The Healing Power of Sound and Mantras by Sitara Sylvia Maldonado Sanación Sitara (787) 231-3918 sitaraom@gmail.com www.sanacionsitara.com https://www.facebook.com/sanacionsitara/
World religions have done it for centuries... The aboriginal cultures around the world do it Sound has been used for thousands of years as a healing tool and to connect us with God/Divinity, our Higher/Wise/Authentic Self/Supreme Being/Essence, the Great Spirit/I AM, or any other name you would like to give to that superior spiritual force. As with thought, sound is vibration. Every word we utter, every sound we emit, has an effect on consciousness. Both, thought and sound have the power to alter consciousness at a vibrational level. Almost all cultures, religions and spiritual traditions use some form of sacred sound to connect to the divine. The following quote comes from the Vedas, sacred scriptures of India: "In the beginning was Brahman (the creator) with whom was the word. And the word is Brahman." Here 'word' refers to sound and is a main component in creation. Very similar to the quote in the Gospel of John in the Christian Bible where it says "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." It is said that the sound that created the universe is the sound of Om, the primordial sound of the universe. There are several references in the Bible of the power of sound, including its use in razing down the walls of Jericho. In addition to spiritual traditions, the branch of science known as Cymatics has also demonstrated the relationship between sound, vibration, shape and matter in many ways. In different experiments vibration was applied to a thin sheet of metal with sand and sound was introduced into water, oil, dust or other things, producing forms and patterns that are often found in nature. In other words, the vibration brings order to a random collection of particles. Sanación Sitara Page 2
Sound Healing As human beings we are all on a healing journey. Whether a physical ailment, an emotional issue or mental problem, we are all experiencing challenges and are seeking harmony and balance at some level of our being. There are many ways to use sound positively for healing. Among them, the sound of the voice, overtone singing, quartz crystals singing bowls, Tibetan bowls and bells, the tuning fork, the didjeridoo, mantras, kirtan or devotional songs, music therapy, and even complex computer programs. All forms of sound therapy offer us the opportunity to entrain to the growing vibrations of the planet in these amazing times. The most important sound healing instrument we have is of very easy access to most of us, our own voice. When using our voice, the sounds we emanate resonate in our whole body. That s why it is so important that every word or sound we utter is conscious and in service of our higher selves. Singing benefits the health of our physical, subtle and spiritual bodies, including the functioning of our energy systems (chakras, meridians, aura, etc.) To sing we must take a deep breath. By filling our lungs with oxygen through inhalation we activate the heart chakra (energy center). Through exhalation we stimulate the vocal cords and create sound, activating the throat chakra. The act of singing automatically regulates breathing, and helps increase lung capacity improving the functioning of the respiratory system and making it an excellent breathing exercise. This is key to many forms of meditation. Singing is a powerful form of meditation that can help you invoke a deity, or get into a better state of consciousness. It has been used in many cultures throughout history, often in the form of chants and mantras. Sanación Sitara Page 3
Mantras According to Swami Sivananda Radha, the word Man translates as "think" and Tra as "protect or release from bondage of samsara or the world of phenomena." Mantra means "the thinking that liberates and protects." Mantras are among the most powerful sounds and vibrations in existence. A mantra is a word, syllable or series of syllables with an inherent meaning and emotional power, especially if repeated. Mantras are sacred formulas. They help calm and focus the mind and activate our latent spiritual energies. Each sound in a mantra has a natural vibrating quality that refers to aspects of the human condition. Ancient languages such as Hebrew and Sanskrit were built on this realization, so that the vibrational "meaning" of certain sounds contributed to the meaning of the words. Most mantras are in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the language of yoga. It is said to be the oldest language on earth, thousands of years, and the one that is most in harmony with the vibrations of the universe. It is said that the language of Sanskrit is a 'science of sound'. That means that when we say the word Namaha, which refers to bow to, we are vibrating the essence of that prostration. Whereas when we say the words I bow in English we are only connecting with the mental representation that we have created through language. Sanskrit mantras are probably the most systematized, the most sophisticated, and the ones most written about. Reciting Sanskrit mantras have a profound effect on our consciousness. It is a spiritual practice we can all do, regardless of our religious beliefs. There are root or seed mantras (bija mantra). For example, the sound of OM and the sounds of the chakras (energy centers along the spine). There are also mantras that refer to some name or aspect of God/Divinity, our Higher/Wise/Authentic Self/Supreme Being/Essence, the Great Spirit/I AM, or any other name you have for that superior spiritual force. The names of many Hindu deities are themselves mantras, so the vibrational quality of the name is related to the aspects of humanity / divinity embodied by the deity. For example, Krishna, Shiva, or Lakshmi. Sanación Sitara Page 4
