Some days there’s so much noise around me I think I’m going to lose my mind. Noise from thoughts, caterwauling from the kids, traffic, horns, sirens, TV, radio and so on. Some days I long for silence; to retreat into an inner sanctum, where there’s respite from the onslaught of the world. Meditation helps, and so does playing the violin. Sometimes I long to hear the sound of your voice. But sometimes only silence will do…
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
The sound of silence, substrate of creation…
Noise of nothingness filling, expanding senses,
Priming them to detect violent vibrations,
Scales of dainty decibels, sonorous caresses.
Listen well; distinguish subtle intonations,
Auditory input on waves of turbulent air,
A tendency to love pulsing impressions,
Emanating forth, emulating, wishing to share…
Silence surrounds; the base note of existence…
Without that peace, would I appreciate sound?
Lilting of inner voice, harmony not dissonance,
A palette on which to speak, sing and listen is profound.
Silence: a constant companion, blank canvas for music,
The space between notes, said Claude Debussy,
Clasping violin, I perform my favourite acoustic,
Exploring the infinite waters of a fathomless sea.
Sounds can nourish – biting into crunchy apple,
Or jangle cells, like long finger nails on a blackboard,
The terrifying cacophony of war, sound of battle,
Some are sweet, like a lover’s kiss, desired, adored.
Some are jolting, startling – a sudden, strident scream,
Soft tears of God; comforting, steady rain drops,
Splashing onto Earth, in relentless, rhythmic stream,
Solace for my soul, time to ponder, until it stops.
Sounds carry me to exotic, far flung places,
Where turbulent waves crash over distant lands,
Creatures howl and cry, endless echoes, many faces,
Inaudible grains of sand slip through my hands.
Floating on a breeze, flowers whisper the joy of scent,
Icy, cruel winds have their own sharp language,
Thunder fulminates across quivering landscapes, spent,
Hear my heartbeat; primordial thud – free from anguish.
Life force emanates from all that is – eternal silence,
Out of the divine shroud a rustle, a breath: quiet, loud,
Familiar sounds bond to heart, enable resilience,
Earth’s endless maelstrom, amorphous as clouds.
Energy fields to immerse in, align with…
No tone goes unheard by the universe,
Flight – the whirring of gossamer wings will give,
A soprano’s broken heart, on an audience does disperse.
Silence sets the stage, from birth to old age,
In-tune with tranquil Self, absorb oscillations,
To travel down memory lane, from same page,
Exulting in emotions of pitch and modulation.
Healing human wounds, retreating back to source,
Stillness resides there, diaphanous spark of essence,
We all need a little TLC now and then, and my dear friend Laurelle Rond, a highly gifted lady who is probably the most talented, knowledgeable, kind and wise person I’ve ever had the privilege to know, was on hand to provide it.
Laurelle Rondbegan her career as a musician, singer and writer. She has developed a unique method of healing and self-discovery using sound, voice therapy and story work. With forty years of experience as a teacher and healer, she is also a published novelist and has recordedtwelve CDs.
Laurelle runs meditation classes, has a private practice as a sound therapist and vocal coach and runs self-discovery workshops.
I was coming apart at the seams emotionally and Laurelle put me back together again. Literally!
Not in a physical Humpty-Dumpty way, but in an energetic way.
Quantum Physics states that our bodies are a constantly vibrating mass of atoms at the sub-atomic level. The nuts and bolts of our physical make-up are the exact same ingredients that constitute the entire universe: we are literally one with the substrate of all that is! We are as amazing as the stars and planets that we stare up in awe at on a clear night.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form, and on that basis we are as eternal and immortal as the cosmos.
However, if our energy is knocked out of balance it can become stagnant, which is when health issues can arise. Emotional and childhood trauma, stress, childbirth and all manner of events can splinter our main energy point, so that it hampers energy from travelling effectively through our Chakra system.
Perhaps I should explain, what Laurelle did for me was to bring my energy vortex back into wholeness by re-aligning my assemblage point.
The assemblage point is the epicentre of the body’s energy field, which lies roughly in the centre of the chest.
What is an assemblage point?
