The Sounds of Healing

 Did you know that everything is made up of frequency….including you? 

All of life vibrates. It’s the law of nature.

Solids, liquids, and gas vibrate. Sound vibrates. Words vibrate. Thoughts vibrate. Your energy vibrates. These vibrations create waves (frequency) which intermingle and balance.

I used to be the person blaring loud music to improve my moods. In my car. At my job. While I’m at home cleaning. During all social gatherings. Lil Wayne, Tiesto, the occasional Bieber. 

The beat inspired me to move. And about 50% of the time, the lyrics seemed relatable - sort of. My vibration shifted because of the energy surrounding me. My natural inclination to follow the rhythm and dance further shifted my frequency.

All of this occurred naturally without having a clue about the power of sound. 

Fast forward-

My life is unofficially divided into many phases, but the two most prominent; before my dad died by suicide and after. 

Shortly after my dad died, I realized -inadvertently- that many of the pleasures I enjoyed didn’t feel the same, including music.

With trauma, for me (and can be the case for others), I could no longer tolerate loud noises and high stimulation. My nervous system literally could not handle it. 

This took a bit for me to realize (thanks to my therapist) - but I noticed I became really uncomfortable around loud sounds - in bars or restaurants, at parties and gatherings. No matter how much I loved the place, the song, or the people, these spaces felt like complete chaos to my body and all I could focus on was how quickly I could exit. 

I was only semi-comfortable confined in my Jeep. My drives became a place of silence. A safe box I could tuck into. I’d try to add music and I’d either verge on panic, breakdown, or feel like my skin was crawling. Everything screamed, “Too much!” Silence became my only solstice, though I had to focus on the sound of “silence” to quiet my racing thoughts. Making a deep humming sound. Hearing the flow of traffic. The quiet sound of my own breathing. Listening to the rhythm of my heart beat. 

For years I never dug into this. I simply accepted that the messages in the songs, the overstimulation, the carefree spirit was no longer my thing. I needed to embrace quiet. After experiencing the fragility of life, different aspects become less important or more of a priority. I accepted this and moved on. To float through life from my perspective of shutting out sound. 

Through my healing, I started to intuitively feel drawn to notice the sounds of nature. These sounds made me feel again. 

The birds chirping at sunrise, the creaking of frogs and bugs at dusk, and the sound of a midnight rain shower felt the most soothing. Reminders of life and transition. Lying on the warm sand near Lake Michigan, hearing the waves move in and out. This was one of the first places in my healing where I actually felt completely relaxed while surrounded by high decibel sound.

I needed grounding. I needed support and re-centering. And, unknown to me at the time, the Earth provided exactly what I needed. I simply had to tune out, so I could tune in. I had to connect my heartbeat with the heartbeat of the earth - similar to a newborn learning to regulate their nervous system by calibrating to their mother.

And while it took trauma to force me into a place of acknowledgment and reset, I’ve become aware that nature truly has measurable healing qualities that are abundant and infinitely available to everyone. And, these sounds are available for simple everyday living. To relieve stress. To offer connection. To recalibrate.

In the summer months, we are surrounded by the sounds of life. Reminders of growth, healing, recharging. All of our senses are stimulated. And our sense of hearing has the immense opportunity to tune into the sound of the Earth’s heartbeat.

So the next time you’re feeling like you need a pick-me-up, take the opportunity to tune into this. Consider giving yourself the opportunity to connect in nature and see how that feels. Or search your Spotify for 528hz (frequency for DNA repair) and play it quietly in the background while you move or breathe or journal. Notice. Receive. Be conscious. 

If you're interested in experiencing the healing qualities of sound, join Mary Fields this Friday for an immersive 75-minute stress reducing session.