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Paul Benham
from: Paul Benham
Category: Sound Healing

More on the magical resonance between sound healing and nature.

At Primrose Earth Centre we specialise in exploring and working with the divine interrelationship between: sound, nature, sacred geometry, breath, rhythm and healing. We show how these practices can help to lead us to a place where the time of separation is over.


 


Soundand sacred geometry are the two main building blocks of creation andhelp to hold the material world in its perceived form. Cymatics showsthe formation of unique geometric shapes from different sounds/notes.There are many examples in nature of arrangements according to musicinterval and harmonic ratios and there also exists Pythagorus's musicof the spheres. Drunvalo Melchezedeck shows the relationship betweenthe musical scale and the original 8 cells of the embryo and thechakra system . RichardMerrick Caduceus 78states that sound and sacred geometry have had a considerable guidinginfluence on evolution. OnPrimrose land we have created a Sacred Geometry Emissary Wheel basedon James Twyman's teachings. At the 12 perimeter points there arecrystals directed towards the central cluster, which receives andsends out the energy. Involving people combines the very powerfulaspect of sound with sacred geometry, perhaps even creating thepotential for inter-dimensional travel. So with groups on our soundhealing courses we arrange ourselves around the central Star of Davidand send sound healing to a person in the centre. Last summer we alsopractised a vortex meditation there for connecting our hearts withMother Earth and the Cosmic Consciousness.


 


Dowsershave identified a spiral of energy in the centre of our emissarywheel, which is at the intersection of two energy lines, one of whichcomes from the Sound/Peace Chamber. Spirals and vortexes are commonin nature and have been revered by humans over centuries. See 'TheMystic Spiral ' by Jill Purce and 'The Hidden Insights in Nature' byViktor Schauberger. Labyrinths are ancient and sacred symbols and atPrimrose, we have created a willow labyrinth which we walk whilesounding and chanting. Also we bless and energise the land withpotions made more potent through stirring a vortex and sounding intothe vortex. This is an old German practice called Tonsingen. Ourflow-form water features create vortexes, which have a beneficialeffect on the surrounds and sounding near these has good healingpotential. More powerful however, is when I take a group up to amountain stream and we perform a sound meditation there. The myriadvariety of water motions create spirals, vortexes, mini waterfallsand from these a mass of natural positive energy is produced. So notonly are we are present in a powerful healing environment through theraised energy created by flowing water in these upland streams, butwe are also immersed in the therapeutic sounds of the water. FabienMamon demonstrates so clearly the pure healing potential from naturalacoustic sounds and he and Terres Unsoeld offer a very powerfulhealing meditation involving pure gentle sounds of the elements. Amountain stream can be a good listening meditation since there are amultitude of sounds occurring simultaneously and when the listeningis combined with deep sounding, the healing can flow in a very goodway.


 


Allowingstillnessand silenceafter sounding is often whenhealing occurs;however wecan also increase the potential benefits for healing when we combinemovement with soundingand meditation practices.I incorporate movement into much of the sound work that I teach whichembodies the sound and helps to providean important grounding element to sacred sound work. Chloe Goodchildhas through Masashi Minagawa developed many very powerful movementsequences that accompany her sacred Indian sounding work. Everythingin the universe is vibrating energy and as Joseph Rael points out, itis important not to get stuck in form. This is particularly relevantif the posture is not good whilst sounding as this may be reinforced. I have developed a number of sound and movement practices andmeditations, many of which combine rhythm and vocal improvisation.The Western world tends to be very lacking in rhythm and so workingto improve this can help us resonate with the rhythms in nature andthe universe. There is much harmony in the natural rhythms of lifeand when we connect with these, we can bring ourselves back intobalance and in unity with all of life. Rhythm also has the potentialto encourage hemispheric synchronisation, which opens the increasedpotential through accessing both hemispheres simultaneously.


Through2013 we are running Seasonal Sounds Days at Primrose (Spring 5 Mayand Autumn 6 October). These one-day courses focus on using sound and movement practices inthe beautiful gardens, encouraging participants to connect deeplywith the energy of the season and to learn from nature's processes atthat time as to how we might live our lives closer to the rhythm ofthe natural energy cycles. The sacred grove of trees, which wereplanted according to the Celtic Lunar Calendar provides a spacewithin which we can work with the Tree Ogham.


 


Apractice that I particularly resonate with is the whirling meditationwith sound that was developed by spiritual teacher Tony Samara. It isbased on the Sufi Whirling Dervishes, who open to the divine as theyspin around. Much in the cosmos is in circling motion; the Earth, theMoon, the planets in a solar system; there are numerous cycles withinour universal existence. So when we move in a circle we are openingourselves to harmonising with all of creation. Combine this withsounding the sacred mantra of the divine and we can invite light andhealing into our being.


