Written by: Peter Paul Parker, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We have all hummed at some point in our lives. We also have used the word ‘hummer’ to describe a small error or mistake. We usually hum when we are happy. I am sure you have heard many times, the annoying humming of someone with their headphones on, travelling on a bus, completely oblivious to the annoyance they are causing to the people around them. But did you realise that humming is actually an ancient spiritual practice?
Bhramari Pranayama
The practice is called bhramari pranayama. This is an advanced yogic practice from the Veda’s, which are the ancient scripts passed down to us from the East. Even more surprisingly, there have been scientific studies that have revealed why this practice was revered by our ancestors. How could something so simple and natural, and that anyone can do, be so beneficial to human beings who practice humming? It really does come down to frequency, vibration and intention, which is pretty much the key to everything in today’s world. We can almost detach from the effects of humming if our intention isn’t there, and we don’t take it seriously. We can block the,e effects with our mind if we choose to.
The Science is fascinating.
There was a study called ‘Immediate effect of a slow pace breathing exercise bhramari pranayama on blood pressure and heart rate’. The study is linked below where you can see for yourself what happened. The result of the study indicated that slow pace Bhramari pranayama for 5 minutes, induced parasympathetic dominance on the cardiovascular system. This means that you are going into your rest digest and heal state, rather than your fight or flight mode of the nervous system. We can lower our blood pressure and reduce our heart rate through humming. But the humming has to be intentional.
Frequency + Intent = Healing
If you have ever looked into Jonathan Goldman and his work with sound, he came up with a formula that goes like this. Frequency + Intent = Healing. Using a frequency and the power of our intent can actually cause healing in the body. I have always been amazed at the power of the body to be self-regulating and self-healing, but to be able to enhance that process with the power of our actions and intent, with something so simple as humming, is truly a game-changer for me. I have worked with sound and in particular, sound toning for many years now. This is toning your voice using a certain vowel on a certain frequency, for a particular purpose. I have always found this to be very powerful.
Some people tend to shy away from this as it can be intimidating if you are of the belief system that you can’t sing. That all disappears when we use humming as most people feel confident enough to hum. And since discovering this I have been using humming everyday to charge up the start of my day. I also have people I know doing the same thing now. And the early results are fabulous.
How does sound work when it comes to healing?
When we look at the science of cymatics, and how sound and frequency actually create physical form, we can see that everything has a blueprint, or some say, primal resonance. Other frequencies that gather round that frequency creates more of a complex object or being. Cymatics tells us the lower the frequency is, the lower the waveform is. The higher the frequency is, the more waveform there is. When you research this subject and see University studies where you see objects being created using sound on sand, and the sand even defying gravity, you are now beginning to see deeper into the nature of our reality.
When it comes to healing, everything has a certain core frequency. There are many reasons why our confidence may be low, and our creativity is lacking. From my work as a sound healer, I see it as blockages that can be easily overcome. Sound is an amazing way of clearing those blockages. Sound is not the only modality we can use, by a long way, but is it a fast and effective way once you put your intention into it. These blockages usually occur in the energy system of our bodies. These are called chakras, which are spinning balls of energy in our bodies.
I was skeptical about Chakras.
I must admit I used to turn off when I heard people talking about chakra systems and how they worked. I did not see the relevance to me and my life. I also did not really understand energy then, and I was coming from a place of ignorance. I decided I wanted to change that. I wanted to either prove they existed or prove that they didn’t exist. I surprised myself. I purchased some tuning forks on the 7-chakra system and started using them on people who were visiting me for sound healing.
I used to run the particular tuning fork over the chakra and when the chakra was underperforming, the tone became dull over the chakra. When the fork went up in frequency, the chakra seemed to be overperforming. What established my belief in the chakra system was when I diagnosed the client at the end of the session, the chakra system was telling me what the client had been through, before they even started to speak. This was so accurate and paradigm-changing for me, I learnt more about sound healing and even looked at different ways of healing the chakras. I have become a Ki Gong instructor and love working with the chakra system through movement now, as well as sound.
Are your creativity and confidence lacking?
Your creativity is mainly to do with your second or sacral chakra. When this is blocked, you will be lacking in creative ideas. This can be easily remedied in various different ways. I find a very quick way to bring this back into balance is taping two inches below your belly button with gentle fists for five minutes. Deep humming will do this also.
The lacking in confidence is to do mainly with your throat chakra being blocked. Humming will really help with this blocked chakra. Using your voice to heal your body is so powerful, that is why our ancestors have used the voice for thousands of years. Going back to our natural ways our ancestors discovered doesn’t mean going and living in a mud hut and singing at the sun necessarily. Not saying I think there is anything wrong with that. But we can use what we have in any surrounding to bring us back into a more natural state. That is where humming can help with both your creativity and confidence.
What can humming do for you?
I will refer to Jonathan Goldman again who put this list together from all the scientific research he has done on humming. Here are a few of the many benefits.
Increased oxygen in the cells—enhancing health and wellness.
Lowered blood pressure and heart rate
Increased lymphatic circulation—clearing toxins from the body
Increased levels of melatonin—a hormone that enhances sleep
Reduced levels of stress-related hormones—enhancing health and wellness
Release of endorphins—self-created opiates that work as “natural pain relievers” and make us feel good
Increased levels of nitric oxide, (NO), a molecule associated with vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels, and the promotion of healing
Release of oxytocin–the “love” hormone, creating trust between us.
Increased Nitric Oxide is an incredible discovery. It was announced as molecule of the year in Science back in 1992. Among its many attributes, it enhances our immune system, our respiratory system, and our cardiovascular system. Sound and vibration have been shown to release Nitric Oxide in the body. When you practice your humming, and really feel the vibrations deep down inside of your body, you can actually feel parts of your body that are blocked, starting to open.
Once you get really good at sensing and feeling the vibration inside of your body, you can actually direct the vibration to where you want it to go. The lower tones are to do with the lower parts of the body and the higher tones to the upper parts of the body. You can actually feel the vibration moving up your spine when you start off with a low hum and move it up in tone gradually. Feel the vibration moving up the spine and now you know what that is actually doing for your body when your intention is there.
I have a free YouTube video on humming for you to try the technique for five minutes. It is sometimes easier to have something practical to follow at first when you first start on the road of sound healing using humming. Here is the link to the video. Have fun.
Here is the study on humming meditation, also known as bhramari pranayama.
If you would like some help going deeper into sound healing, meditation and mindfulness, I do run an online coaching programme to help you find what you are looking for in your life.
Click the link below. I would be honoured to hear your story so far, and see where we can get you in the future. Just click this link.
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Peter Paul Parker, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Peter Paul Parker is an expert in the mind-body connection, a sound healer, and working with both the energy body and the physical body. Peter is a Ki Gong champion, having entered a competition with the British Team in Korea in 2016, winning the International competition. Peter has run a successful coaching business for many years and has particularly done some amazing work with the elderly. He has set up a charity called Brighter Living to help the elderly with their health and well-being using Ki Gong and meditation. Peter has also worked with schools in his local area, helping people connect with themselves, from grandchild to grandparents. Peter has launched the Bright Beings Academy, which is his online business, which incorporates everything that he does to empower people to reach their full potential as human beings. Peter's motto is 'If you don't own your future self, somebody else will!'
