Do you remember that song by Gloria Estafan? Every time that song came on the radio, I felt compelled to dance and sing along! As a Gen X teen growing up in the eighties, whenever I hear a song from that era I’m immediately brought back and filled with lush memories from that time in my life. Depending on the song, I can tell you how old I was, what I was doing, and with whom. Does that ever happen to you? I bet you could probably name at least one or two songs that, when you hear them, transport you to a different time, even if just for a moment.
A few years ago, during the month my grandma passed away, there was a specific song that was played frequently on the radio. Although it was not a song my grandma would have particularly listened to, whenever I hear that song now, my thoughts are filled with memories of her…it’s an automatic, involuntary response. I’m sure many of you can relate. Music and melodic sounds affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually because sound vibrates…just like us!
In fact, quantum physics has proven that everything vibrates…plants, humans, rocks, animals, inanimate objects, water, the Earth…Everything! Rhythm is all around us and in us. Vibration and sound are ever-present in our lives and the universe. While we are rarely conscious of it, sound is affecting us all the time. Think about it…from the moment you wake up you are inundated with sound. You hear your alarm clock go off or maybe you wake up to the birds chirping outside. Next you might hear your dog barking with excitement that you’re awake, or your spouse still snoring beside you, or your children playing in the next room. Sound continues to permeate your existence throughout your day, from the water drops hitting the shower floor to the crackling bacon in the pan as you prepare breakfast. You venture outside, get in your car and listen to music or horns beeping on the freeway. You get the picture. We can’t escape sound and sometimes to the point that it can be maddening.
Our ears are sensitive instruments and too much “noise” can have a huge impact on our mind and body. Fortunately, sound is not the same as noise and sometimes the difference between the two depends on the opinions of the listener. In technical terms, the distinction has to do with the speeds and frequencies at which sound waves travel. Sound is continuous with regular vibrations whereas noise has irregular and indefinable fluctuations. Still, not all noise is bad or aggravating. I personally love the sound of chirping birds! I encourage you to watch Dr. Masaru Emoto’s Water Experiments that shows how “human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music affect the molecular structure of water. The very same water that comprises over 80% of the human body and covers the same amount of our planet.” His research findings are fascinating and thought-provoking.
As an intuitive healer and vibrational sound therapist, I have witnessed first-hand the amazing effects of vibrational sound therapy (VST) on my clients. The benefits of using therapeutic Himalayan singing bowls directly onto the body are profound and immediate! Relaxation during a VST session brings on the same kind of brain states as yoga, tai chi, and meditation. Most of my clients will start to relax as soon as the session begins. As the brain assimilates the sounds of the bowls and the body absorbs the waves of vibration into its tissues, muscles loosen, tensions release, breathing and heart rate slows down, arteries expand to allow smooth blood flow - all giving rise to a feeling of warmth. This relaxed state allows the body to repair itself instead of responding to outside stimuli such as negativity, worries, doubts, fears, and to-do lists. Simply put, the immune system is at its best when we are relaxed!