Coming Soon: New Voices

I was inspired recently to start inviting other sound healers to write for this blog. When the idea first came to me it took me a bit by surprise. I really love writing the posts and while I have had my lapses, as time has gone on, it's gotten easier to just let the inspiration flow and to write about what's so for me in the moment rather than think I have to come up with something profound.

Julia Cameron, author of Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, writes about "coming up with ideas" versus setting them down on paper -- in other words, getting stuck in the "analysis paralysis," which has been the reason for some of my lapses here. So I'm learning to just trust that what needs to be said will come. I just need to allow it.

What that has to do with sound healing is very simple: it's important not only in sound healing but in every aspect of life to get out of my own way so that Life can flow through. Most often when I meet with clients, I don't come with a plan on how the session is going to go. I let the client tell me and I let my intuition guide me as to what I need to do. And the same goes with writing.

So when I got the "nudge" to invite someone else to post an article here, I listened, and the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a win-win. For one thing, I certainly don't know all there is to know about sound healing and it's good to hear others' experiences and wisdom. Second, it will be nice to have a variety of voices on this blog. I think it will be more interesting and draw more readers, not only for me but for the people who write here.

I think the more each of us taps into that well of wisdom that resides in us and allow it to come forth, the richer will be the field of resources we have to draw from. And the richer the field, the more we have to draw from and contribute. It's a beautiful cycle.

So if you're reading this and are interested in contributing, please leave a comment for me with a way of contacting you. Let's talk about how you might contribute your voice to this blog!

Sing the song of your heart!

Sandra

NESHRI Conference 2006

I'm getting ready to attend the New England Sound Healing Research Institute's 2006 Conference on November 17-19 in Rowe, Massachusetts. Aside from being excited to meet other sound healers and hear what's happening in the world of sound healing, for me it's a very affirming event because it reminds me why I do what I do. As always at such events, when you meet other people and hear their stories about their work, it's inspiring and uplifting and gives you a sense of community and a reminder that you're not alone in what you do.

Each year, NESHRI is doing more and more to bring together the best information from renowned leaders in the field and to spread the word about sound healing as an effective, safe and viable complement and/or alternative to conventional medical treatments. As more and more hospitals are recognizing alternative treatments, sound healing and music therapy are often at the top of their lists.

For instance, here in New York City, Beth Israel Medical Center will be opening the Louis Armstrong Music and Medicine Center next month. I do volunteer work for the hospice unit at Beth Israel and they have had a music therapist on staff for some time now, as well as having volunteer musicians coming to provide music for patients and their families.

As more and more people are hearing about sound and music for healing, they are requesting these services and more and more hospitals are answering the call. On a teleconference I was in the audience for recently, Dr. Molly Scott said she feels that licensure for sound healing practitioners is a possibility and one caller stated that she knows of a medical facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia where practitioners are recognized service providers by insurance companies. All this is great news, not only for those who have worked long and hard in the field of sound healing but also for relative newcomers like myself who are working to establish a client base.

All this makes the NESHRI Conference a cause for celebration for what has been accomplished and great anticipation for what is coming.

Wishing you harmonious times!

Healing Balm

Today I had one of those little incidents happen that, on the surface, might seem insignificant -- just a slight annoyance. But it triggered a lot of feelings that had been lurking just below the surface, surprising me with their ferocity. A package that had been left at my front door was stolen and what it kicked up for me was a lot of insecurities, anger and of course judgment about the person who did it.

I have a lot of little "tricks" I use to get myself out of funky-feeling places, and they all worked reasonably well at getting me to feel a little bit better. But in the middle of my funk I remembered I was scheduled to participate (as a listener) in a teleconference sponsored by NESHRI and featuring Dr. Molly Scott. Molly is an amazing gift to the world and especially to the sound healing community, as she bridges the allopathic therapeutic world and the intuitive-shamanistic world, which was the topic of her talk this evening. As Molly shared her story and her wisdom with us, I found myself relaxing and realizing that sound, which is just vibration that we can hear, is what I really needed to reach that wounded place inside. Here I've been reading about and learning about all these other "tricks" and healing modalities, while all along, they've led me back to sound. Molly's soothing voice and calm assurance convinced me that sound is my healing path above all others and that right then, sound was what I needed.

