This is the second part of a short series on energy movement
In this strange but interesting channeled book, one of my favorite sections speaks to the primordial nature of sound:
“In the beginning, there was sound. Sound began the whole thing, and in sound resides tremendous power. It opens doorways to other realities, for with the production of sound, energy can move from one system to another. When you utilize sound, it is quite easy to bypass the logical mind, shifting the channel by intending and being clear.”
Barbara Marciniak
Before we can see, we experience our environment in utero through sound, and filtered through the interior sounds of our parent”s body. As adults our range of vision is limited by our eyes themselves and the movement capacity of our necks, and yet we can hear in all directions even behind us. I think about the elements, and how almost always the transfer of energy occurs with (or through??) sound, even if we can’t hear it. Lightening and thunder, earthquakes, rain as it meets the ground, ocean waves, food sizzling in a pan, steam and boiling water, a crackling fire, wind through the trees, the breath in our body, and our heartbeat… can you imagine any of these without sound?
The throat chakra as an energy center is best activated and working with through the use of our own voice, sound is the key to movement. Sound made in and with the body— toning, singing, chanting, speaking, humming, tapping, clapping, thumping, stomping, snapping, jumping, yelling, screaming, yawning, coughing, sneezing, digesting, I could go on— all signify the conscious and unconscious movement of energy. Music, of course, is so powerful because it allows us to feel this movement initiated by tone, rhythm, melody and sometimes words. The concept of entrainment offers ways to consciously use music and sound for this movement, beginning with something that aligns with our energy and gradually shifting it through shifting the music or sound. I love to make a playlist, or play an instrument myself to practice this.
Lately as I’ve been addressing some health issues, it’s striking that so much of the process has been initiated by and rooted in sound. It began with someone listening the inner topography of my arteries (in the throat no less) and further imaging created through sound (sonograms), and I had the interesting experience of hearing the amplified sound of the movement of my blood over hours in a single afternoon. Wild! (In case you’re about to send a concerned email, I am ok. I listened to my intuition and with an added bit of luck was able to catch this early enough to do something about it.)
Before visual art became a primary medium of expression for me, it was all about music. One of my fondest memories is the first big concert I attended, stadium size in a giant open field. Radiohead, the Kid A tour. After waiting in line for 6 hours and running full speed to the front of the stage, hand in hand with my best friend, we experienced the show with no one between us and the band. I remember feeling waves of energy coming off the the stage, passing through us in an almost psychedelic display of power and emotion. The way the wind and the music seemed to be communicating with each other, in a dance of playful movement. I felt completely transported, as if I was somehow beyond the confines of space and time. (I haven’t shared a playlist in a while, so I made one inspired by this moment)
All music feels spiritual to me, but I often use my intention to bring an energetic element to the experience of listening. I call in my guides when I’m at a concert or show waiting for the show to start. I tune into the energy of the audience and decide the nature of energetic boundaries I’d like to set. I invite a collaboration between my energy and that of the music, as if I could allow my personal energy to stretch beyond my body and ride the sound waves. And I allow the sound to move through my body interacting with my own energy.
When I use sound, whether live or recorded in my reiki and energy releasing groups I set the intention for the sound itself to carry the energy I’m channeling. I use the tone and sound of my breath and voice to project the energy (usually when I’m on mute in a virtual group 😅).
To attend a sound bath is one of my absolute favorite ways to meditate and channel, gong baths especially. As suggested by Lakshmi Scalise, I imagine my body like a giant ear experiencing the sound through the whole surface and depth. I think of the sound traveling through all the energetic layers of the body. Sometimes I do this with everyday sounds, taking those most intrusive to me and bringing curiosity. How can I welcome the sound as an unexpected collaborator inviting my attention to something? What is that something? The sudden appearance of a siren or construction sounds during an Energywork session starts to feel more like a mail drop or exclamation point than an interruption.
Practicing energy movement with sound can be well-planned and “spiritual,” and can be as spontaneous as exhaling with a sigh, or stomping your feet on the group in a moment of frustration (be aware of your energy if you’re around others, of course). My personal favorite practice that I can rarely recruit someone to do with me, is to go to a wide open space and scream at the top of your lungs with someone. Hold their hand and feel the shift of energy. It’s pretty incredible!
But maybe you’re looking for something a little more low key? You can join me and Alycia Scott for a blended sound and reiki bath this weekend, where you will be nurtured and restored as we hold space for you.
Inward Vision 