Benefits of Mantras Studies have shown that reciting or chanting mantras can lead to many physical benefits, such as: More coherent and harmonious brain patterns Better communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain Stimulation of the immune system Increased lymphatic circulation Decreased heart rate and blood pressure Increased production of melatonin, interleukin-1, and other hormones and endorphins Purification of the nervous system Treatment of many disorders, such as eating, schizophrenia, hyperactivity, arthritis, Alzheimer's and others When they are sung, we also get all the benefits from singing mentioned above Mental / Emotional / Energetic and Spiritual Benefits: -The repetitive nature of the mantras are a form of meditation - Mantra Meditation - that calms the mind. -It s an effective and fun way to process and release negative emotions and thoughts. -When you recite them aloud, or sing them, you can feel the vibration in your throat and heart chakras o Opens the heart allowing us to feel more love, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness toward ourselves. From there it flows to others. o Stimulates the throat chakra. This frees the voice and helps to improve communication with others and to communicate the truth. -Provides a deep connection with our inner being: Love, Peace, Joy -Helps us tap into our creativity -When done in a group, it generates a powerful energetic vibration and has the ability to create a strong sense of community among participants. -Accompanied by strong and clear intentions, this practice has great potential to help in our quest for enlightenment, our healing. -Finally, it helps us to create positive change in our lives Swami Kripalu said that "mantra is the sum of all doctors and the real medicine for mankind." Sanación Sitara Page 5 Chanting
Chants or chanting are mantras, devotional prayers and affirmations which have been set to music. Many spiritual traditions and cultures around the world incorporate some form of "chanting" or devotional song. Kirtan The word kirtan is a Sanskrit word that means devotional song. Kirtan also refers to devotional songs that are done in a group and create a high energy vibration. Kirtan comes from the yoga tradition, are composed of mantras and are in Sanskrit. The origins can be traced back to India sometime between the X-XIV centuries. It is more ancient than hatha yoga (the practice of postures and breathing exercises). They have melody and rhythm. In traditional kirtan, musical instruments include the harmonium, which is like an accordion on the floor, tabla and/or mridanga (types of drums) and kartals (type of bell or cymbal). In the West we have incorporated the guitar, tambourine, drums, maracas and other instruments. Devotional chanting is a practice of bhakti yoga (yoga of devotion) and nada yoga (yoga of sound.) Bhakti Yoga activates the heart chakra or energy center helping us to feel more love and compassion for ourselves and others. Nada Yoga opens the throat chakra helping us to communicate better with others and to speak our truth. Kirtan is not a performance. It is participatory. The leader sings a mantra and others participate, either by joining as they learn them or repeating (call and response.) Participants can also clap along or dance to the rhythm of the music. The repetition, beauty of the melody, the rhythm - they all help to take the participant into a state of trance and helps mantras continue to reverberate very deep in the recesses of the mind for a long time. When a group is singing in unison, with a unified intention, the transformative power of vibration amplifies exponentially. Thomas Ashley-Farrand, a vedic priest and master of mantra, said that intoning mantras with others is so powerful that the benefit we receive is the square of the number of people who are present in the room. Sanación Sitara Page 6 According to many spiritual masters throughout history, the practice of kirtan is
considered the highest, fastest and easiest path to connect with the divine in this era. Many consider that it is one of the most joyous ways to connect with our inner being. Kirtan is my favorite spiritual practice, one that brings out my inner joy and gives me a great sense of wellbeing. It has been a powerful source of profound personal healing at the physical, emotional and mental levels. This practice has also been a gateway to some of the deepest connections I have ever experienced with my inner self. Kirtan in the West Although the practice of mantras and kirtan is thousands of years old, it s just recently becoming popular in the west. Musicians are incorporating mantras into their music and people are loving it. Now we can hear kirtan done not just with classical Indian music but also with latin, reggae, blues, folk, rock and other western rhythms. Chanting is quickly becoming the most popular form of sound healing in the world. For information about Sitara, visit www.sitaraom.com (English) or www.sanacionsitara.com (Spanish) Sanación Sitara Page 7