Six Healing Sounds
During my last Monday Meditation Class I had a student who inspired my heart to revisit a Taoist practice I have learned along the path of my meditation life. This practice is called the Six Healing Sounds. Part of the Sum Faht practice stems from Taoism. Though this teaching is not specifically from my teacher is is in alignment with the flow of energy within the body.
My research led me to working with this version created by Mantak Chia via Universal Tao Publications. I was tempted to break the information up between two blog segments, but have decided against it knowing that people who really want this information will want it all at once.
The Theory behind the Six Healing Sounds: Healthy Body
Having assessed the
knowledge of the universe through internal practices, the Taoist masters
discovered that each healthy organ is associated with a particular sound, color
and quality of energy. Emotional problems, pollution, poor food, injuries, and
overly strenuous exercise can overheat the internal organs causing them to
weaken.
This changes the state
of each organ’s sound frequency, color and energetic quality. The Six Healing
Sounds practice helps to restore, balance and cleanse the vital organs by
correcting these factors. They also stimulate the chi flow throughout the body
to enhance one’s overall health and vitality.
The Cosmic Six Healing
Sounds helps to release any excess heat that may be trapped in the cooling sacs
which surround each organ. As you assume the postures and produce the sounds
sub-vocally, their vibrations redistribute any excess heat into cooler regions
of the body where it can safely be stored or used. Once organ energies are
balanced, you have a good foundation for establishing and nurturing the virtue
energies. This will help to maintain the Chi balance throughout the system.
What causes an organ to
malfunction? There are many causes. Urban society creates a life full of
physical and emotional stresses such as overcrowding, pollution, radiation,
junk food, chemical additives, anxiety, loneliness, bad posture, addictions and
sudden or over vigorous exercise. Separately and together these stresses
produce tension and start to block the free passage of energy flow in the body.
In addition, the cities that we live in often lack the safety valves provided
by nature: trees, open spaces, and running water, which give forth a cooling,
purifying energy. Continued overheating causes an organ to contract and harden.
This impairs its ability to function and results in illness. One of the
surgeons working with the Universal Tao Center in New York reports that the
hearts of patients who have died of heart attacks look as if they’ve been
cooked! And the ancient Taoists have a saying, “Stress cooks your brain”.
Chinese medicine teaches
that each organ is surrounded by a sac or membrane, called fascia, which
regulates its temperature. Ideally, the membrane releases excess heat out
through the skin, where it is exchanged for cool life force energy from nature.
An overload of physical or emotional tension causes the fascia to stick to the
organ so that it cannot properly release heat nor absorb cool energy from the
skin.
The skin becomes clogged
with toxins and the organ overheats. The Six Healing Sounds speed up the heat
exchange through the digestive system and the mouth. The digestive system is
more than 20 feet long and runs from the mouth to the anus as one pipe in the
middle of the body. It helps release excess heat from the fascia, cooling and
cleansing the organs and skin. When all these sounds and postures are done in
the proper order, body heat is evenly distributed by the intestinal tract
throughout the whole body, and each of the organs is at the correct operating
temperature.
Daily practice of the
Six Healing Sounds will restore and maintain calmness and good health. Greater
sexual pleasure and improved digestion will occur. Minor ailments such as
colds, flu and sore throats can be prevented or thrown off easily. NOTE: Typical
side effects of these practices are yawning, burping or passing wind. All of
which are beneficial indicators of moving energy. Once learned, the entire set
takes only 10 -15 minutes - you are worth it.
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| Lungs |
First Healing Sound:
Lung Sound
1. Sit with your back
straight, your hands resting on your lungs, and your eyes closed.
Smile down to your
lungs. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your lungs.
Picture a white light,
fresh and pure like the energy of the mountains. Imagine a metal sound like a
bell.