I didn’t really know what to expect, and I’d like to say I came away fully re-charged, but apparently my reaction was a good one! I’ll not keep you guessing any longer…
Assemblage Point re-alignment
When I arrived Laurelle greeted me with her usual warm smile and we chatted in a safe environment for a bit about my childhood and current situation. It seemed my visit was well timed; a particularly traumatic event from my early childhood had been triggered. After a decade of meditation I thought I had cleared most things, but this was sitting heavy on my chest, causing some issues with my lungs and voice.
There is a tendency to bury traumatic feelings and beliefs that arise in early childhood as they are too painful to deal with at the time. However they can get buried deep in the psyche and we become unconscious of them. I had abandonment issues, which manifested in a very emotional reaction when I told Laurelle about my experience as a six year old girl.
In my mind’s eye I saw my younger self as she sat at a window watching her father walk down the path, away from their home, feeling like she was at fault and that she must have done something very wrong. She hadn’t meant to upset her dad. Her world was crashing in on her in that moment, she knew she would never live with him again.
I hadn’t even thought about it for a very long time, yet it affected me very profoundly when I spoke of it in a loving, non-judgmental environment. Then Laurelle took me through to her sound therapy room.
The curtains had been drawn. I settled in repose on her extremely comfortable treatment couch and she pulled a soft blanket over me. I was told I could relax and it was fine if I fell asleep, but that she would need to gently wake me at a certain point in the treatment when she would ask me to do an energy lock so that she could align my Assemblage Point.
Planetary Tuning Forks
It was quiet for a second as I lay there, eyes closed, ready for Laurelle to work her magic. And work it she did. I soon became aware of different sounds passing around me. They seemed unintrusive and comforting, they calmed my overactive mind.
I remember hearing what sounded like beads shaking, tuning forks, Himalayan bowls, crystal bowls and Laurelle’s beautiful, pure voice.
All the while my eyes remained closed as the sounds infiltrated my whole being.
Laurelle placed a crystal on my chest and I gradually felt the area warm up until after a few minutes my whole upper body seemed to be radiating intense heat. It was a very welcoming sensation! I had no control over my body or my mind at this point; I was in Laurelle’s capable and caring hands!
I was then told to tighten my muscles as Laurelle had explained to me at the beginning, which I did for a few seconds, after which I was able to return to my deeply relaxed state. More pleasant sounds passed through me, I was enjoying the way the healing vibrations were affecting me.
Afterwards Laurelle left me all cosy and sleepy. It took me a few minutes to re-focus my eyes when I opened them, I didn’t want to move, I felt so calm…
Eventually I rose and sat with Laurelle in her lounge. It was at this point something very strange happened to me. The all-encompassing warmth that had filled me dissipated and I started shivering slightly. Quite quickly the trembling progressed and before I knew it I was shaking uncontrollably all over. Laurelle pulled a fleece blanket round me and we sat together quietly as my body did its thing. My mind was empty while my body felt like it was in overdrive. This went on for about ten minutes.
Laurelle explained that this was my body’s way of releasing pent up trauma; a natural, physical reaction that was both healthy and normal and that I should let it run its course. I had a drink of water and Laurelle told me I would feel tired for about 48 hours.
I spent a few hours snuggled under my duvet that afternoon and slept like a baby. Gradually over the weekend the heaviness I felt in my chest and limbs disappeared and my physical, mental and spiritual flow returned. As I write this post I’m feeling fully restored and firing on all cylinders again!
I’ll definitely be going back for a ‘tune up’. It was an incredible experience that is hard to put into words. It affects you at a fundamental level and regardless of what’s going on in your mind your cells respond…
I admire Laurelle on so many levels, as a human being, as a teacher, as a musician and healer. She understands me. What more can anyone ask of a therapist and friend?
If you live in the Home Counties area, do get in touch with Laurelle and give it a try. I guarantee you it will be one of the most worthwhile experiences you will ever have – completely life changing.
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” ~ Nikola Tesla
I hope to furnish you with some sound advice in this post!
I recently learnt that every atom, cell and organ of our bodies generates its own electromagnetic field, a set of specific vibrational frequencies unique to each organ, so it could be said that your entire being is resonating like a kind of biological orchestra.
