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Vibrational Sound Healing
Take Your Sonic Vitamins with Tuning Forks, Singing Bowls, Chakra Chants, Angelic Vibrations, and Other Sound Therapies
Published by Healing Arts Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A practical and accessible guide to sound healing therapies
• Explores tools such as tuning forks, gongs, singing bowls, drumming, chakra chants, and angelic vibrations
• Provides simple practices such as humming, vowel toning, and affirmations that you can begin using right away for self-healing
• Explains how sound therapy triggers self-healing mechanisms and offers a non-invasive way to permeate every cell of the body with healing intentions
All sound and vibration affect us. From the moment of birth--even in the womb--every word, thought, or sound we encounter is important and powerful, nourishing or toxic. When we understand the powerful effects of sound and vibration, we can consciously apply them for our health and well-being.
In this practical and accessible guide, Erica Longdon explains the therapeutic and healing impact of sound, frequency, and vibration on the body, mind, and spirit. She shows how sound therapy triggers the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms and offers a non-invasive way to permeate every cell of the body with healing intentions. She presents a wide range of sound-healing methods and vibrational practices and explores tools such as tuning forks, gongs, singing bowls, drumming, chakra chants, and angelic vibrations as well as cymatics--the study of wave phenomena, which makes sound visible. She explains how to use different sound healing methods and offers instructions both for self-treatment and as preparation if you go see a sound therapist. She reveals how each of us has a sound healing tool at our disposal--our own voice--and provides simple practices and exercises such as humming, vowel toning, and affirmations that you can begin using right away for self-healing. She also explores the power of silence and how even our inner vibrations--thoughts and intentions--affect us sonically and can be used for vibrational healing.
Offering a natural way to treat pain and illness, this guide gives you the tools to connect with your inner healer, restore balance and harmony, and harness the power of vibration for sound health.
• Explores tools such as tuning forks, gongs, singing bowls, drumming, chakra chants, and angelic vibrations
• Provides simple practices such as humming, vowel toning, and affirmations that you can begin using right away for self-healing
• Explains how sound therapy triggers self-healing mechanisms and offers a non-invasive way to permeate every cell of the body with healing intentions
All sound and vibration affect us. From the moment of birth--even in the womb--every word, thought, or sound we encounter is important and powerful, nourishing or toxic. When we understand the powerful effects of sound and vibration, we can consciously apply them for our health and well-being.
In this practical and accessible guide, Erica Longdon explains the therapeutic and healing impact of sound, frequency, and vibration on the body, mind, and spirit. She shows how sound therapy triggers the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms and offers a non-invasive way to permeate every cell of the body with healing intentions. She presents a wide range of sound-healing methods and vibrational practices and explores tools such as tuning forks, gongs, singing bowls, drumming, chakra chants, and angelic vibrations as well as cymatics--the study of wave phenomena, which makes sound visible. She explains how to use different sound healing methods and offers instructions both for self-treatment and as preparation if you go see a sound therapist. She reveals how each of us has a sound healing tool at our disposal--our own voice--and provides simple practices and exercises such as humming, vowel toning, and affirmations that you can begin using right away for self-healing. She also explores the power of silence and how even our inner vibrations--thoughts and intentions--affect us sonically and can be used for vibrational healing.
Offering a natural way to treat pain and illness, this guide gives you the tools to connect with your inner healer, restore balance and harmony, and harness the power of vibration for sound health.
Excerpt
From chapter “VITAMIN M”
• “M”
• MANTRA
• MUSIC
“M”
M is the supreme consonant. Humming “M” is the antidote to anxiety. M is the sound of yourself. M draws you inward to the point of inner peace. M is the opposite of ego. Humming is especially useful if you are “shamed” about your voice and find singing or chanting challenging to try. Internationally renowned sound healers Jonathan and Andi Goldman have recently written an entire book on humming: The Humming Effect, in which they explore the science behind the many spiritual and therapeutic effects of this self-administered therapy. Ritually, the sound of humming, MMMM is found at the end of OM, AMEN, and many of the other sacred seed syllables (see Vitamin V - vowels). We even make a humming sound when we make a discovery or find ourselves in agreement with another’s statement. It is a life-affirming sound.
MANTRA
Mantra is a Sanskrit word which means: “that which protects and purifies the mind”. It can be more simply translated as: “man” = mind and “tra” = tool. Mind is intended in the broadest sense of thoughts, and the emotions associated with them.
The sacred sound of the mantra contains “seeds” (bija syllables in Sanskrit - see Vitamin V: Vowels). These syllables, when repeated, take seed in the mind and act as a catalyst for change.
Mantras can be vocal or mental. Whereas chanting eventually requires vocal engagement, a mantra is designed to work internally as much as externally. When done inwardly, with just the mind, no note or tone is necessary, just a steady rhythm. This is a useful practice to cultivate as it can be called upon at any time and in any situation to gain calm, balance, and objectivity, especially if our thoughts and emotions are running away with us.