2. Take a deep breath.
Close the jaws so that the teeth gently meet and part the lips slightly as you
slowly exhale through your teeth making the sound “Ssssssss”. At first you can
produce the lung sound out loud, but eventually you should practice it
subvocally. (Subvocally means that you are vocalizing so softly that only you
can hear the sound and feel the vibration inside the lungs.) (Keep the subvocal
instruction in mind for the following five more sounds.)
Feel that the sound
starts to move the chi in the lungs. Know that any excess heat and toxins are
expelled from the lungs as the sacs (layers of tissue called fascia that
surround every organ) surrounding the lungs are compressed.
3. Nurture good
emotions. This is the most important part of this practice. Take as much time
as you need to get in touch with the organs. As the excess heat lessens and the
white - metal energy expands in the lungs then positive emotional qualities
will have room to grow. Concentrate on the feelings of righteousness and
courage as you transform any sadness or grief. Sit up straight and tall so you
can feel courage. Try to maintain the feeling of the Lung Sound for
increasingly longer periods after each practice and throughout your daily life.
4. Repeat the Lung Sound
three to six times. For sadness, depression, colds, flu, toothaches, asthma,
emphysema or depression you may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12 or 24 times.
Second Healing
Sound: Kidney Sound
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| Kidneys |
1. Sit with your back
straight, your hands resting on your kidneys, and your eyes closed.
Smile down to your
kidneys. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your kidneys.
Picture a blue light,
like the sun shining on the deep blue sea.
2. Take a deep breath.
Open the eyes and put your legs together, ankles and knees touching. Lean
forward and clasp the fingers of both hands together around your knees. Pull
your arms straight from the lower back while bending the torso forward (this
allows your back to protrude in the area of the kidneys). Tilt your head up as
you look straight ahead. Round the lips and slightly exhale with the sound
“Chooooooo” as if you are blowing out a candle. Contract your abdomen on the
exhale, pulling it toward your kidneys.
Feel the sound start to
move the chi in the kidneys. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled
from the kidneys as the sacs surrounding the kidneys are compressed.
3. Nurture good
emotions. Sitting upright with palms over the kidneys radiate blue light,
gentleness, stillness and alertness into the kidneys. Rest, close your eyes,
listen to your kidneys. Smile to them and imagine that you are still making the
Kidney Sound. Breathe normally and feel your fears dissipate as you transform
them. Feel the gentleness also relaxing your lower back. Try to maintain the
feeling of the Kidney Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice
and in your daily life.
4. Repeat the Kidney
Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to
help alleviate fear, fatigue, dizziness, ringing in the ears or back pain.
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| Liver |
Third Healing Sound:
Liver Sound
1. Sit comfortably with
your back straight, your hands resting on your liver, and your eyes closed.
Smile down to your
liver. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your liver.
Picture a forest.
Imagine the sun shining on the forest creating life force and green light.
2. Take a deep breath.
Open the eyes and extend your arms out to the side, palms up. Continue raising
the arms overhead, intertwine the fingers and rotate for palms up. Bend
slightly to the left, exerting a gentle pull on the liver. Open your eyes wider
because they are the openings of the liver. Slowly exhale with the sound
“Shhhhhhh”.
Feel that the sound
starts to move the chi in the liver. Know that any excess heat and toxins are
expelled from the liver as the sacs surrounding the liver are compressed.
3. Nurture good
emotions. Sit upright with palms over the liver and think to radiate green
light, the forest energy and kindness into the liver. Rest, close your eyes, be
aware of your liver. Smile at your organ and imagine that you are still making
the Liver Sound. Breathe normally and ‘see’ your liver glowing with green
rejuvenating light. Concentrate on the virtue of kindness and forgiveness. This
will lessen anger, aggression and frustration energy. Try to maintain the
feeling of the Liver Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice
and in your daily life.
4. Repeat the Liver
Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to
help expel anger, clear red or watery eyes, remove a sour or bitter taste and
to detoxify the liver.
Fourth Healing Sound:
Heart Sound
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| Heart |
1. Sit comfortably with
your back straight, your hands resting on your heart, and your eyes closed.
