WOTC Extra – Benefits of Chanting

 

To understand the implications of sacred sounds a little better, consider the sounds that assail you every day. How does sound affect you? A honking horn will make you jump, for example, while the sounds of tinkling bells may inspire a smile. Through the use of sacred sounds, you massage your spirit with joyful noises that are uplifting and positive.

Dr. Alfred Tomatis developed a form of therapy that has been used in the United States and Europe to treat physical and psychological problems ranging from depression to autism. His techniques help patients improve their listening abilities and recapture the restful, sonic environment of the womb.

Chanting shifts consciousness because the vibration of sound has a measurable effect on the nervous system. Sound healers, including Colorado’s Jonathan Goldman, use sound to activate and balance the body’s energy centers, known as the chakras. Each chakra resonates with its own unique tone. Goldman says that the vowel sounds can be used as mantras to open up and “tune” the chakras, thereby enabling them to transmit harmonious, healing energy to the body.

“We can change our vibrational rate through our own self-generating sounds,” sound healer Jonathan Goldman believes. As individuals, we can use our voices to affect our own frequencies and energy levels. As a group, we can “adjust the planet to a new level of consciousness.”

Goldman recommends starting with the deepest “UH” sound you can make while focusing your attention on the root chakra, the energy center at the base of the spine. Then, at a slightly higher pitch, vocalize “OOO” and feel it vibrating in the sacral chakra. Next, direct the sound “OH” to the solar plexus. Continue moving up the body and the register, uttering “AH” in connection with the heart chakra. Let “EYE” resonate in the throat chakra, then “AYE” at the brow chakra or third eye, and finally “EEE” at the crown chakra.

The concept isn’t so strange, really. You’ve probably had the experience of feeling joyful, invigorated, and rejuvenated when singing your favorite music. Sound waves can be focused to produce a range of remarkable effects, from a singer shattering glass with a clear, high note to a doctor using ultrasound to break up kidney stones.

Even the universe sings. Many people describe having heard the voice of the earth as a low, resonating hum. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, the planets revolving in their orbits around the sun produce sounds that he called “the music of the spheres.” Perhaps by attuning themselves to these universal vibrations, human beings can create harmony on this planet.