Australian Yoga Journal – August 2019

20

august/september

2019

yogajournal.com.au

Sound therapy is yoga’s perfect partner writes Miranda Munro

WE TRIED IT

Om

PHOTO:

633989507/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The Sound of HEALING

YOGA AND SOUND HEALING are deeply

rooted in antiquity, dating back 10,000

years or perhaps more. Originally used

by Rishis, Shamans and priests they

were both sacred practices employed to

bring balance to mind, body and spirit.

Sound healing and yoga are intimately

connected by the sounding of “bija”, the

mystical “seed syllables” contained

within mantras.

In India, mantra in both yoga and

meditation were practised to help align

the energy systems of the body and quiet

the mind. Today yoga and sound therapy

are still bound together by the adept use

of mantra.

Sound therapy, although once an

integral part of healing in the ancient

world—used by Pythagoras, the

Babylonians and the Egyptians—for the

most part disappeared from the Western

world until early last century.

In the 1930s, with the discovery of the

medical uses of the ultrasound,

acousitcs as therapy began to generate

interest once again. Over the last couple

of decades that curiosity in the power of

sound as a healing agent has blossomed

and is now emerging as a profound

method of re-aligning and balancing

our entire being.

Modern sound therapy encompasses

both vocal sounding and the vibrational

frequency of certain instruments.

Himalayan singing bowls and gongs

possess the innate ability to place the

brain into a theta state of brainwave

activity, equivalent to the state achieved

through meditation. In fact for those

that find it difficult to still their mind,

sound therapy will help immensely.

Quantum physics maintains that

we are vibrating beings in a sea of

perpetual vibration and patterns of

frequency. This may go some way to

explaining why sound affects our beings

so profoundly. Research has

demonstrated that the focused use of

acousitcs in the correct and measured

dose can have a multitude of therapeutic

benefits. For example, healing long-

standing physical issues, the resolution

of emotional problems, and sound has

the ability to establish a lasting peace of

mind. Deepak Choprahas says, “The

body is held together by sound. The

presence of disease indicates some

sounds have gone out of tune”.

Sound therapy is used on a personal

level in a private one-on-one session

and in groups in a form of mediation

often referred to as a sound bath.

Sound Therapy and yoga are

synergistically perfect partners and

together they have the ability to reach

and balance every part of our being.

Miranda Munro, is the co-founder of the Australian College of Sound Therapy and the creator of Kyela Sound Therapy. Miranda has 40 years experience in the

self-development industry; she is a teacher of sound therapy, a therapist, spiritual life coach and a writer.

yj77_18-19 om we tried it sound therapy.indd 20 19/7/19 2:37 pm

20

august/september

2019

yogajournal.com.au

Soundtherapyis yoga’sperfectpartnerwritesMirandaMunro

WE TRIEDIT

Om

PHOTO:

633989507/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The Sound of HEALING

YOGAANDSOUNDHEALINGaredeeply

rootedinantiquity,datingback10,000

yearsorperhapsmore.Originallyused

byRishis,Shamansandprieststhey

werebothsacredpracticesemployedto

bringbalancetomind,bodyandspirit.

Soundhealingandyogaareintimately

connectedbythesoundingof“bija”,the

mystical“seedsyllables”contained

withinmantras.

InIndia,mantrainbothyogaand

meditationwerepractisedtohelpalign

theenergysystemsofthebodyandquiet

themind.Todayyogaandsoundtherapy

arestillboundtogetherbytheadeptuse

ofmantra.

Soundtherapy,althoughoncean

integralpartofhealingintheancient

world—usedbyPythagoras,the

BabyloniansandtheEgyptians—forthe

mostpartdisappearedfromtheWestern

worlduntilearlylastcentury.

Inthe1930s,withthediscoveryofthe

medicalusesoftheultrasound,

acousitcsastherapybegantogenerate

interestonceagain.Overthelastcouple

ofdecadesthatcuriosityinthepowerof

soundasa healingagenthasblossomed

andis nowemergingasa profound

methodofre-aligningandbalancing

ourentirebeing.

Modernsoundtherapyencompasses

bothvocalsoundingandthevibrational

frequencyofcertaininstruments.

Himalayansingingbowlsandgongs

possesstheinnateabilitytoplacethe

brainintoa thetastateofbrainwave

activity,equivalenttothestateachieved

throughmeditation.Infactforthose

thatfindit difficulttostilltheirmind,

soundtherapywillhelpimmensely.

Quantum physics maintains that

we are vibrating beings in a sea of

perpetual vibration and patterns of

frequency. This may go some way to

explaining why sound affects our beings

so profoundly. Research has

demonstrated that the focused use of

acousitcs in the correct and measured

dose can have a multitude of therapeutic

benefits. For example, healing long-

standing physical issues, the resolution

of emotional problems, and sound has

the ability to establish a lasting peace of

mind. Deepak Choprahas says, “The

body is held together by sound. The

presence of disease indicates some

sounds have gone out of tune”.

Sound therapy is used on a personal

level in a private one-on-one session

and in groups in a form of mediation

often referred to as a sound bath.

Sound Therapy and yoga are

synergistically perfect partners and

together they have the ability to reach

and balance every part of our being.

Miranda Munro, is the co-founder of the Australian College of Sound Therapy and the creator of Kyela Sound Therapy. Miranda has 40 years experience in the

self-development industry; she is a teacher of sound therapy, a therapist, spiritual life coach and a writer.