Smile down to your heart. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your heart.
Picture a red ball as a
sun setting.
2. Take a deep breath.
Open the eyes and take the same position as for the liver sound. This time,
however, you will lean slightly to the right to pull gently against the heart.
With the tongue lightly touching the lower teeth open a rounded mouth and
slowly exhale with the sound “Hawwwwww”. Feel the sound start to move the chi
in the heart. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled from the heart
as the sacs surrounding the heart are compressed.
3. Nurture good
emotions. Sit upright with palms over the heart and think to radiate red light,
love and inner joy into the heart. Rest, close your eyes, be aware of your
heart. Smile at your organ and imagine that you are still making the Heart
Sound. Breathe normally and ‘see’ your heart glowing with red fiery light. Concentrate
on the virtue of compassion. Strengthening the heart for more love, inner joy,
honor, respect and sincerity. This will lessen hastiness, arrogance and hatred
in the heart; cooling any jealousy. Try to maintain the feeling of the Heart
Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice and into your daily
life.
4. Repeat the Heart
Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to
help relieve sore throats, cold sores, swollen gums or tongue, jumpiness,
moodiness and heart disease.
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| Spleen |
Fifth Healing Sound:
Spleen Sound
1. Sit comfortably with
your back straight, your hands resting on your spleen, and your eyes closed.
Smile down to your stomach and spleen. Be aware of the quality of the energy in
your stomach and spleen. Picture the yellow of a beautiful field of sunflowers.
2. Take a deep breath.
Open the eyes, move the arms to the front and place the first three fingers of
both hands just beneath the sternum on the left side of the rib cage. Gently
push your spleen to the back as you exhale a “Whooooooo” sound. This is more
guttural or ‘throaty’ than the kidney sound. Know that any excess heat and
toxins are expelled from the organs as the sacs surrounding them are
compressed.
3. Nurture good
emotions. Sitting upright with palms over the spleen and think to radiate
yellow light, fairness, openness and stability into the spleen. Rest, close
your eyes, be aware of your stomach and spleen. Smile to them and imagine that
you are still making the Spleen Sound. Feel the vibration of the sound
moving and cleaning the energy in the stomach and the spleen. Breathe normally
and ‘see’ your organs glowing with warm yellow light. Worries are lessened.
Feel the fairness, openness, balance and harmony growing in the stomach and spleen;
transforming any worry in them. Try to maintain the feeling of the Spleen Sound
for increasingly longer periods after each practice and in your daily life.
4. Repeat the Spleen
Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to
help eliminate indigestion, nausea and diarrhea.
Sixth Healing Sound:
Triple Warmer Sound
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| Triple Warmer |
The Triple Warmer refers
to the three energy centers of the body: The upper section (brain, heart and
lungs) is hot; the mid section (liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas and spleen)
is warm; and the lower section (large/small intestines, bladder and sexual organs)
is cool.
The sound “Heeeeeee”
serves to balance the temperature of the three levels - bringing hot energy
down to the lower center and cool energy up to the higher center.
1. Either lie on your
back or sit in a chair. Smile. Inhale. Bring palms over face and exhale with a
“Heeeeeee” sound.
2. Inhale fully into all
three energy centers: Chest, Solar Plexus and Lower Abdomen. Exhale fully with
the “Heeeeeee” sound. Imagine a roller pressing out your breath in all three
areas. You can use your hands to help move your chi from above your head to
your lower Tan Tien.
3. Rest. Focus on the
entire digestive tract.
4.
Repeat the Triple Warmer Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise
6, 9, 12, or 24 times to help relieve insomnia and stress. Note: The Triple
Warmer can be done lying down in bed to facilitate falling asleep.
Get at least 20 minutes of
sunlight a day, preferably in the morning. The sunlight enters your eyes and
triggers your brain to release specific chemicals, such as melatonin that are
vital to healthy sleep cycles and balanced moods, and help prevent premature
aging.
