– Arwen Kittelson-Aldred (www.arweniansoundscapes.com)
Lately, I have been hearing more and more theories about the potential of intentionally used sound to support people. While there is some interesting research out there on the efficacy of sound, there are many more fascinating stories from sound workers and their clients on the ways that sound has transformed their experience of life, which I can relate to. When I was 7, I began to study piano, and it quickly became my escape when life felt unsafe. That set the trend of music being my safe space, which basically translates to music being a tool that I used (and use) to calm my nervous system.
And there’s a lot of evidence that shows I’m not alone in that! Decades after my relationship with the piano began, as a teacher for elementary school kids on the autism spectrum, it was fascinating to see what types of sounds helped them relax and self-regulate when they were struggling. One girl would hum Rihanna’s “Disturbia,” another calmed down to “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, and one of my students was the most engaged when we would sing to each other as if we were in a 2-person opera. Others would play with Bjork’s Biophilia App, arranging and rearranging sound patterns, if they were allowed to.
I spend a lot of my life engaging with sound. Recently, I have been creating soundscapes with my gongs, singing bowls, tank drums, and other instruments. It is fascinating to observe the changes that happen in myself and my clients over the course of a sound meditation, as we tune into the soundscape.
All of us live in a constantly changing soundscape, regardless of if we are consciously aware of it or not. Electricity, traffic, fans, the far-off hum of airplanes… these sounds are just a normal part of our existence, something that we often don’t notice until it isn’t there. Turning our focus to sound, deeply listening to the sounds that surround us, be they pleasant or displeasing, is a form of meditation that can be easier to access for some folks than traditional silent meditation.
When my anxiety spikes and I can feel my nervous system moving into fight or flight mode, I often turn to sound to bring myself back down to center. At times I go into my music room and play, sometimes I turn on music that feels soothing to me. Other times I focus on the sound of my breath, and then my awareness naturally expands out to the soundscape around me.
A question that I often get is: does sound have healing properties or will playing specific frequencies or notes have a profound effect? The answer is a definite “maybe.” Everyone has their own experience, and a note or frequency that feels transformative for one person may not have any impact on another. What I do know, from my personal experience and observation, is that sound can help our bodies to calm, and our nervous systems to downregulate. The specifics of what sounds produce that result vary from person to person but putting our focus on the sounds that we have sought out can soothe our nervous systems and help us self-regulate.
So, consider adding sound meditation to your personal toolbox! I teach Sound & Meditation classes at Red Willow periodically and use a variety of instruments at each class to create a soundscape that is designed to be restful and peaceful. There are also free sound meditations available on YouTube and through the Insight Timer app. Experiment and start to notice which sounds are soothing to you and your nervous systems, and which are not. The beauty of using sound is that there is such an enormous variety available, and more than likely there will be something that works for you… it’s just a matter of finding it.