After I got off the call, I did some toning. (In case you don't know, toning is simply, in the words of sound healer Neil Wakeling, "allowing whatever sound is inside you to express itself.") I played my flute a little bit also, but mostly, I sang to my wounded self. Without words, without any lengthy self analysis, I got to the root of my hurt and felt better. There are many healing modalities out there and they all have something to offer, but for me, sound is the most direct connection to my spirit there is and so shall it ever be.

Namaste!

Miracles

There is a man I know who makes gorgeous Native American flutes and from the moment I saw them on his website, I knew I had to have one. They are absolutely gorgeous! (You can see them here: http://bluestarlove.com/AdoptaChild.html) Even though I have never touched a flute before, I was drawn to them because of Blue's story, and also a story of my own.

I love to attend Native American sweat lodges, especially with my dear friend, Carl Big Heart. (You can learn more about Carl and his work here http://tinyurl.com/fl8q9 and here http://tinyurl.com/etlc3) A year or so ago, I was attending one of the talks Carl gives the day before a lodge and on a break, I went outside to sing my heart, as I often do. After I had finished and was walking back inside, Carl asked me if I would mind playing my flute for everyone as we began the next part of the talk. I looked at him dumbfounded, since I had been singing -- not playing the flute. A friend of mine who happened to be standing there said, "Sandra, he didn't know you were singing!" We sorted it out and I sang, which was good since I had never played the flute and didn't have one with me! Now, I truly love to sing but since that day, I have thought about learning to play the flute, as well.

Fast forward another year or so. I am on the email list for the Go Gratitude Experiment (www.gogratitude.com) and I received an email from them about a filmmaker named Blue Star, who also happens to make Native American flutes. (He calls them Star Children.) The more I read about him personally, about his work and the more I looked at the flutes, I knew that if I was going to buy a flute, this was the person I wanted to get it from. I didn't have the money to buy one at the time, but each time I would get an email from Blue, I would go to his website and just admire his latest creations.

Recently I had the idea to see if I could buy one of the flutes on layaway, paying a little bit each month until the flute was completely paid for. I wrote to Blue Star, not really sure how he would feel about it. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when he agreed. With the amount I could afford to pay, I estimated it would take about seven months for me to receive my Star Child, but I knew the time would fly and I was happy anticipating its arrival.

I got a surprise about a week ago when my flute arrived in the mail about five months early. I hadn't even made my second payment yet! I believe this happened for several reasons:

1) Blue Star is a generous soul who could see my intent was coming from a good place.
2) I kept my vibration high with excitment and anticipation about receiving this beautiful instrument.
3) The Universe wants to bring us joy and wants us to share that joy with others.

Since I received my Star Child, I have played her nearly every day. She is truly a source of joy and connection to me. I have also taken her with me in my volunteer work for a local hospice. Even though I feel a little shy about playing, as a beginner, having my Star Child with me is somehow comforting and when I have felt called to play, people have responded favorably.

The moral of the story is that sometimes we are called to people or to things (like an instrument) and we may not understand why at the time. But I believe if we learn to listen to that calling, it will take us places we never dreamed and grow us in ways we could never have anticipated. Have the courage to play your unique song and you will not only be blessed yourself, but you will be a blessing to others.

Sing the song of your heart!

Hello Again, It's Been a While!

It was definitely an eventful summer and I took some time off from blogging to just go with all the things that were happening. In June, I attended a training out in California with Christopher Howard and became certified in Neurolinguistic Programming and Ericksonian Hypnsosis, as well as being certified as a Results Coach. I have gotten busy with practicing what I've learned and have had a few clients so far.

