A BRIEF BACKGROUND
"To be whole is the very meaning of healing. Across cultures, the use of sound as a healing modality dates back to prehistoric times, when shamans chanted and drummed to heal people. In the ancient mystery schools of Greece, India, Egypt, Peru and other centers of knowledge, the use of sound and music for healing was a highly developed sacred science."
The Aboriginal people of Autralia for at least 40,000 years have used sound as a means of healing which is in alignment with modern sound healing technologies. The first person known to use music as medicine was Pythagoras, circa 500 BC. He used the flute and the lyre which were two of the primary instruments implemented for healing purposes.
The West saw a resurgence in Healing through Sound in the 1930's, & today, ultrasound is used not only to check the condition of a fetus but also for breaking down kidney stones, & more. Hospitals all over the world are working in tandem with Sound Healers /Therapists using gongs, drums, rattles, singing bowls & so on. All with the aim to help patients relax & cope with their conditions in a way that's more conducive to their overall health & sense of wholeness.
For more:
https://davidkarchere.com/sound-healing/
WHY SOUND BATH MEDITATION?
We live in a world of overstimulation & we aren't hardwired to live in this constant state of underlying stress & anxiety.
Through focussed attention & intention, I allow intuition to guide the moment, when vocalizing & playing some of the ancient sound instruments used for Sound Healing.
Many of us are dealing with trauma. Some may be carrying more than others & it can show up in a variety of different ways, dissociation possibly being one of them. Psychologists believe the latter is "a form of self-defense gone awry. People might describe it as a brief out-of-body experience-as if they were looking down on themselves from above." Even if we do not struggle with dissociation, we may not be aware we have become somewhat numb or cut off from our emotions. A Sound bath Meditation can offer us an opportunity to feel safe enough to explore the emotions attached to our traumas. To feel them & slowly allow ourselves to grieve & connect with parts of ourself in need of loving attention, compassion & acceptance.
"WE ARE PERFECT..."
"We are perfect, because of our imperfections." - Kate Tempest, Poet.
It is perfectly fine to have no clue what to expect, nor what to do at a Sound bath Meditation, &/or life for that matter. Part of life's vitality lies in our humility, our awareness to the beauty in not knowing the answers to all of life's questions. Often, we merely need to remind ourselves of the great wisdom in sitting with uncertainty, despite feeling uncomfortable within.
It's ok to not always feel ok.
In order to deal with my volatile environment growing up, I developed a variety of sophisticated mechanisms to cope. As a very young child I spent hours listening to the swirl of sounds around me. From my tiny bedroom, I would listen intently, peeling through each layer of sound like it was a Russian doll. Once I'd identified each layer, I'd move on to the next sound & do the same, traveling as far from my room as I could. It was a full body & mind experience. Never did it occur to me that there was a term for this. It was my private little game, & I had many of a similar ilk, stashed away inside of me. The Sound game was my favorite. It taught me many valuable lessons & skills, all my meditation games did. So it is no surprise to find myself creating my favorite game all these years later, only this time, it's not just for me.
"The magic of "Musical Medicine" will come into its own. The application of such healing potencies will not be limited just to mans body & mind. It will be an agency for building & healing his soul as well" Corine Heline (1882-1975)