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November/December 2005 Alternative Health
The Healing Power of Sound

by Leslie O’Neill and Patrice Morency

Sound. Few things are so ubiquitous, so intimately woven into the fabric of our existence, and yet few of us truly understand the power and subtlety of sound. Our bodies are virtually a symphony of sound, with our heart beating, our pulse pounding, and the rhythm of our breath. Our cells vibrate constantly. Everything in the universe vibrates at a unique frequency. Quantum physics reveals that atoms, electrons and subatomic particles are actually oscillating energy, nodes of resonance and vibration.

Sound is an ancient healing tool used across cultures and through time to raise consciousness and to heal. Drumming, singing, chanting, tuning forks, singing bowls, and rattles have been healing body, mind and spirit for thousands of years. Tibetans, Indian Yogis, Australian Aboriginals, Native Americans and many others have used sound to heal and to connect more deeply with Spirit. Modern sound healers are applying sound in culturally independent ways.

The Power of Our Voice

For millennia, the human voice has been used for celebration, healing and connecting with Spirit. From the smallest whisper to exultant singing, our voices are the basic expression of who we are. It is through our voice that we experience the harmonic vibration of our essence. This most fundamental and familiar element of sound can be one of our most effective healing tools. The beauty of it is that it is something we all possess. Chanting, singing and toning (soft, resonant vowel sounds such as "ah" or "oo" with breath and intention) have tremendous capacity to reconcile disharmony, to break up blockages that create pain, dis-ease and depression, and to return our bodies to healthy vibrational levels. As Ayurvedic science explains, "the influence of the sound permeates the body and enlivens the self repair mechanism, bringing about balance."

Toning and overtoning (creating multiple layers of sound by changing the shape of the mouth and throat) can be directed inward or outward for healing. The role of intention is vital to this process. Jonathan Goldman writes in his book Healing Sounds, "It is not just the sound itself, but the intention carried on the sound waves that effects healing."

Masuro Emoto, in his landmark book Messages from Water, shows how water molecules are affected by thoughts and other influences such as music, conclusively demonstrating that thought (intention) and sound are powerful transformers of molecular structure.

Chris James, Sound Healer from Down Under

Australian born singer and sound healer Chris James teaches internationally about the power of sound, song and meditation. He has shown that discovering your natural voice is a major key to self-expression, empowerment and health. "Everyone is born with a beautiful voice," he says. Chris has been teaching for over 20 years and has gained additional skills from his remarkable life as professional musician, songwriter, martial arts exponent, transpersonal therapist, former monk and father. James comments "Often when one discovers their natural voice, they rediscover their ability to sing! And with the singing comes the freedom to express, to be heard. Discovering the incredible importance of singing is extraordinarily healing. When I’m teaching people, who then sing in a group for the first time, tears come, emotions flow, because there is a sense of returning."

Patrice Morency trained extensively with Chris James and personally experienced the transformative power of his work. She explains, "I met Chris after many years of strugglying to find my voice. I also suffered from exhaustion, low energy and low grade depression stemming from thyroid problems, which had not improved in ten years of conventional and alternative therapies. When my voice began to open in Chris’ class, I rapidly experienced profound healing."

After three years of regular daily toning, Patrice’s energy and vitality remain strong. "I received healing on a physical level, but I also began to feel more joyful in my life. He gave my heart a voice. The use of my voice has been a gateway to a sense of greater alignment and wholeness within. I am deeply grateful for the work Chris James does in the world: teaching people how to access the healing power of their own voice."

Patrice Morency is a sound healer in Portland, Oregon. Chris James will be visiting the Pacific Northwest In February 2006 presenting the Big Sing, a community gathering that loosens up body, soul and voice, and a 3-day workshop on Transformation through Sound. For more information go to soundwav@spiritone.com or www.ancientechoes.net