Qigong Meditation

Healing with sound is very developed.

Our oldest reference to healing with sounds was in the Inner Classic of Acupuncture, where each major organ had an identified note. These organs’ Qi could be increased (tonified) by going up a half-tone, and dispersed or relieved by going down.

Unfortunately, the archaeological remains of the instruments that defined these notes did not survive. As a result, skilled musicians have developed their own approaches based on this. There are several extant now. I do not recommend a particular one, as my experience is limited here. I did have fun once releasing a point on a patient’s leg last year that would not change from needling, moxa, nor acupressure–only a tuning fork.

What is more consistent in our knowledge through the ages is the use of simple sounds as a seed syllable. The Chinese started identifying these centuries ago, figuring out which ones were warming and cooling, etc. Eventually the main organ systems were filled in.

Click here for a document of this ancient healing method of sound healing on Google Drive.

Experiences with the 6 Healing Sounds-

I started teaching these in an acupuncture clinic. I found that patients could sing out of their organs using these simple syllables during acupuncture treatments. This would change diagnostic acupressure points (known as Front-Mu or Alarm points) which reliably assess if an organ is doing well or not on a given day. Singing just 3 or more times is enough to change these points in a clinical setting. This was very empowering for patients.

In my enthusiasm for sharing Qigong, I gave patients specific Qigong movements in the 2000s. I discovered that this was much harder than having them come to a dedicated class where they could focus on the topic. However teaching 1 or 2 healing sounds to a patient was one practice they could do during the week after their treatment. It seemed particularly popular among patients with either stress or cancer diagnoses. Doing it alone in their car while driving seemed very useful, as traffic could be stressful in our city and most people drove alone. They could cut loose with the healing sounds while in traffic, even if they weren’t prone to singing.

In my own practice, I like to check my radial pulses as an acupuncturist with my first beverage. If an organ seems either low or stuck, saying one of the healing sounds associated with it has immediate effects on the pulse. This can be done quietly. Sometimes thinking of the sound is enough.

These healing sounds may seem very simple or foreign, but they are an impressive gift to humanity in their effectiveness, simplicity and practicality.