Humans have evolved on our home planet over millennia, and as such, our bodies function best in a vibratory environment ranging from 7.813Hz (cycles per second) to around 40 Hz, the sound signature of Earth. Yes, our planet sings too, and this frequency range is known as the Schumann Resonance.
At any given moment about 2,000 thunderstorms roll over Earth, producing some 50 flashes of lightning every second. Each lightning burst creates electromagnetic waves that begin to circle around Earth captured between Earth’s surface and a boundary about 60 miles up. Some of the waves – if they have just the right wavelength – combine, increasing in strength, to create a repeating atmospheric heartbeat known as Schumann resonance.
NASA are now exploring sound and light therapy to assist astronauts with bone loss due to prolonged time in a zero gravity environment, as well as a raft of other healing applications.
The whole universe is a cosmological symphony! Quantum physics tells us that everything is made up of energy, and that energy has varying frequencies. Light and sound waves are interchangeable energies, meaning physical, mental and emotional imbalances can be healed and re-harmonised using sound, light and colour to heal us at a cellular level.
“Concerning matter, we have been all wrong. What we have called matter is energy, whose vibration has been so lowered as to be perceptible to the senses. There is no matter.” ~ Albert Einstein
Sacred Sounds
I recently met an amazing lady who opened me up to a whole new world: one of pure resonance. As a practitioner of Sound Therapy she explained to me how sound affects every area of our life. She also taught me about the remarkable healing power of the human voice.
The voices of ancient Gregorian Chant were said to utilise ancient sounds known as the Solfeggio Scale, which consisted of 6 sacred tones: Ut – Re – Mi – Fa – Sol – La.
It’s a fascinating subject, and I found a great website that explains all about the Solfeggio Scale and its origins with the medieval monk, Guido d’Arezzo. The syllables of the scale were taken from the first of each Latin Stanza of the hymn written by Benedictine, Paulus Diaconus.
The Hymn to St. John The Baptist, Ut Qeant Laxis:
Tuning & Temperament
The whole subject of tuning seems to be quite complex, and probably worthy of a separate post. I thought it would be good to provide a flavour of the issues and some links and videos to explain something I don’t fully understand. From what I can gather it boils down to harmony, and what sounds better to the ear and the soul, but there’s lots of maths behind it. Stay tuned!!
This is the third tone in the Solfeggio Scale, said to be the ‘miracle’ (Mi) note, associated with DNA repair. In standard western tuning of A-440 Hz the closest one can get is C (above middle C) which equates to 512Hz.
The A-432Hz vs. A-440Hz Debate
In reading up about the Solfeggio scale it became apparent that many believe the standard western tuning of A-440Hz to be in dissonance with these original frequencies. Apparently Mozart and Verdi, going right back to the ancient Egyptians used 432Hz tuning. Baroque tuning was around 415Hz. It was never an exact science as the technology to ascertain the exact pitch was not invented in those days so they used their ears and rudimentary tuning forks, which were invented in 1711.
Even the so called modern standard concert pitch of A-440Hz varies around the world. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic are known to tune their pitch to A-442Hz, and classical German and Austrian orchestras (as well as some other continental European orchestras), tune up to A-443Hz.
Here is Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV 550 played in A-432 tuning, see what you think:
Milton Mermikides puts forward a very balanced and comprehensive article concerning the pitch debate.
Just Intonation (JI) and 12 Tone Equal Temperament
This is a fairly complex subject. I don’t want to bamboozle you (because it certainly made my head spin when I investigated these historical methods of intonation – including Pythagorean), so I think it’s better to provide some links by people who really know what they are talking about and a couple of videos to put the points across. Just Intonation explained by Kyle Gann.
Tuning Theory, Just Intonation:
Goeyvaerts Trio about ‘just Intonation’ in Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater:
The difference in sound and aesthetics is undeniable. Personally, I found JI imbued the music with a spiritual quality, and I felt peaceful when listening..
