As we flow into the energy of fall, we are surrounded by nature’s examples of letting go. The leaves in Calgary are already beginning to change colour as the trees prepare to let go of their leaves and ready themselves for the long winter.
What is calling to be released in your life? Are you feeling a need to de-clutter? Are your circles of friends shifting? As you evolve and change, you may notice that some people flow out of your life as new people flow in.
Do you feel some nostalgia as you let go of warm summer days? Or are you still holding on to them. Holding on to things you feel you will miss is a formula for getting stuck. Nature and the seasons are all about change and flow.
Holding on refers especially to holding on to your own emotional energy, or, if you are highly sensitive, someone else’s emotional energy. There are times when there is so much going on in our lives, or there is so much highly charged emotional energy, that we are unable to deal with them in the moment. When that happens, we tend to stuff them somewhere into the body with the intention to deal with them later.
The problem is that ‘later’ often never comes. The emotional energy that was stuffed into the body then begins to get our attention with physical symptoms of discomfort or disease.
These emotions can fester into a knot in the stomach, as shoulder or low back muscle tension, irritable bowels, fatigue, headaches, or a myriad of other symptoms. The truth is, a great deal of chronic illness in our modern world has an emotional core.
And because these symptoms seem minor, at least initially, we tend to ignore them.
We get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and once we do, we’ll hold on to that discomfort like an old friend. Yet it’s a friend that never serves us.
Emotional energy needs to be given the opportunity to move! When it gets stuck, it festers.
Sound is a fabulous tool to use to help you let go of some of those stuck places. Because sound goes through you, it sets every atom and molecule in your body into a state of vibration. It is this vibration that is the catalyst for the release of old, stuck, emotional energy.
There are many wonderful ways to use sound that supports this release. Here are a few:
Emotional health is fed in so many ways:
- Meditation. My favorite, especially over the past 5 years, is mantra meditation. My daily practice has been an anchor for me.
- Mindfulness. This, too, is an essential skill to hone. Awareness of your emotional state is the first step in managing and shifting to healthier states.
- Exercise. For as long as I can remember, I have always solved my biggest problems or received inspiration on my walks.
- Start a Gratitude Journal. Gratitude feeds the heart. The simple act of spending 5 minutes writing down 3 things you are grateful has lasting benefits for your emotional health.
- Connection and community. We are blessed with the internet that allows us to do this on an unprecedented scale. Also getting together in person with people in your circles supports emotional health.
- And Sound and Music!! You knew I was going to get to this, didn’t you!
Today, I am sharing with you a few precious sounds to feed your heart and emotional health.
1. Shake My Sillies Out!
When our boys were little, this was a favorite song for when they needed to wear off excess energy or process frustration. It is from Raffi’s album called, “more Singable Songs.” We wore this album out. Don your ‘little kid hat’ and follow along with Raffi here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QkT2Z5rmms0
2. Devi Prayer – Hymn to the Divine Mother
Immerse yourself in the presence of and connection to the Divine Feminine with this glorious chant: https://youtu.be/MZ0h1sb1IFI
3. The World’s Most Relaxing Song: “Weightless” by Marconi Union
This song was actually studied by neuroscientists (along with other songs). This one was most effective in stimulating the relaxation response: https://youtu.be/sYoqCJNPxv4
4. Nature Sounds
Nature sounds like wind, water and birdsong are some of the healthiest sounds. Go here for a free 60-minute download of gently bubbling water and birdsong, “Woodland Song”: www.soundwellness.com/woodlandsong
5. Private Session with Sharon
Sound is one of the most powerful ways to unwind stuck emotional energy in the body. Session with Sharon: https://www.soundwellnessinstitute.com/healing-session
In Health and Harmony,