In August, we visited Anchorage, Alaska, where our son lives. It was our first trip there and it was simply awe-inspiring. We were able to spend 12 days and yet I feel we saw not even the tip of the tip of the iceberg! We did go to Denali, to Seward (for a boat tour of Resurrection Bay) and to Kennicott (an old ghost town that's been taken over by the National Park Service, which is restoring parts of the town). We also ate lunch in Talkeetna, a cute (if rather touristy) village.

Since I've been back, I've had a couple of clients and have been reading and preparing for another round of training and classes this fall involving different healing modalities and also the annual NESHRI Conference. Life has been full and it's about to get even more full, in other words.

Keep reading, and I'll bring you up to date in more detail about what I've been up to and what you can expect in the near future!

Sing the song of your heart!

Presence is the Operative Word

One of the greatest joys of my life at the moment is volunteering at a local hospital, offering music to hospice patients. I've been doing this for about two years now and it's taught me a lot about myself and about the nature of giving service in my community and about what healing really looks like.

You see, for a long time I held back from singing in hospitals (although it had been suggested to me countless times) because I had all kinds of stories in my head about not being a good enough singer, about being in the way of the "real" healers (the medical professionals) and about whether what I had to offer would really do anyone any good, after all. When I finally decided to dive in and do it (after my mom passed away, which is another story) I found myself singing in the hallway of the hospice unit at the hospital. Now this was interesting! On the one hand, it was certainly not too nerve-wracking in terms of feeling like I was performing, but on the other hand (to the chagrin of my ego) I discovered that most of the time people didn't even notice that I and my partner were there at all...or so I thought.

After a while, we began to notice that the staff would brighten when we were around. Some of the nurses might sing along as they passed in the hall, or even dance a little as they made their rounds. On occasion, family members would stand in the doorways of their loved ones' rooms to listen for a minute or two. And most touching of all were the times when a patient who was well enough would come to listen, IV pole and all. One time there was a family that insisted on having their pictures taken with us like we were real celebrities, ha! One time we were asked to come into someone's room who was a singer/songwriter. She particularly loved Stevie Wonder and so my partner (God bless him!) managed to pull out a couple of Stevie Wonder songs he knew and she sang along. Her family was amazed because she had been so lethargic up to that point...

What this has taught me is that half of being a healing presence for someone is about presence -- or maybe a great deal more than half. Sometimes what people need, more than any drug or any type of therapy is just a loving presence. So I've learned when I come to the hospital to just focus more on being with people than to worry about how good I'm doing at what I do. It makes me blush now to think about how much I held back because of that now. It's not that I don't need to think about those things, but they're really not the first priority anymore. I'm learning to ask first what people need and then I'm guided as to what to do from there -- even if it's just making the nurses laugh for a moment, that's a lot.

Yesterday, I visited my first in-home hospice patient. Again, this was something I wasn't sure I'd have the courage to do. And again, I was humbled because there really wasn't that much I could do. Besides the fact that the patient had a live-in companion and a home health aide there at the same time I was, she was pretty quiet and I was told not to expect her to be overly responsive. I was surprised when we were able to have a conversation (even if she did loop back around and ask me the same questions a lot, so what?). But the sweetest moment was after I had given her a hand and foot massage and was just holding her hand. She looked me in the eye and said, "It's so nice just to hold your hand." In that moment, I knew that whatever I may call myself -- "sound healer," "teacher," or "volunteer" -- I was being a healing presence. And all I did was show up. That's the gift of healing.

May healing sounds be yours,

Sandra

Some Inspiration

Today I received an email from a fellow sound healer and blogger, Eliana Gilad, letting me know of her work in creating an Israeli/Palestinian harmonic circle in Israel. With all the ancient wounds in this part of the world, it is so wonderful to hear of this kind of work being done. You can visit Eliana's blog, "Daily Inspiration," at http://inspirationalmessage.blogspot.com/. She even has a sound clip of the event, which is truly goosebump provoking! Hop on over and check it out.

