In one of our previous blogs, we talked about the long history of sound healing practices in Qi Gong. Even before it became an important part of Qi Gong, humans have used a variety of sounds for processing emotions and transforming their internal energy state.
Over time, Qi Gong masters realized that certain sounds have a healing effect, both physically and emotionally. Through exploration, practitioners discovered a vast variety of sound healing exercises to address specific health conditions and ailments.
Since it’s Springtime, we decided to share a brief sound healing meditation to help relieve allergies and congestion. This blog post will also explain a bit more about various sound healing practices used in Qi Gong.
Sound healing is based on the understanding that certain sound vibrations affect certain parts of the mind and body. With each exhale, our being is influenced toward a certain energy state.
By learning about different natural sounds and how they correspond to our internal energy, we can use intentional practices to move and transform the Qi within us. Like Qi Gong, even just a few minutes of sound healing practices can have a dramatic effect on how we feel.
Also, like Qi Gong, there is both a physical and energetic component to sound healing.
The physical component is the vibrational frequency caused by the sound waves pulsing through the body. Even though sound vibrations may feel subtle, they can really affect the body on the cellular level.
Additionally, each sound vibration has energetic qualities that influence the state of Qi within the body. In other words, sound isn’t just a noise that we can hear. It is also a distinct kind of Qi that blends together with your internal energy. When you use sound in an intentional way, it can be very helpful for health and healing.
Over time, Qi Gong masters realized that sounds don’t just relate to energies within humans. Rather, each sound is also connected to a different energy and aspect of nature.
The Five Elements is a foundational cornerstone of Qi Gong in many ways, including for sound healing. Just as each Element corresponds with a different organ, each Element also has a specific healing sound. Together, these are known as the Six Healing Sounds (each Element has its own sounds and then the Triple Warmer is the sixth).
Although the Six Healing Sounds are the most widely known sounds for healing in Qi Gong, there are many others. By learning them, Qi Gong practitioners can gain invaluable tools for addressing numerous ailments that we all encounter.
This blog post isn’t long enough to cover all of the sound healing practices that exist in Qi Gong, but here is a guided sound healing meditation that is especially timely for the Spring season.
Like all of our meditations we share through blog posts, we recommend that you read through the meditation a couple of times before you begin.
Enjoy!
Sit or stand in a comfortable and relaxed position. Make sure you’re positioned upright with your shoulders slightly back so your lungs have room to expand as you breathe.
Once you’re comfortable, start to take slow, deep breaths. If you can, try to breathe through your nose as much as possible while your tongue rests on the roof of your mouth. If your nose is congested, it’s okay to breathe through your mouth also.
As you take deep breaths, notice what’s happening in your sinuses. If you’re feeling congested, try to pay attention to the physical sensations associated with that feeling.
Continue to breathe for a minute or two as your mind becomes more focused on your experience of breathing.
When you’re ready, take a deep inhale and then exhale slowly with your tongue still on the roof of your mouth. As you exhale, make an “Nnnn” sound as if you’re humming. You should experience a subtle vibration feeling on the roof of your mouth and in your nose.
Once you’re making the “Nnn” sound, try to move your tongue back and forth along the roof of your mouth to create changes in the vibration feeling. Think of this as an exploration of sound and vibration as you experiment with different tongue positions.
Some tongue positions will create vibrations in one part of your mouth, while others will create vibrations in others. Try to find the position that focuses the vibration on the nasal cavity where you’re experiencing congestion. For some people, this will happen when the tongue is on the roof of the mouth touching the back of your teeth.
When you’ve reached the bottom of your exhale as you’re making the “Nnnn” sound, inhale slowly through your nostrils and notice if your breathing feels any different.
Do at least three to six sets of the “Nnnn” sound. Of course, you can do a lot more if you’d like.
When you’re done with the “Nnn” sound, return to slow deep breathing through your nose. This time, imagine white light moving through your sinuses and nostrils as you breathe. With each breath, visualize the white light cleansing and clearing any stagnant energy still present in your sinuses.
After a couple of minutes, relax your focus and return to your day.
Here's a short video of Lee teaching the same exercise:
If you enjoyed this brief sound healing meditation and would like to learn more sound healing techniques directly from Lee, be sure to check out our on-demand workshop…
At Holden QiGong, we’re excited to be offering an on-demand Self-Healing with Sound workshop.
In this unique workshop, Lee teaches powerful sound healing practices designed to detoxify and cleanse the body. Each organ has its own needs, so Lee shares a vast variety of exercises for a full-body healing experience.
Unlike some other sound healing classes, this is not a passive workshop where you lay on the ground and let other people create sounds. Rather, this is designed to teach you how to be your own sound healer, so you can use these exercises whenever you want.
Because this is an on-demand workshop, you can enjoy it wherever and whenever you'd like. Click on the banner below to learn more about how Self-Healing with Sound can help you feel your best.
