As a highly sensitive person, I often can often feel overwhelmed after being in the presence of busy environments and through the interactions with other people. So I frequently use meditative vocal sound healing techniques to de-stress, release negative emotions and restore balance within.
It is not always easy to find suitable environments to support vocal sounding. So I use woodland walking as an opportunity to enact vocal sound healing techniques within a safe space.
Did you know that a regular practice of self created vocal sounding and meditative breathing can increase the body’s oxygen levels, decrease blood pressure, improve lymphatic circulation and encourage the body to produce more Oxytocin (a natural pain relief hormone)?
MY WOODLAND Walk WITH VOCAL sound HEALING
On a recent Sunday morning I took a stroll into Banstead Woods with my dog. This particular woodland is vast in space with beautiful green tall trees and hand crafted sculptures such as the ones I came across below.
When I began my walk I initially felt conscious of the busy car park area with crowds of people. So I wanted to locate a quiter walking path to aid my healing process.
As I progressed my walk I soon came across these wooden ornaments (a girl standing next to a lampost, a tall proud lion and an engraved image of a buzzard as shown above. Banstead woodland is actually known for its representation of the Lion, Witch and Waldrope story.
As I walked I became more connected to the natural surroundings and soothing sounds of birds singing which eased my mind.
A routine of personal space is a key incredient to my wellbeing. So I soon discovered pathways to enjoy the walk with a more sense of freedom (phew!).
I believe it is important to often step into the unknown and out of the comfort zone. So I love discovering new pathways that are unfamiliar and finding my way through these.
As I moved deeper into the woodland I breathed the fresh air through my nose and deeply into my bottom of my stomach (diaphragm area) whilst setting the intention to let go of any stress held within my system. I breathe out and let go of any mindful attachments and breathe in nature’s rejuventating energy.
Our breath converts our life-sustaining energy and even a short routine practice of deep breathing detoxifies and strengthens the immune system.
I then visualized unwanted energies being channelled from out of my hands and into the earth and trees around me. As nature constantly re-generates and recycles energy I find this a particularly useful technique to help refresh the auric energy field.
My vocal sound healing & CHAKRA BALANCING technique
I then started to vocalize several healing bija mantras to help cleanse and re-balance my Chakras.
Bija mantras are known as “seed mantras” as they have the cosmic power to unlock growth and healing. These simple chants provide vibrational frequencies to rebalance the chakras energy fields.
If you are not familiar with Chakras. These are energy centers, or portals in the human energy field that receive and transmit energy and act as gates through which our life force flows in and out of our physical bodies. These energy fields can often become blocked because of physical, emotional, mental, traumas or spiritual disturbances and require frequent cleansing and recharging in order to function well.
So during my walk in the woodland I started to vocalize the mantras LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM, SHAM & AUM, in this particular order.
Each of these mantras represent the seven main energy centers from the Root to the Crown.
The 1st chakra called the Root Chakra supports survival and security. The associated colour of this chakra is red. The bija mantra is LAM.
The 2nd is the Sacral Chakra. The life force for creation, recreation, and procreation. The colour is orange. The mantra is VAM.
The 3rd is the Solar Plexus Chakra which is connected to our personal power. The colour is yellow. The mantra is RAM,
The 4th is the Heart Chakra. The energy centre for compassion, love and joy. The colour is green. The mantra is YAM,
The 5th is the Throat Chakra. Self-expression, communication and speaking the truth. The colour is dark blue and mantra is HAM,
The 6th is the Brow (3rd Eye). The centre of inner wisdom. The colour is indigo. The mantra is SHAM,
The 7th is the Crown Chakra associated to spiritual connectivity. The colour is Violet Purple. The mantra is AUM.
Here is an image showing the location of the several Chakras:
How to Vocalise the Bija Mantras
To sound the bija mantras I first relax the head, jaw and visualise an open throat and then focus my intention to balance and energise each Chakra whilst opening up the vocal sounds.
You can listen to an short audio recording of me pronouncing the bija mantras LAM, VAM, RAM, YAM, HAM, SHAM & AUM here:
I tend not to worry to much about how the mantras actually sound like. I mainly focus on expressing sounds that just naturally feel good to me.
To find the correct pitch for a particular chakra you can scan the body up and down whilst feeling for a resonance. The pitch will change according to the mood, diet, activities and emotional states on a daily basis. There is no set frequency for the Chakras. I tend to use the several notes of the musical scale of C, D, E, F, G, A & B which works for me.
When I connect to the energy of a Chakra I can naturally feel whether it is open or blocked. Although Chakras function individually they are also interconnected with each other. So I allow the energy created by each vocal mantra to move up to the next Chakra I work on. I tend to move onto the next mantra when it feels intuitively right to do so.
On this particular day my heart chakra needed more attention than the others, so I vocalised YAM for a longer duration.
At the end of the walk and vocal sounding session in Banstead Woods I felt totally relaxed and energetically re-balanced within. It felt like a total recharge for my body and mind.
The walks with vocal sound healing exercises uplift my mood to such an extent that I always feel ready to face the world with greater strength and confidence.
My walking companion
There is something special about having a dog to share the walks with. My regular walking companion Chiwawa Angelica loves her walks in nature. Here is a picture I took of her during our walk in Banstead woods.
Although I normally prefer to have quite time during my walk, Angelica quite often attracts the attention of other people. However, I do find that greeting other dog walkers provides me with an energetic lift within my heart.
Walks are also a distressor for dogs. Although she can be resistant at times (especially at the beginning the walk) her confidence for adventure soon picks up. She is a very strong and fun loving animal.
I now have a routine to walk and use meditative vocal techiques on Sunday mornings with my dog. It is always something we both look forward to.
I would be interested to know if you use vocal sound healing techniques when walking or exercising. If so what do you experience, like or dislike about the process?
I welcome you to share your thoughts about this post within the social comments box below.
In the meantime, keep on path with your healing journey!