Mantra can be described as sound forms of the consciousness--or divine if you prefer that term. All the major wisdom traditions speak of this. They teach that the power of mantra, if used regularly over time, will take you into clarity and awareness, wholeness, or holistic resonance. Mantra is sometimes accompanied by the use of a mala, a circle of 108 beads with an extra guru bead which is often offset and larger than the rest. This is so the fingers can find it when eyes are closed reciting the mantra. Some malas have a different shaped bead every 27th bead as a guide to where you are in the cycle. A mantra is said for each bead. Fingering the beads while chanting a mantra, either silently or vocally, helps to keep a steady rhythm and thus control and slow breathing.
When we realize the power that sound has in the universe, then it follows that this practice is a wonderful tool for healing when unleashed with intent into our consciousness.
Although we are probably most familiar with Sanskrit mantras, sacred words exist in many languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and other languages. Your own name is a wonderful mantra (see Vitamin N).
Using mantra takes us from the outside world, to our inner awareness and deep into the subtle layers of the mind. When we engage with our inner world, far from contracting, we can experience a vast openness and clarity. Our perception has far more room in this great inner space, than in the thought clogged thoroughfares of our external consciousness in daily life.
WAYS TO TAKE VITAMIN M
MANTRA
When you decide to spend time working with a mantra, preparation will bring great reward.
Take time to go into a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and there is not background noise. If you want to be vocal and chant, you need free airways, so standing is ideal, or sitting with erect spine to allow the abdomen to expand. Center yourself by taking some long, slow breaths and exhaling fully. Think about your intention. What do you hope to achieve?
Before making any vocal sound, focus on the sound you wish to produce. It might be spoken, chanted on one note, or it may be a more complex mantra with a tune. Hear it inside you. Allow the intent to fill you, pushing away outside interference.
Starting chanting silently. When you are ready, after thirty seconds or so, you may begin to vocalize the mantra. When you have finished, diminish the mantra to internal. Finally, release the chant, rest, and maintain silence for at least a minute. It is preferable to spend double the time in silence at the end than you did in the beginning. When working with vibration and sound, much of the healing takes place once the resonance has died away and the effect is internalized (Vitamin S, silence). This is also true of tuning forks (see Vitamin F).
Which mantra to choose? We have already met one of the major and most popular mantras, Om Mani Padme Hum under Vitamin C, chanting. If you have found some proficiency in working with breath (vitamin B) and toning on a single note for chakra tuning (vitamin C), you may feel it is time to intake some of the more complex mantras.
A mantra is a much more complex concept than a mere chant because it is a tool to unite sound, body, mind and soul in a deeply philosophical or spiritual experience.
There are a great many to choose from. Below I have picked three mantras which are among my favorites and hold powerful transformational possibilities. In your preparation you could choose to dedicate your mantra to a situation in the world. Never think you are too small to make a difference. You are far more powerful than you think.
• “M”
• MANTRA
• MUSIC
“M”
M is the supreme consonant. Humming “M” is the antidote to anxiety. M is the sound of yourself. M draws you inward to the point of inner peace. M is the opposite of ego. Humming is especially useful if you are “shamed” about your voice and find singing or chanting challenging to try. Internationally renowned sound healers Jonathan and Andi Goldman have recently written an entire book on humming: The Humming Effect, in which they explore the science behind the many spiritual and therapeutic effects of this self-administered therapy. Ritually, the sound of humming, MMMM is found at the end of OM, AMEN, and many of the other sacred seed syllables (see Vitamin V - vowels). We even make a humming sound when we make a discovery or find ourselves in agreement with another’s statement. It is a life-affirming sound.
MANTRA
Mantra is a Sanskrit word which means: “that which protects and purifies the mind”. It can be more simply translated as: “man” = mind and “tra” = tool. Mind is intended in the broadest sense of thoughts, and the emotions associated with them.
The sacred sound of the mantra contains “seeds” (bija syllables in Sanskrit - see Vitamin V: Vowels). These syllables, when repeated, take seed in the mind and act as a catalyst for change.
Mantras can be vocal or mental. Whereas chanting eventually requires vocal engagement, a mantra is designed to work internally as much as externally. When done inwardly, with just the mind, no note or tone is necessary, just a steady rhythm. This is a useful practice to cultivate as it can be called upon at any time and in any situation to gain calm, balance, and objectivity, especially if our thoughts and emotions are running away with us.
