Our column, Frequencies of Healing, will focus each month on the uses of sound and music in order to promote health, wellness and harmony for ourselves and others, as well as for our planet. There are multitudinous ways in which we can utilize the extraordinary vibratory energy of sound to create positive transformation in our lives.

Quantum physicists, scientists, great mystics and spiritual masters of ancient times all agree that everything is in a state of vibration. Since everything is in a state of vibration, it can thus be conceived of as being sound, and associated with sound waveforms known as frequencies.

The focus of our column this month is Love. We are delighted that this very first column addresses the important subject of love because it allows us to bring in what may well be the most essential teaching we know of about working with sound as a healing modality. It is simply this: The true sound of healing is Love. We know that the energy of love is the most powerful aspect of all healing modalities and when unconditional love is present, miracles occur.

It was our colleague, mentor and dearest friend, Sarah, “Saruah” Benson—an extraordinary teacher and pioneer in the field of sound healing who coined this beautiful and powerful statement about sound and love. We have shared it with many, many people. We often refer to Sarah as “the Divine Mother of Sound Healing” because among other things, Sarah embodies the essence of love.

Over twenty-five years ago, when the Sound Healers Association was first being founded, there was a search for a logo to use for this organization, which was dedicated to the awareness of the uses of sound and music for healing. When asked what she thought would be a good logo, Sarah thought for a minute, smiled and said: “I see a heart with the words: ‘The true sound of healing is Love’”. While this logo never manifested, Sarah’s words continue to reverberate and echo in our psyche and our hearts.

What is love? There are sonnets, songs and books on the subject. Most probably these only scratch the surface of the subject. The Greeks had a number of different words for love: eros, philios and agape—erotic love, brotherly love and self-sacrificing love of God for humanity. From our perspective, the greatest aspect of love cannot be separated into different categories for it simply is. We call it “unconditional love”.

What is unconditional love? This is love that we give freely and fully from ourselves without agenda, purpose or need. It is love that knows no boundaries or restrictions based upon personal desire or wants. It comes from our hearts and it is the purest form of love because it is not based upon anything except love.

In our award-winning book TANTRA OF SOUND: Frequencies of Healing, we discuss two important concepts. The first is that, as mentioned, everything is in a state of vibration and thus can be perceived of as being frequency. The second is that it is not just the frequency alone that creates the effects, but something else—the consciousness or intent that is encoded upon the sound. Years ago, Jonathan discovered this and created the now well-known formula “Frequency + Intent = Healing”.

Time and again, we have found that the most powerful intention that can be encoded upon a sound is love. Thus, when people ask us how they can possibly use sound to heal when they don’t sing or ‘can’t carry a tune in a bucket’, we tell them that it doesn’t matter. With regard to projecting healing energy, the power of love seems to far outweigh the quality of the voice or of any sound that’s being created. This doesn’t mean that we needn’t pay attention to sound and frequency—we certainly do, and we’ll devote much information in further columns of FREQUENCIES OF HEALING to this most important subject. The energy of love, however, seems to transcend every aspect of being. Whether it’s a sigh or a hum or a seemingly out of tune note matters not—if it’s being projected with the energy of love, it will have great healing ability.

How do we project the energy of love? There’s a very simple exercise that we’d like to share with you. First and foremost, we’ll tell you that we really like to work with the sound “AH”. This sound seems to be an almost universally accepted sound associated with love. Many traditions use it as a vowel sound for the heart chakra—the center of love. And that makes sense—when you feel really good about something—what sound do you make? Most often we bet it’s an “AH” sound.

As mentioned before, it doesn’t matter how you sing. Just take a nice deep breath and breathe out. The sound of your breath is really the sound of the “AH”. Try taking this deep and full breath, and then on your next breath vocalize your breath a bit so that you’re hearing a gentle, but audible “AH” sound. On the next breath, increase the volume of this. Continue until you’re creating a comfortable “AH” sound, being sure that you’re not straining your voice. Louder is not better.

The next step in sounding the energy of love is a combination practice that comes from two different sources: Heartmath Institute and our colleague Gregg Braden. To start this, we’re going to ask you to forget about sound for just a moment and just focus on your breathing. Again, we ask you to take a nice, deep breath. As you do this, visualize that when you breath in, your breath is coming not only from your nose and mouth, but also coming out through your heart. Visualize that you are breathing through your heart on both the in breath and out breath.

Without getting too scientific or complicated, breathing in this manner actually creates a coherent wave form between your brain and your heart—each of which separately create an electro-magnetic field (the heart’s field has been estimated as being 500 times greater than that of the brain—amazing isn’t it?) and when they create a coherent wave form together, the field is combined and it is extraordinary.

Next, as your are breathing in this manner, in and out through your heart, think of something you feel appreciative of—it can be a beautiful scene such as a sunset on a beach or a mountain stream or a relative such as an offspring or a spouse—it really doesn’t matter as long as you feel the energy of appreciation. Believe it or not, so many people have difficulty working with the concept of love that it’s been found that appreciation is much easier for many people to feel. Thus, we suggest feeling the energy of appreciation as you breathe through your heart. If you are able to indeed feel the energy of unconditional love or compassion while breathing in this manner—even better.

Lastly, we ask you to add the element of sound to this breath—the “AH” sound we focused on earlier. Visualize this “AH” sound actually riding on the breath. The energy of the sound amplifies the power of our prayers and meditations. Thus, sounding this “AH” sound has the ability of enhancing the love and appreciation that you have been breathing. Try it and see what happens.

Every year, on Valentine’s Day, we celebrate World Sound Healing Day. This February 14th will be the 7th World Sound Healing Day. It’s a powerful time when people throughout the planet sound an “AH” together, projecting the energy of Light & Love through Sound to Mother Earth, sending her a sonic Valentine for planetary healing. People sound together throughout the day, and especially at noon Eastern Time, when we meet together in cyberspace and sound together at www.templeofsacredsound.org. For more information about World Sound Healing Day as well as other information on planetary healing sounds, we invite you to please visit us at www.healingsounds.com

Blessings of Light & Love through Sound Andi & Jonathan

Jonathan Goldman, M.A. is an internationally renowned writer, musician and teacher. He is an authority on sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. Jonathan is the author of several books including his new release The 7 Secrets of Sound Healing (Hay House); Healing Sounds (Inner Traditions); and Shifting Frequencies (Light Technology). A Grammy nominee, his award winning recordings include: “Chakra Chants”, “The Divine Name”, “Frequencies: Sounds of Healing”, “Reiki Chants” and his latest: “2012: Ascension Harmonics”. Jonathan is founder of the Sound Healers Association and CEO of Spirit Music. Andi Goldman, M.A., L.P.C., is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in holistic counseling and sound therapy. She is the Director of the Healing Sounds® Seminars, and Executive Director of the Sound Healers Association. She is a writer, musician, teacher, sound healer, and the wife and partner of Jonathan Goldman. Jonathan and Andi co-authored Tantra of Sound: Frequencies of Healing (Hampton Roads), winner of the 2006 Visionary Award for Best Alternative Health book. Together Jonathan and Andi have dedicated their life to the path of service, helping awaken and empower others with the ability of sound to heal and transform. Website: www.healingsounds.com