for de-stressing this is without doubt a fundamental benefit. As stress can manifest serious secondary illness and complications then this makes sound healing very valuable indeed. It can also help alleviate chronic aches and pains and has been used in ultrasound to break up gallstones, and kidney stones. These are observable truths with clear healing outcomes. The range of client’s feedback indicated help in several areas, stress reduction and relaxation being the main one. But also calming overactive minds, insomnia issues, pain in specific areas, anxiety and depression.

Effective on both individual and collective/local and non-local levels For group sessions it also entrains with the collective group mind and infuses the energy to the group’s natural resonance. A place where a collective sympathetic healing can take place. Sound is an energy, where non-local, all-pervasive healing can take place, either distant or remote/absence healing capabilities. Whilst it doesn’t compensate for actual face-to-face sessions it goes to emphasize it travels beyond time and space into a vaster terrain. I had some surprising results on zoom during lockdown that far exceeded both mine and the client’s expectations.

Adaptable/Complimentary Sound helps synchronise brain waves which aids deeper relaxation and restoration of the cellular body, which can help release energetic blockages. Sound complements other modalities too. When combined with the use/visualisation of light during a healing (as happens at the end of the Bija mantra treatment) it can harness the effects and power of both energies. The use of crystals can also magnify the effects of sound and help with the energy clearing, grounding and protection before and after sessions.

From my experience of working with sound there are numerous examples of its powers. I truly believe this ancient practice is undertaking a significant resurgence and will be universally recognised as a crucial aspect of people’s health and wellbeing in the near future.

It’s a really exciting time to be part of this journey!