Healing & Sound
In the late 1990s I received guidance to run an art and sound playshop in which people would experience the 13 phases of co-creatorship. The programme required sound that would resonate with each of the 13 steps, in order to inform the senses more powerfully. I wanted, natural, ‘indigenous’ sound with pure harmonics, so I approached my brother and sister-in-law, directors of the Association of Sound Therapy in Spain. Nestor and Michele produced what they called The Harmonic Octave CD which was perfect for the playshop, and has contributed to it being a truly transformative programme. They created the CD by following and focusing on the 13 tones of creative action also covered in the book, The Mayan-Galactic Codes, So while being a professional project, the making of the CD was also an ‘experiment in co-creation’.
It’s not surprising to me that when I listen to the sound for tone 10 - the tone of manifestation - that there is no doubt in my mind it was divinely inspired.
It also does not surprise me that this has gone on to become by far the best-
selling CD they have produced.
Anton Kornblum
Double CD Price: €25
|
 |
Tuning forks emit pure sounds, that are represented as pure sine waves, without any harmonics. They can be used in a great variety of ways.
To activate a tuning fork, one holds the single stem, and strikes the fork on a block of hard rubber or wood covered in leather or fabric. Make sure the surface cannot scratch the fork. Strike in such a way that only one of the two prongs touches the striking block, that is, at 90º to the surface.
Tuning Forks Price: €65
|
 |
Firstly let’s look at how the forks can be used on the physical body. The stem of the activated fork can be placed on the bones and articulations to restore movement and flexibility, and aid the development of connective tissue. They stimulate the flow of lymph and blood to the area of application thereby speeding up the healing process, and promote deep relaxation and the elimination of built up stress and toxins from the joints.
For those who have a working knowledge of the meridians, or using a clear and simple chart, the forks can serve as tools for vibratory acupressure. Using the “shu” points, which are the master points of each meridian, the Shiatsu points, reflexology points of the feet or spine, and other reflex points on the body, a vibratory signal can be sent more strongly and rapidly with a tuning fork than with a needle.
Both Fabien Maman (author of ‘Music and Sound in the 21st Century), and Hans Cousto (author of “The Cosmic Octave”) support the use of forks directly on the body, as do I. All the organs can be tuned in this way.
Given our vibratory nature and that of the forks, it is fast and effective through sympathetic resonance to bring each meridian and its corresponding organ/s back into harmony.
Placing the activated fork near the ears (no closer than 5cms) helps also to balance and regulate the metabolism of all the organs, which have a direct link to the auditory nerve. This also has a powerful regulatory effect on the entire nervous system, creating deep relaxation or stimulation, depending on which forks are used.
We can also use the forks very effectively in the electromagnetic fields around the body, known also as the subtle energy bodies or aura. As is the case with the physical organs, sets of Tuning forks have been created specifically for the 7 major chakras. Chakras are spinning vortices of energy that correspond with and are located in the area of the major glands. They are visible to some people, and can be detected with modern equipment. The vibrating forks can be held or moved in a circular way around each chakra. Be aware that the chakras extend out from the body both in front of and behind each one of us. The subtle bodies are divided into layers, the first three of which most concern us at the present time of our evolution. In order of closeness to the body they are the etheric, the emotional or astral, and the mental energy layers. Tuning forks can be used to entrain the chakra or energy layer in which the fork is vibrating, harmonizing, balancing and assisting in the release of stuck energy which may have accumulated in the area.
Two tuning forks can be used simultaneously or consecutively to apply specific musical intervals the zone in question. Each musical interval (an interval is the name given to the distance between any two musical notes e.g. the 5th, the 6th, the 3rd and so on) affects the emotional, mental and physical body in a different way. Some intervals have a calming, tranquilizing effect and others a stimulating or activating effect. Yet others create tension, release or other reactions. There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ intervals, they all have an effect which can be used in Sound Therapy depending on the desired result.
Fabien Maman and John Beaulieu (author of Sound and Music in the Healing Arts) have each developed their own system for using forks in this way, as have Michêle Averard (my wife and partner in Sound) and I.
