Sound is a denser vibration of consciousness in the universe: next comes light. Sound came into creation and form in the universe after “conception”. Vibration exploded and matter took the form that we know of as sound. “ Spiritual dreamer Anna
When we think of sound – singing, noise, speaking, nature sounds come most easily to mind. As part of my thesis to become a reiki master I am studying sound. This choice was decided for me through my teacher’s meditation with the ascended reiki masters. Upon hearing this I was miffed because my previous teacher had also suggested that I should be working with sound / vibration for a living. This narrow perspective of my skills annoyed me. So upon receiving the “sound” news a second time from a different teacher I began to consider what it might mean for me.
When I began to work with the assignment I thought of sound only as singing. I experimented both with singing and making different sounds ahh, ooh, o, and ee. I watched to see where they vibrated in the body. Gradually, I became aware of more subtle sound/vibrations: the importance of words, speech, thoughts, actions, and the very subtle vibrations or sounds stored in tissues of the physical and emotional bodies. This corresponds with the sutras on thought, word and deed.
Some people are very uncomfortable about making sound outside of speech unless they were reared in a sound-filled home. In the womb, sound is present. Heartbeat, digestive noises, blood pulsing. The fetus is accustomed to these vibrations before birth and during development. When a person is deprived of sound in early life or not given permission to create sound they are shut down at some level. They become a less vibrational being. Also due to social pressures or abuse, a person can be deprived of their voice – the right to speak their perceptions and discernments – what we each call “truth.” This causes imbalances both excessive and /or deficient functioning in the vishudda (5 th chakra). Using the voice, therefore, can open up and balance this center. I have witnessed the healing nature of sound through aboriginal singing and drumming circles. I brought my ceremonial drum today to share with you an example of this type of singing.
Sound/vibration is present even when we are quiet. There is the sound of the physical inner body but there is also the sound of another vibration beneath that, the prana or life-force energy that connects us Atman and Brahman. At all times, we are connected to the universal life force through this undercurrent of prana.
I have been privileged to see prana. When my mother died I was at her bedside giving her reiki. I witnessed the life force leaving her body in two places: one at the throat and another at the navel. I wondered how this could be until I read about Udana vayu in yogic writings. This secret had been revealed.
Each chakra resonates to a particular frequency – some slower, some faster. The seed sounds assist to tune and cleanse the chakras. When we use these mantras like lam, vam, ram, yam, ham, we stimulate and open the chakras. We jiggle free the impurities lodged there and provide space for vibration. Singing balances the heart, throat and mind. Spiritual singing, with few or no words, is even better. When we make thoughts we create vibrations of the mind with intention attached to them. As the sutras say – some words have their “own climate” due to the ancestry associated with the word. Moods are changed by words like war and love. For this reason we need to be very mindful of our thoughts and words everyday, as well as, our use of ideation and visual imagery.
Sound is also a way in which we express or translate our inner world to our outer world (each other). Babies express this very simply at their first breath. We are all very happy to hear the baby reaching out and communicating with the outer world. Emotions are inner vibrations that need to move to outer awareness: sometimes from unconscious to subconscious then to conscious awareness. For this reason there are no bad emotions – this is duality thinking.
I became aware of my connection to sound through learning to play the violin. Before this I had chosen to be born into a musical family and immerse myself into the musical vibration daily ballet class for 20 years. This attraction to sound was at first unconscious. Conscious awareness came after 5 years of daily vibration with the violin. (Slow learner. It is interesting to note that 20 years of listening to sound didn’t bring this awareness but instead needed the first hand – direct vibration into the bones of the body.) (Making Ohm sounds does this.)
I realized that I did not feel “well” without my connection to the instrument and its vibration. I was acutely aware of changes in the instrument from weather and physical and emotional climates. I was acutely aware of feeling a part of me removed when I could not express my vibration through the sound of the violin.
My introduction to the next step of vibration came when I was lead to reiki. Reiki is a healing vibration of the universe with a certain signature or frequency. When we are initiated to reiki 1 st degree, we are tuned to receive and transmit this vibration – like a clearer channel on a radio. Our experience with this vibration improves directly to the amount of practice we do, as well as, the purity of our intention.
Every being has an energy signature . Our energy signatures are so strong that we leave echoes of them behind us at the office, in our beds, favorite chairs, etc. As energy workers we can feel these vibrations in an empty room and are sometimes asked to clean the space. Energy signatures are more or less dense/heavy depending on your diet, karma, etc.
Today I realize in a much fuller way that I am a vibrational being who seeks to be closer to the universal vibration. Sometimes I am painfully aware of this and feel an emptiness and separation. Most of the time, however, I understand that I am here to learn, do work and complete my original instructions as I agreed.
In 2005, when I was guided to take 200 hours of yogi training I thought my guides were very confused. I could not see how becoming a yoga teacher was a need and not a want for my soul. I did, however, realize that I was about to integrate information that I have received through meditations over the past six years and shore up the weak physical part of my personal medicine wheel. I feel grateful to have received that exposure, and especially the more subtle vibrations of the mantras and prana aspects of the practice. For me trusting in this guidance and going through with it has shown that some vibrations are subtler but the universal energy will guide us if we trust and listen.
I received this meditation on the sixth day of my yogi training in 2005. I believe it came in early to help validate that information is always available from our higher selves and we can ask for it anytime.
References: Oral Reiki Teachings, Bhagavad-Gita, How to Know God