Yes, sound has the power to clear the energy of people and of places. I live in New York City. Shortly after 9/11 I went with a group of Sufi friends to a spot close to Ground Zero. (Of course we could not get anywhere near the area at that time.) And we sang and prayed for those who had lost their lives and for the area to be healed. A Native American healer I know also went and did some healing work at Ground Zero.

As a sound healer, I recognize that everything is vibration, including the earth. It's nice to know that when I am toning I am not just healing myself or another person but that this energy is also going into the earth and out into the air. It has the power to heal the whole web of life. And the more of us who focus our energy and intention this way, the more powerful will be the impact. Thanks to people like Eliana and many others, we truly are making the world a better place.

Until next time, may healing sounds be yours!

What's a NESHRI?

A couple of years ago I stumbled on a website for an organization called (ahem!) the New England Sound Healing Research Institute (or NESHRI for short). This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to networking and sharing experiences and knowledge of sound healing with other sound healers, coordinating educational programs to enhance the study of sound healing for practitioners and the general public, conducting research into the effects of intention-alized sound and music on healing, stress reduction, and building community and helping create local centers for sound healing events. I attended a NESHRI gathering on Cape Ann, Mass. in the fall of 2004 and was enthralled and encouraged by the number of folks there who have been practicing, teaching and studying sound healing.

I had been studying on my own, just reading different books and experimenting, with the occasional workshop by Don Conreaux (have sung with Mysterious Tremendum -- amazing!). I knew there were others like me out there, but I didn't know how to find them, as the only sound healers I'd hooked up with (with a few exceptions) seemed to be "big names" from out of town.

Anyway, after coming home from the event I was excited and I talked to Ben, Michelle and Zacchias (the leaders at NESHRI) about doing some NESHRI events in NYC. Fast forward to 2006 and folks from the NYC area are popping up all over the place and raising their hands to participate in not only doing sound healing events but working in concert with NESHRI to create a powerful network of healers who use sound and also want to contribute to research about this powerful modality.

So nice to know we don't have to do this alone! And my hope is that those of us in the sound healing community will be able to educate, inform and do research that proves what we already know -- sound can heal!

If you'd like more information about NESHRI, you can visit their website at:
www.neshri.org

You can find out about Don Conreaux at:
http://www.holistic-resonance.com/dcbio.html

All that time I thought I was some kind of wierdo, a little voice kept reminding me that when the time was right, I would find others like me who I could work with. It seems that time is now.

Until next time -- may healing sounds be yours!

Sandra

Welcome to Sound and Music for Healing!

Well, I've finally gone and done it...I've been hearing about blogs for a while now and have decided to take the plunge while I work on my larger website. Creating a blog seemed like a simpler way to get my feet wet on the Web and to begin to connect with my virtual audience...whoever you may be.

What I'd like to do here is to write about sound healing, a subject I'm quite passionate about, and share healing experiences, ideas and resources. And some everyday "life" stuff may creep in, too. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, it's my first blog entry so I feel pretty good about that.

In case you're wondering, "What is sound healing?" it's using sound -- either the voice or instruments or even machines -- to facilitate healing. The idea has been around for as long as people have been making sounds, but is now being rediscovered as modern science is beginning to acknowledge what mystics have recognized for millenia -- that the universe is made up of vibration. Even that which appears solid, if studied under an ultra-powerful microscope, can be seen to be made up of a lot of empty space. And what is in that empty space? Vibration. How this works with someone suffering from a disease like cancer, for instance, is that sound and vibration is applied to the affected area to help bring it back into harmony.

There have been case studies done by folks like Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, for instance, an oncologist at Strang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center/New York Hospital on how this works. I won't go into too much detail about the how here, but in future blogs I will be giving more information about the studies that have been done and my own experiences. For now, just suffice it to say that this is no longer an area of healing just for "new age" types. There's definitely a spiritual element to it, but there is increasing scientific evidence to support the fact that it works.

Well, this seems as good a place to stop as any. For now, wishing you harmonious times.

Sandra