John Beaulieu has actually invented some of the most commonly used forks. These include the Otto forks and the Solar Harmonic Spectrum. The Otto Forks are octaves of the note ‘C’, and the three forks are C: 32Hz, 64Hz, and 128Hz (Hz stands for Hertz after the discoverer, and means cycles per second). The Solar Harmonic Spectrum is a set of 8 forks reflecting the natural octave: Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do. It was Pythagoras who discovered the Harmonic Series or Overtone Series, and this scale forms the basis of the original 8-note octave used in Solfège. In the Anglo Saxon countries this is represented by the letters C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. This set is ideal for applying the different musical intervals directly to the body, made more effective when the forks are weighted at the ends, or in the subtle bodies, for which weighted forks are not necessary. With these 8 forks it’s possible to create all the major intervals, the 2nd DO:RE, 3rd DO:MI, 4th DO:FA, 5th DO:SOL, and so on.
The Swiss mathematician and Sound Therapist Hans Cousto presents in his book a whole system of planetary forks for healing. He calculated the solar year of each planet, that is, the time it takes to circle once around the sun, and converted the resulting figure into an audible tone. The most well-known and commonly used of these forks is the “OM” fork, or Earth Year Tone fork. This is a wonderful tone close to C# (C-sharp) that can be used for just about everything. Because we live on an enormous vibrating body, the Earth, it is obvious, given the laws of sympathetic resonance, that we are vibrating in harmony with the Earth’s major cycles. The Solar year is the most vital of these cycles. Of course, when we become ill, our vibration becomes distorted or ‘dissonant’, and loses harmony with this cycle. The OM fork works to return this harmonious vibration to our entire system, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It can be used first near the ears, so the sound travels through the body and brain from the auditory nerve. It can then be used in the subtle energy bodies, and finally on the bones and meridians of the physical body. As with all the forks, it is most effective if one hums the tone of the fork with one’s own voice. This increases the power of the treatment substantially.
Tuning forks create a bridge between Sound and structure. They are material or physical in nature, yet vibrate strongly enough to transmit that vibration. They also vibrate, as does the human body, according to specific harmonic proportions which reflect the geometry of their structure. The phenomenon of sympathetic resonance is reinforced by their use on or around the body. From atom to molecule, to cells and DNA, the body is constructed from geometric shapes that fit together to form the whole. The tuning forks, by closely matching some of the most vital of these natural ratios, is able to “entrain” the body’s vibration and return it to its “optimum”, healthy vibration. They are wonderful, useful tools for use in Soundhealing, and we suggest that they be used in conjunction with other instruments such as singing bowls and more importantly the voice and vocal harmonics (overtone chant).
Each instrument has a different effect on the human system, so it’s good to keep things simple at first. If you already have or wish to acquire a fork or set of forks, have fun and enjoy experimenting with them on yourself before trying them on anyone else. For those who are sensitive to sound and vibration, the sensations evoked and created by the forks can be very strong. As with all therapeutic tools, it is wise to go slowly, taking note of any changes or improvement in one’s condition.
It is important to remember that the tuning forks are tools, and all tools can be used in many ways that may be completely original. We always encourage students to follow their intuition and their own inner ‘knowing’ when using the forks, and never to limit themselves to someone else’s system or structure. As an introduction to the healing power of Sound, the forks are practical and enjoyable to use. They can assist one to develop the confidence to try other sound tools such as the voice.
Nestor Kornblum is co-founder and co-director of both the Spanish and the International Associations of Sound Therapy. He has worked tirelessly over the last 12 years to promote the use of Sound and Overtone singing as a healing modality worldwide. It has also been a personal desire of his to bridge the gap between the more spiritually and esoterically focused Overtone singers, and those focused mainly on using it as a musical art form. His new instructional book with CD “Overtone Chant: the Practical Guide”, with text in 6 languages, was written in response to requests from his students in the many countries where he conducts workshops. Together with his wife Michêle Averard he has published several CDs of music with overtone singing and ancient acoustic instruments for healing and relaxation.
Click Here for more information |