The Healing Power of Silence
All sounds arise from silence. Through chant and meditation we can follow the sound back to it’s source, silence. At this point the small self merges into the greater self and all fears and worries disappear.
If we can be quiet enough we will become aware of a faint sound that can be heard deep inside the ears and head. This sound is normally concealed by the noise of our incessant mental chatter and external sounds.This is the mystical sound, sometimes called Primordial Sound.
This sound has an uninterrupted continuity about it, a crystal-like vibration that resembles the noise of the ocean with many other high frequency sounds superimposed on it. The more one listens to this sound the louder it will become. We have to be very finely tuned to hear this subtle, ever changing sound. In the Vedas this sound is called 'Nada' which means 'inner sound' or 'the voice in the silence'.
In Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound, the student is encouraged to listen to this sound continuously. The silence at the end of sounding OM is called 'amatra,' which is pure consciousness or 'Atman'. It is the point where we merge with the infinite essence of God. When the chant stops there is absolute silence.
At this point the sound of OM continues even though the chanting has stopped.Through the chanting of a mantra such as OM we can experience the state that is called,'Sat', 'Chit' 'Ananda', which means, Truth, Consciousness, Bliss.
When our true nature is realised there is an experience that 'we' exist in everything, there is no feeling of separation, and then a feeling of bliss arises. This is the final stage of meditation when the meditator becomes one with the sound. At this point the mind has become silent.
Silence is the relaxation of mind and body; it is restful and healing. The power of silence is very great, not only for the preservation of energy and vitality, but also morally. Nowadays activity has increased so much that from morning till evening there is never any rest. Every person should have at least an hour a day in which to be quiet and still. After the silence of speech comes the silence of thought.
Sometimes a person is sitting still without speaking, but all the time their thoughts are jumping around. The mind may not want the thoughts, but they come all the same. To still the voice is easy, but to still the mind is much harder. This is why the great sages suggested that we use sound for meditation.
Silence is an essential part of any sound healing session. The sound created by the sound healer guides the person into the silence where healing takes place. When the person goes into the silence their mind becomes quiet and the body’s natural healing mechanism is activated. When the mind is busy all the time the body can’t get enough energy to heal itself.
Silence is like the empty space that is around us in the room, most of the time we don’t notice it. Sacred mantras can be used to help us experience the power of silence by stilling our mind. Sound healing allows us to experience the power of silence. It helps us to connect to our inner self and find healing and inner peace.
