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Using sound vibrations to connect to the divine is a practice as old as humanity can trace back. David played the lyre in the Bible's Old Testament, but some of the sound healing practices that are in use locally today are more ancient than that. Modern instruments and philosophies merge with ancient wisdom to provide us with a way to relax, meditate, heal, or even find divinity within ourselves and our community.
This week, alone, you can find at least 5 sound healing events in the Wilkes-Barre & Kingston locale.
There are so many cultures that utilize sound for spirituality and wellness that it would be impossible to describe them all. Currently I see healers using Tibetan singing bowls for chakra balancing in local studios and private events. I've attended a singing bowl event, where the practitioner used quartz bowls of different sizes to ring at the same frequency as each major chakra. A small group of attendees lied on the floor comfortably, with yoga mats, cushions, blankets, pillows, and plushies. The event began with a guided meditation, and then the healer ceased speaking and let the music fill the room. Before it was over, each attendee was invited to step inside the largest bowl while it was being played.
In my experience, time passed at a different pace, so I did not get bored, nor did I feel like I was being entertained. My meditation was unique to other experiences, and at times I was fully relaxed, but there were moments that felt difficult to work through. The tones were soothing and lovely, and feeling the vibration while standing inside the largest bowl was awe-inspiring. For the rest of the evening, I carried a feeling of deep contentment that I can still vividly recall months later.
If you're curious how this works, professional musician and healer Alan Kuhl says, "Alexandre Tannous explains it great. He has a lot of YouTube videos. The biggest thing is that the instruments are designed to lower brain wave frequency to 'theta,' which activates the parasympathetic nervous system and that’s where self-healing occurs—where intentions come to fruition." Mr. Kuhl grew up in Kingston, PA and now lives and works in York County. He offers sound healing with singing bowls, gongs, drums, and Kirtan with his partner, Abby Holbach. “We are energy, we are vibration, all of life is music,” according to Kuhl. You can find Abby Holbach and Alan Kuhl on YouTube channels beyondadream77 and vishram33.
If you've had experience with yoga or ayurvedic teachings, you might have heard of the chakras, and even seen them assigned specific colors and syllables. Sound healers in the Western world today can tell us the Solfeggio frequency of each tone their instruments make, and it's thought that having sympathetic resonance with the chakras will gently guide them into balance, and support one's holistic well-being. These are the vibrations associated with each chakra, according to ChakraPractice.com:
Root Chakra Frequency: 396 Hz.
Sacral Chakra Frequency: 417 Hz.
Solar Plexus Chakra Frequency: 528 Hz.
Heart Chakra Frequency: 639 Hz.
Throat Chakra Frequency: 741 Hz.
Third Eye Chakra Frequency: 852 Hz.
Crown Chakra Frequency: 963 Hz.
Whether chanting, percussion, strings, woodwinds, or singing bowls, it's better to experience it than read about it. Homebodies can find healing music online, just like other music, and vibe out in their own space. Group experiences are taking place weekly in Kingston at Embrace Holistic Center and in Forty Fort at Be Well NEPA, as well as in Wilkes-Barre at Gather Community Space. Several other local healing centers book monthly or quarterly events with sound healers from all over the world. It's a unique and powerful way to find peace, spirituality, and healing.
More News from Kingston
- Gentle This is a piece I wrote in July 2024 in response to many things that have happened in my own life and how I've been learning to respond to them. I hope readers find it healing.
- Elated This is a poem I wrote right around this time last year. I've modified a few small parts of it to reflect my experiences from mid summer 2023 to mid summer 2024.
