The use of sacred sounds for healing dates back to ancient civilizations worldwide. From chanting and mantra in Eastern cultures to the shamanic songs of Icaro in the Amazon Rain Forest, The effects of sound have been used to balance the mind, calm emotional disturbances, and heal even on the cellular level. The earliest known culture to use sound healing was the Aboriginal people of Australia who play the didgeridoo to heal broken bones, muscle tears, and other illnesses. However, only recently has sound healing gained traction in the United States and it’s in great part thanks to the pioneering research of sound healers like Jonathan and Andi Goldman.
Jonathan Goldman first began his research into sound healing in the ‘80s, when the field was only beginning to gain popularity. Resources about the subject were limited to a few books and recordings. Today, after having worked a combined sixty years in the field, Jonathan and Andi Goldman report a noticeable shift.
“Now, we are seeing more and more people advocating the importance of sound to create positive shifts and changes in our body, mind, and spirit.”
Andi and Jonathan Goldman
The movement of sound healers has grown exponentially and in the below article, Andi and Jonathan Goldman share their knowledge and tools for creating sacred sounds and healing sounds.
Vibration and Sound
Everything in the universe is in a state of vibration. Every organ, bone, and tissue in our body is in a state of vibration. And, if it is putting out a vibration, it is creating a sound. When these vibrations are in harmony, we are healthy. Conversely, when we are out of harmony, difficulties emerge. In this way, sound serves as an extraordinary way of creating health, harmony, and balance for ourselves. We can learn to utilize sounds for ourselves as well as to serve others by creating balance and harmony in our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of being.
The Divine Name and the Pythagorean Sacred Ratio
One very powerful way to use sound for healing is to make certain sounds that resonate with our chakras, the etheric energy fields associated with our body. We work with the vowel sounds (considered sacred in many traditions) in order to do this. Some years ago, we discovered a sound we call “The Divine Name”; a universal sacred sound composed of harmonically related vowel sounds that go from the crown chakra down to the root chakra and then up again to the crown. When our chakras are aligned and in balance, this can stave off imbalances and ill health.
We also work with specially created tuning forks called “Pythagorean Sacred Ratio” tuning forks. This is a set of two tuning forks that vibrate at a ratio of 2:3—what is called ‘the Golden Mean’. The ratio of these tuning forks’ frequencies has the ability to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, aligning our energy field and literally bringing our entire neuro-muscular system into balance. We particularly like these tuning forks because they are simple to learn how to use, powerful, and easy to transport. Just put them in your pocket or a purse and you’ve got wonderful tools of transformation readily available.
The Humming Effect
Currently, the sound we use the most is one that we’ve been resonating with for a combined total of over 50 years. This is a sound that everyone can make and this sound is the hum.
Our most recent award-winning book, “The Humming Effect” has already helped bring the power of humming to the general public. Since the publication of this book, more and more teachers are incorporating humming into their work. On a physical level, humming causes the release of many beneficial hormones, including melatonin, nitric oxide, oxytocin, and others. It’s the fastest way that we’ve found of reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and a great way of releasing stress.
In addition, we developed a method of humming that we call “conscious humming”. This method incorporates our focus of intention on the sound we are making, coupled with deep breathing. Ultimately, this becomes an extremely powerful yogic technique known as Brahmari Pranayama. This is an extraordinary way of experiencing the transformation and therapeutic uses of sound. Humming is easily accessible, powerful, and a great way to open the world of sound healing to everyone!
From our perspective, every sound that heals is a sacred sound. Conversely, sounds that are sacred, are healing. When you open to the world of sound, you are literally enhancing and amplifying one of your primary senses. As this occurs, the way that you perceive reality becomes transformed. Through learning to use sound for healing, you are also altering the way that you perceive reality. It is life-changing and it is a blessing!
Written by: Andi and Jonathan Goldman
About the Teacher(s)
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Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman, LPC, M.A.
Jonathan is an international authority on sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. He has worked with masters of sound from both scientific and spiritual traditions and has been empowered by the Chant Master of the Dalai Lama’s Drepung Loseling Monastery to teach Tibetan Overtone Chanting. Jonathan is author of Healing Sounds: The… Read More