Eben Goresko isn’t the best pianist, but he does an interesting presentation showing how classical repertoire sounds when performed with historical tunings. Musical excerpts and demonstrations of Equal Temperament classical piano compositions performed in Well and Modified Meantone Temperaments:
“If you only knew the magnificence of the 3, 6 and 9, then you would have a key to the universe.” ~ Nikola Tesla
Sound Therapy
Sound therapy works in a similar vein to meditation in that it utilises the law of entrainment. Groups of women living together will notice that over time their menstrual cycles will start to synchronise, just as our internal body systems fall into synchronised rhythms. Even our biological clock seems to fall in line with the rhythm of the Earth relative to the sun, so that we become attuned to our environment.
Have you ever noticed when two people walk together for a while will fall into step with each other?
Entrainment was first discovered in 1665 by Dutch scientist and mathematician, Christiaan Huygens, when he performed an experiment with a room full of pendulum clocks. He set them up one by one, and when he returned the next day he found that their pendulums were swaying in synchronisation. From this experiment he surmised that closely related rhythmic cycles synchronise to conserve energy.
The phenomena of entrainment means that any energy systems (whether it be biological, electrical, musical, geographical, meterological etc. will entrain if exposed to each other for long enough.
There are two main types of treatment, sonic and non-sonic. Sonic treatment involves the use of Himalayan bowls (Tibetan singing bowls), gongs and crystal bowls which produce sine waves. They give off pure sound. These act as tuning key for the Chakras along with the human voice in the form of mantras.
The non-sonic treatment involves the use of specialist tuning forks, and can be directed towards subconscious reprogramming as well as physical healing.
Sound and light therapy is used to heal a variety of physical and emotional conditions, such as arthritis, cancer, etc. and can act as an energiser, to help provide motivation for giving up smoking and other self-sabotaging habits. Disease can occur when our subtle energies are blocked. Emotional problems, stress, anxiety, pollution and poor nutrition can all contribute to lower energy, and this manifests eventually as physical ailments.
In my opinion energy medicine should not be considered ‘alternative’, it should be considered ‘mainstream’.
“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” ~ Nikola Tesla
Sound Phenomena
The phenomenon of Sonoluminescence occurs when sound is applied to a bubble in liquid which can produce a bright light. The theory is that the collapsing bubble generates an imploding shock wave that compresses and heats the gas at the centre of the bubble to create an intensely high temperature.
Cymatics is the process of visualising sound. Sound affects matter. A short TED talk that explains what it is and how it used:
A cool visual demonstration of Cymatics. Science Vs. Music by Nigel Stanford:
We have all experienced how a beautiful piece of classical music or opera can induce an emotional response: tears, euphoria, calmness and dreaminess at the top end of the scale (excuse the pun!) down to agitation, anxiety and fear from loud, harsh and dissonant noises. Sound and music also have a very powerful link to memory as well as mood.
I wonder if the origin of the phrase, “I slept soundly,” is some kind of subconscious reference to our bodies vibrating in a state of perfect harmony or a link to the divine. That feeling of total rejuvenation and refreshment…
The sound of one of my children crying or screaming puts me on edge like nothing else can. It seems crazy to wake to the sound of a jarring alarm clock, just as it’s incredibly comforting lying down and listening to the sound of rain drops on a window pane. For me, nature provides her own beautiful music.
There’s something magical about the sound of birds singing, the swoosh of the ocean as waves crash onto a beach, or the rumble of pebbles as the waves recede and pull them back into the foamy water. Nature’s sounds can be both violent and gentle. Thunder still has the power to startle me, just as the soft swish and sway of leaves on branches bending in the wind are quite hypnotic. It’s wonderful to sit in a garden with the sweet scent of honeysuckle carrying on a breeze as the bees buzz around you. Being outdoors can have such an energising effect on us.
From a human perspective I love how contagious laughter is. Sound affects us in every area of our lives. We are literally wired for sound!
I hope you find your frequency…
“There is in souls a sympathy with sounds:
And as the mind is pitch’d the ear is pleased
With melting airs, or martial, brisk or grave;
Some chord in unison with what we hear
Is touch’d within us, and the heart replies.” ~ William Cowper
rhap.so.dy in words 