Riverplayful

Sound & Vibration

 

Sound has been used by ancient cultures for thousands of years for healing the physical body, mind and emotions and for spiritual development. 

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Sound is the energy produced from the vibration of things.  Motion generates vibration, vibration generates frequencies and frequencies generate sound. 

 

All matter consists of atoms which are in constant motion. Everything moves, vibrates and circles. Everything on Earth vibrates. Planet Earth itself vibrates, and so it is with everything within and that is the Universe.   

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Whether we hear it or not, everything has a sound, a vibration all of its own. 

 

Sound is generated through every cell in our body. All parts of our body and each aspect of our being (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) possess a different resonant frequency and their own unique vibration.  We are constantly vibrating at cellular level by a plethora of unheard frequencies whose vibrations influence rhythm and resonance in our bodies. 

 

It is said that illness and disease is characterised by a hindrance to the flow of energy, resulting in a manifestation of disharmony within the body.  When energy flow is hindered our natural resonant frequency becomes out of sync, which creates dissonance. When a dissonant (imbalanced) vibration is established within one or more levels of our being, dis-ease or ill-health occurs. 

 

Sound therefore has a tremendous influence – both positive and negative, dependent on the frequency - over human functionality at all levels.   

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Since all matter is energy vibrating at different rates, by influencing the rate of vibration, we can alter the structure of matter.  Loud, harsh unnatural sounds have a negative effect on a person, causing dis-harmony and dis-ease.  Therapeutic, natural sounds however, have a positive effect on us, creating harmony and ease.

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A body is in a healthy state when all parts resonate in harmony with the whole being.  

 

Therapeutic sound healing is on the frontier of modern neuroscience.  It is a phenomenon which works through the universal, emotional and biological principles of entrainment and sympathetic resonance.   Entrainment occurs when one entity resonates synchronously with another, in response to the dominant frequency of vibration.  Brainwave entrainment is the changing of brainwave frequencies whereby rhythmic vibrations of similar frequencies resonate in unison, synchronising our fluctuating brainwaves by providing a stable frequency which the brain can attune to.  Entrainment alters our brainwave frequencies from Beta - the awake and active state, to Alpha - the awake but relaxed state, to Theta the awake and relaxed but in an altered state of consciousness - hypnotic/meditative) state. 

 

Humans are attuned to the magnetic frequency of the Earth. ‘Schumann resonance’, which is the vibratory rate of the magnetic field of the earth, oscillates at an average rate of 7.8 Hz.  This frequency corresponds with the theta brainwave frequency.

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Natural, therapeutic sounds transport us into an altered state of consciousness induced by meditative brainwave frequencies.  Science has proven that meditative brainwave frequencies enable us to access our deeper subconscious and are key states for healing - on all levels (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.)  

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The effects of sound in a therapeutic context are – but not limited to:

• Triggers the relaxation response, releasing tension and blocks in the body, and reducing pain.

• Helps regulate breathing and heart rate.

• Helps improves circulation.

• Has a positive effect on our cardiovascular, autonomic, endocrine, nervous & immune systems.

• Helps bring about resonance and harmony at cellular level.

• Improves sleep.

• Alleviates symptoms of stress and anxiety. 

• Improves cognitive functioning.

• Helps release suppressed toxic emotions.

• Harmonises the bio-field and balances the chakras.

• Increases mauri, prana or chi - our vital life force. 

 

Sound is therefore an effective medium to restore the balance and optimise the flow of energy – mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.  Dissonant vibrations can be restored back to our natural resonant frequency; thus having a positive effect on the body, mind, emotions and spirit.  Bringing us back to a state of balance, peace and harmony.

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Optimum health occurs when we are vibrating

at our natural, inherent, resonant frequency.

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The Gong, Singing Bowls & Tuning Forks

 

The gong is an ancient and sacred instrument of healing, rejuvenation and transformation. Ancient alchemical texts date the gong as far back as 16,000 BC.  Some of the ancient uses for the gong include meditation, healing, communication, and announcing the beginning of ceremonies.  So it’s certainly not just a new ‘thing’!   Within one gong is the resonant power of a 108 instrument orchestra.  It is the greatest synthesizer in the world.  It synthesises everything so that it comes into functional harmony. 

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Singing Bowls are also an ancient and sacred instrument.  Dating back 2,500 years, early application of the Singing Bowls was connected with the rituals of the Bon Pot Shamans in Tibet.  Singing bowls were and are used throughout Himalayan monasteries and throughout the world to aid meditation. The sound of a singing bowl was and still is used to mark the beginning or end of a meditation period, or during meditation to focus the mind. It is also believed that mantras chanted during the making of a singing bowl are released into the universe when the bowl is played (thus having a similar function as a prayer wheel).

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Tuning forks were invented in 1711 and were originally used to create a pure tone to tune musical instruments.  By the last decades of the 19th century, tuning forks were among the most precise of all scientific instruments.  They are used by medical practitioners to assess hearing, to check vibration sense as part of the examination of the peripheral nervous system and to help assess injuries where bone fracture is suspected.  When used in alternative therapy, the sound waves produced by tuning forks are rapidly transmitted throughout the nervous system and entire body as your body enters a deep state of relaxation in a matter of seconds. The phenomenon of sympathetic resonance is reinforced by their use on or around the body, as the body’s vibration is entrained to return it to its optimum healthy vibration.

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Sound Spa (aka Sound Bath)

 

When we are out of balance, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, we are in that state of disharmony.  When experiencing a sound spa, our bodies (physical and subtle) become receptors which detect, register and are affected by the frequencies.  Heart rate, respiration and brainwave activity will be ‘entrained’ because the vibrations and frequencies will cause mutual sympathetic resonance. 

 

The main instruments involved in my sound spa's are gong's, singing bowls and drums. Accompanying them are Rainsticks, Kalimba, Koshi Chimes, Freenote and tingsha's (Tibetan cymbals).  Each one emitting their own vibrational frequency.  Multiple tones and clusters of natural harmonic overtones are space filling and build as each instrument of healing is played, creating a pool of sound which can be directly felt kinaesthetically, while quieting the mind into a state of stillness and transporting you into a bilssfully relaxing altered state of consciousness known to promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, balance and well-being.​

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During a sound spa the harmonic vibrations ripple through the body stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which activates the relaxation response, and causes a shift in brainwave frequency which allows for "recalibration" of the psyche.  The sound and vibrational frequencies produced during a sound spa have been described as relaxing, calming, centering, energising, transforming and healing.  Synchronising our brainwaves, promoting a peaceful state, clarity of mind, stronger intuition and restoring balance and harmony on all levels as you bathe blissfully in the vibrations and frequencies of ancient and sacred instruments of healing, rejuvenation and relaxation.

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Sound waves move in frequency.  The frequency is determined by the current vibration within the wave, so our energy is affected by not only by the sounds we can hear, but also those that we can’t.  Even when we do not hear the sound or feel the vibrations they are still present and can still affect our health in either a positive or detrimental way. 

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It’s one thing playing pretty sounds, but it’s a whole other thing to know how to create healing sounds and vibrations.  This is why it’s important with sound healing and sound spa's (sound baths) for the practitioner to have an informed understanding (training - both theory and practical) of which instruments to use, frequency, pitch, timbre, duration etc, in order to effect healing and avoid negative consequences.

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A sound spa is an excellent opportunity to relax, rebalance and

bring about an enhanced awareness of the mind/body/spirit connection.

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