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!