Sound and Mantras can be used to help stay calm and reduce stress levels.
In these times of uncertainty created by that the current pandemic, it is of upmost importance to take responsibility for our own health and wellbeing. With meditation and yoga centres closed it will perhaps be harder to maintain the level we are used to.
Each day we are bombarded with new, often disturbing information which can fill us with panic and fear leaving us wondering how we can stay safe.
Our thoughts and emotions and those of the collective have a huge effect on our energy systems, and consequently the knock down has a huge effect on our bodies. A healthy energy system equates to a healthy strong physical system.
Fear and panic produce hormones like adrenaline and cortisol which after time are damaging our health and wellbeing. Too much prolonged stress, beside other effects ,can compromise our immune system. A healthy immune system is our best de-fence against Corona Virus or any other disease.
As a sound therapist I would suggest, on top of what you are already doing, to bring sound into your life.
From listening to calming music, being outdoors and absorbing the sounds of nature, to utilising the most powerful healing tool you have; Your Voice!! These practises have been shown to reduce stress by stimulating the production of our feel good hormones and strengthening our immune system.
There are a couple of exercises you can try using your voice.Each chakra, or energy centre, responds to a sound or frequency . You can actually sound this yourself, this assists via entrain-ment, to bring each centre into balance for a time.
The sounds of the main 7 chakras
BASE – UH
SACRAL – OH
SOLAR PLEXUS – OOO
HEART – AH
THROAT – EYE
BROW – AYE
CROWN – EEE
To sound, you need to deep belly breathe for a few minutes, you need a good lung full of air to get the maximum sound.
Once you feel practised at the deep belly breathing, you take a deep breathe in through your nose then you sound as you breathe out until out of air, then after a deep in breath you sound again. Run through each chakra sound and repeat as many times as you feel necessary.
Another easy exercise is sounding AUM. Aum is a sound which has been shown in studies to have a beneficial effect on the mind and body. In 2011, a study on the effects of chanting AUM, found that it had a strengthening effect on the Vagus nerve: high vagal tone is crucial to resiliency and our ability to handle stress.
The sound is pronounced AUM and sounds like AH OO MM
Again you sound on the outbreath after a good deep inbreath.
If you can take a few minutes each day to bring sound into your life, you will no doubt benefit and the balance that it can bring will assist you in navigating these difficult present and upcoming times.
by Miranda Munro 2020, from the Australian College of Sound Therapy – www.acst.net.au
