When I was in college, my Religion professor gave us his simple understanding of the human condition. He reached out and started picking objects off his desk (a piece of paper, a pen, etc.) and brought them to his chest letting them go. We watched them fall to the ground. “We are always seeing happiness as a thing outside of ourselves, as something we must go get and bring in to heal us.” Like anything in this life, objects and circumstances are fleeting. We can find enjoyment in things for a bit, but that is impermanent. We look to change situations outside of ourselves, or seek a cure for our unhappiness, and may get the temporary result we are looking for. The happiness we can so easily experience inside ourselves, becomes something we must achieve from outside of ourselves, with conditions in place. We must go seek specialists, make appointments, get the right equipment, have the right peaceful décor, be in the right clothes, eat the right food, have the right noise level in our environment, live in the right town, etc. In focusing upon our experiences of the world, we do not discover that the source of happiness is already within us, and so too the means to express it.
In Sound Healing, the tendency to look outside of ourself for happiness or healing can be seen in many ways. One way prevalent is the “frequency first” mindset. “Frequency first” is when a practitioner looks for a specific sound frequency for spiritual healing. Online, there is a great deal of discussion concerning the effect of different hz frequencies, and which to use, whether it be the Schuman’s Resonance, 432hz, 444hz, 136.1hz, 528hz, etc. The list goes on, and on, about which different frequencies reportedly help different aspect of our energetic being. The spiritual practitioner looks towards a specific material circumstance (the hz frequency) in order to activate the happiness or healing that is already within them in potential; and, this is not necessarily a bad thing. As a practitioner of sound and meditation, and one who gains livelihood off of selling instruments, I have spent years reflecting upon materialism in the sound healing community. I watch how people purchase things to heal themselves. It is my job; and, in no way are material things bad. It is not bad to enjoy a good meal, or to get help from a skilled therapist, nor seek aid from a doctor. The “things” of the world help in many ways in our journey of happiness. They may ease the body and the mind, bring joy, help to come into spaciousness, allow cathartic release, and even help to become better aware of mental behavior. In the morning at work, I sometimes sit in front of a large 36” Meinl Flower Of Life gong, and let the vibration of the gong wash over me. In times when my mind feels overburdened, the sound blows away the fog of the mind, and allows me to connect into spaciousness quickly and continuously. It readily allows me to deepen my meditation, or healing experience, as I engage with the sound of the gong conscientiously.
The path to consistent inner happiness though is not about what frequency you use, or what sound instrument you buy. The path to inner happiness does not need sound as a tool. The path to inner happiness is a direct path, of utilizing the faculties of intention and awareness within us. These are not things outside of ourself to achieve, but to actively utilize and practice skillfully in each moment. In looking towards what hz frequency or what instrument can heal us, we lose sight of this simpler more honest truth. Learning to skillfully maneuver within awareness, is done through practicing attentively, no matter what material circumstance is occurring. Through learning to utilize attention with skillful means, at any moment, to activate spaciousness and experience the joyful present, we gain a resilient peace and happiness. This is a clear composure of mind, that does not need any specific hz frequency or sound tool to realize or actualize.
Sound is a simple and powerful tool to enhance or magnify inner states. It is sometimes called a “quickener.” It can strengthen concentration, help cut through mental patterning, and help us bring forth and experience coherent states of awareness such as joy, or spaciousness. It can help ease, relax and soothe, and even sporadically induce a cathartic release of attachment. It is a tool that has been used by monks, and spiritual practitioners, for thousands of years all around the world to call upon Holy beings, and invoke different inner states. It can be a valuable tool in learning to navigate experience, and utilize our mental faculties to experience inner happiness. Sound is a tool to be used with respect. Let us use it as a great tool, though not overlook the simple faculties within needed to experience inner happiness, and authentic healing, with or without sound.
Instead of asking "Which frequency will heal me?", we believe a simpler and more fruitful inquiry is "What sounds do I like to listen to or enjoy?" With the first question, we are relying on the sound to heal; with the second question we are using the sound as support for our own healing process.
If you are looking for sounds to support your meditation and therapy, consider harmonies. Harmonics are two tones that come together in very simple mathematical relationship. Our ears/minds/brains actually hear the simplicity of the sound waves moving in harmony through space. It is a joyous and uplifted relationship that anyone in the world can hear as joyful. Using harmonies is a simple tool that can support feelings of inner coherence and wellbeing in a meditative practice. We have many harmonic tools, and harmonic sets of crystal bowls to choose from, and are happy to assist you in your choice.
Another simple choice, are binaurals. A binaural occurs when two tones that are very close together in hz value are played at the same time. A third oscillation, or third tone, is created that sounds like "wah-wah-wah-wah". The brain entrains to this, and then produces beneficial brainwave states such as theta or alpha, which are associated with deeper states of meditation and presence. We have binaurals available as tuning fork sets, metal bowl sets and crystal bowl sets. Learn more about binaurals here.
For any assistance, contact us, by email or phone, and speak to me, Zacciah or anyone on our team about using these instruments. We are happy to assist.
Jonathan Wood 7.14.21 (edited 12.14.23)