Mantra can be described as sound forms of the consciousness--or divine if you prefer that term. All the major wisdom traditions speak of this. They teach that the power of mantra, if used regularly over time, will take you into clarity and awareness, wholeness, or holistic resonance. Mantra is sometimes accompanied by the use of a mala, a circle of 108 beads with an extra guru bead which is often offset and larger than the rest. This is so the fingers can find it when eyes are closed reciting the mantra. Some malas have a different shaped bead every 27th bead as a guide to where you are in the cycle. A mantra is said for each bead. Fingering the beads while chanting a mantra, either silently or vocally, helps to keep a steady rhythm and thus control and slow breathing.
When we realize the power that sound has in the universe, then it follows that this practice is a wonderful tool for healing when unleashed with intent into our consciousness.
Although we are probably most familiar with Sanskrit mantras, sacred words exist in many languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and other languages. Your own name is a wonderful mantra (see Vitamin N).
Using mantra takes us from the outside world, to our inner awareness and deep into the subtle layers of the mind. When we engage with our inner world, far from contracting, we can experience a vast openness and clarity. Our perception has far more room in this great inner space, than in the thought clogged thoroughfares of our external consciousness in daily life.
WAYS TO TAKE VITAMIN M
MANTRA
When you decide to spend time working with a mantra, preparation will bring great reward.
Take time to go into a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and there is not background noise. If you want to be vocal and chant, you need free airways, so standing is ideal, or sitting with erect spine to allow the abdomen to expand. Center yourself by taking some long, slow breaths and exhaling fully. Think about your intention. What do you hope to achieve?
Before making any vocal sound, focus on the sound you wish to produce. It might be spoken, chanted on one note, or it may be a more complex mantra with a tune. Hear it inside you. Allow the intent to fill you, pushing away outside interference.
Starting chanting silently. When you are ready, after thirty seconds or so, you may begin to vocalize the mantra. When you have finished, diminish the mantra to internal. Finally, release the chant, rest, and maintain silence for at least a minute. It is preferable to spend double the time in silence at the end than you did in the beginning. When working with vibration and sound, much of the healing takes place once the resonance has died away and the effect is internalized (Vitamin S, silence). This is also true of tuning forks (see Vitamin F).
Which mantra to choose? We have already met one of the major and most popular mantras, Om Mani Padme Hum under Vitamin C, chanting. If you have found some proficiency in working with breath (vitamin B) and toning on a single note for chakra tuning (vitamin C), you may feel it is time to intake some of the more complex mantras.
A mantra is a much more complex concept than a mere chant because it is a tool to unite sound, body, mind and soul in a deeply philosophical or spiritual experience.
There are a great many to choose from. Below I have picked three mantras which are among my favorites and hold powerful transformational possibilities. In your preparation you could choose to dedicate your mantra to a situation in the world. Never think you are too small to make a difference. You are far more powerful than you think.
Product Details
- Publisher: Healing Arts Press (November 17, 2020)
- Length: 176 pages
- ISBN13: 9781644111628
Raves and Reviews
“An easy-to-read, easy-to-follow book with a multitude of top tips on how to use sound and other techniques to gain a greater inner understanding of the Universal Self, where all things are created equal. This book gives ways in which simple changes can be made in one’s life for optimum effect on health and well-being. It can act as a memory aid when using the daily sound vitamins for a happy and fulfilling life.”
– Debbi Walker, founder of Suara Sound Academy
“A clear, comprehensive study of the miracle of sound. Well researched and easy to read and to experience directly.”
– Tim Wheater, award-winning composer, flautist, vocalist, performer, and public speaker
“Erica fills in the gaps in our understanding of how sound can heal and change us. Plain and easy to understand, it’s a pleasure to read.”
– Mark Swan, gong master
“Like the resonance of ancient Sona given as a gift from the Divine, indented into the stone walls of great temples by the voices of the priests and priestesses, Erica has crafted a fascinating sculpture of sound in Vibrational Sound Healing. May this sonic healing resonate deep within our souls forever!”
– Stewart Pearce, master of voice and sound alchemist
"The author explains how to use different sound healing methods and offers instructions both for self-treatment and as preparation if you go see a sound therapist. She reveals how each of us has a sound healing tool at our disposal--our own voice--and provides simple practices and exercises such as humming, vowel toning, and affirmations that you can begin using right away for self-healing. She also explores the power of silence and how even our inner vibrations--thoughts and intentions--affect us sonically and can be used for vibrational healing. Offering a natural way to treat pain and illness, this guide gives you the tools to connect with your inner healer, restore balance and harmony, and harness the power of vibration for sound health."
– Creations Magazine
"It wasn’t until I received a few sessions with a friend, Pia States, that I realized experientially what vibrational sound healing was about. So reading this book on that process brought everything into focus for me and what that experience was about. An excellent way to connect to your own healing powers also. This is a great companion to the audio version available on Audio Books. This is what happens when science catches up with new age practices."
– Dhara Lemos, Lotus Guide
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