 


Therehas the potential to be something very special about our relationshipwith a piece of land and sound can provide the magic to really deepenthis connection. Joseph Rael speaks of this powerfulinterrelationship in the section on 'Language of the Land' in hisbook 'Sound' where he refers to land as the Vast Self. At age 6 hemoved from his Grandmother's homeland and was taught the new languageof his father's people. 'I was taught Tiwa, because it was the powerof language for that place - for the Picuris Pueblo. The Tiwalanguage is the energy that radiates in that geography. I was eatingfrom that resonance, sleeping it, so I needed to speak it. Tiwa wasthe vibration of that geography, which extended for 20 or 30 miles.' Tony Samara in his book ‘Shaman’s Wisdom’ provides anotherpiece of wisdom when he says: 'The secret of intention is also in ourability to communicate with Nature with a deeply relaxed body, withthe breath full and total. Then we are able to sing songs that comenaturally from the deepest part of ourselves and, through them, wecan connect with subtle vibrations present in the Universe. Thisnaturally opens our heart to express itself through sacred sounds.'


Mostindigenous peoples have honoured their environmental spirits, land,nature and the elements with sound eg the Aborigine Song Lines andTuvan shamans, who sing with the spirits of streams, rivers andmountains and the Waitaha and Kogis who make a total heart connectionwith their environment through ceremony and song, which helps toraise the planetary vibration and keep it in balance and harmony.


Ourdualistic existence through the ego mind can create an inner feelingof separation; however a deep connection with nature and the elementswill feed our soul and help us move towards harmony and unity withall life. Theresidential retreat Sound Healing and Nature 19-21 July 2013 usesvarious sound and meditation practices to provide the space for themagical combination of sound healing and nature to resonate with ourinner being on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. JeanneWhite Eagle and Fabien Maman have developed practices to encourageemotional release using sound in nature and we teach how these can beused and how the earth and other natural life will generously absorband transform negative energy. There is a powerhouse of universalenergy out there ready to be invited in. We share a method devised bythe Russian mystic Anastasia that harmonises our relationship withplants in a way that they can give us the healing we need.


Thebreath of life has different levels of being. Some yogis believe thatthe length of our life is determined by a certain number of breathsand that by slowing down our breathing, we can live longer. Also whenwe we breathe deeply, involving all parts of the lungs from theabdomen to the high chest, we can become unified with all of life anddissolve feelings of separation. In the words from the Chief Seattlesong cycle 'All things share the same breath', everything breathes:animals, trees and plants. The Earth is also a living, breathingbeing and so our breathing connects us to all that is, since ourin-breath is the out-breath of the Universe. The breath provides thebridge between the material and spirit worlds and it is the 'breathbehind the breath' that leads us to the Divine. When we breathe itcan be an affirmation of our saying 'yes' to life and being a part ofcreation, in the same way that a new born baby decides to say 'yes'to life, takes its first breath and the spirit enters. “In Huachumashamanism, correct breathing is considered as the source of balancein life. While breathing in, one experiences expansion, whileexhaling contraction. Between the in-breath and out-breath, if ourconsciousness is in harmony with the expansion and contraction of theuniverse, we can experience illumination.” TonySamara


AtPrimrose we also run the College of Sound Healing therapy trainingprogramme on a residential basis. The nature of Primrose encouragesparticipants to journey deep and to benefit from the retreat qualityof the weekend modules. Our part one 'An Introduction to SoundHealing' is on 1-3 March 2013 and this covers an in-depthexperiential journey into sound and its therapeutic potential.Participants benefit considerably from working in the sacred space ofthe Sound/Peace Chamber, which is partly underground and creates theimpression of entering the womb of Mother Earth or Pachamama.


Anotherspeciality at Primrose is spontaneous singing using the 5 primaryvowel sounds. This was taught to us by Jeanne White Eagle and JohnPehrson.


InJeanne's words: 'I have witnessed over and over again the power thiskind of singing has to change and raise vibration, to allow healingat a profound level, including cases of disease, war, severe physicaland emotional trauma both in children and adults brought on byabusive environments, and more. To be in a place of 'no-thinking'allowing spontaneous songs (no words, no thought other than theintention of Love) has the potential to change reality as we know it.Because the primary sounds that will naturally come are the vowelsounds (as pronounced in Spanish), to sing them in this way takes usto the original Sound from which all creation comes. This is morethan powerful. It is a vehicle that brings us to the memory of whoeach of us really is. In this realization we remember there is noseparation. There is only one of us here. And all there is, isLove.'

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