"Darren Hall's music is sound-healing-energy...a journey into the
deep bliss of your being...and an evolution of consciousness at its
highest level. His use of the crystal bowls and also his shamanic voice
sends you into another dimension...one of total healing and
integration....sublime!"
- Meenakshi and Ron Reid of Swaha
deep bliss of your being...and an evolution of consciousness at its
highest level. His use of the crystal bowls and also his shamanic voice
sends you into another dimension...one of total healing and
integration....sublime!"
- Meenakshi and Ron Reid of Swaha
Music of a Higher Kind...
Shen
My journey into using sound as a medicine is quite an adventure and one I feel very blessed to be still voyaging on. Sound Medicine is truly becoming one of the most incredible frontiers of modern medicine and I believe we're going to see even more incredible innovations in the field in the coming years that will validate what famous American psychic, Edgar Cayce, said decades ago: "Sound is the medicine of the future." We're already seeing it in hospitals as Ultrasound (and aside from its traditional uses in helping scan the body's interior such as with seeing the gender of fetuses, Ultrasound is also being used to break down gallstones), and modalities such as Tuning Fork Therapy and even the beneficial playing of different kinds of music during surgerical procedures is quickly evolving the dynamic possibilities of sound as a force of healing. What's also interesting is that using sound and music as a form of medicine is not new at all! Indigenous cultures have long used music and sounds in their healing ceremonies, such as the healing songs of the Native American tradition, the essential role of the drum in the Shaman's work and even instruments themselves have their origin as therapeutic devices, such as the didgeridoo which was innovated by the Aboriginals of Australia as a powerful healing tool (if you know someone who plays this powerful instrument, ask them to play it over energetic centres on your body and you'll see for yourself!). There's even traditions in Western culture dating back to ancient Greek culture with Pythagorus and his pioneering work in organizing the musical scale and his declaration that the universe itself was a giant symphony of harmony, culminating in what he deemed 'the music of the spheres' -- the harmonic tones made by the planets as they circled the Sun. What is fascinating is that NASA has sent satellities to the planets of our solar system and has actually recorded these sounds!
I came across Sound Medicine when I found that my musical/artistic side was restless to integrate itself in my medical training and was finding no easy way into my rigorous Chinese Medicine studies. It was the counsel of an Ayurvedic Teacher who opened me to the notion that I should check out what she called 'Sound Healing'. Little did I know that typing in those two words into the Google search bar later that evening would set me off on an amazing odyssey that I'm still living to this day! Serendipitously, I attended a performance by David Hickey of Crystal Journey a mere week later on the Winter Solstice. This was my first introduction to Crystal Singing Bowls. Deeply moved by David's numinous music, I realized why for years I had been frustrated making music in the traditional format of different rock bands and going it on my own as a singer-songwriter. That kind of music always seemed to be somehow too self-centred for me, not deep enough and unfulfilling. But here was music being produced with a powerful intent of healing, and created in a way that relied on improvisation and intuition; something I'd always felt an affinity with since I was a child who had a penchant for making music out of nothing.
In my journey, I was also introduced to the use of applying tuning forks to acupuncture points not only in place of the traditional use of needles but in a whole new paradigm of sound medicine that uses the vibratory principles of sound to effect powerful changes in an individual. This was, of course, a very natural progression for me already with my Chinese Medicine training and I'm grateful to have found another texture to my integration of my musical/artistic nature in my practice of medicine. Such treatments are quite profound with most patients remarking that they enjoy the feeling of the tuning forks emitting vibration into their bodies via the acupuncture points, often feeling the vibrations coursing through the specific acupuncture channels and effecting powerful medicinal results. I've even observed, like others in the field, that sometimes the forks effect change faster than the needles and though this isn't yet completely understood it theoretically makes sense as sound is very basic to the nature of things. As Einstein pointed out, all matter is really just energy and all energy is moving or vibrating. Moreover, if it's vibrating, it's making a sound or frequency so working on that level of things allows us to work on a very basic realm.
I'm happy to say that my journey into Sound Medicine continues to be ever-evolving. My SHEN (Sound Healing ENergy) events have garnered tremendous attention and popularity. People seem quite drawn to the novelty of the experience and, of course, the remarkable nature of the crystal singing bowls, and I'm often told that my performances are among the most beautiful things people have ever heard, which is really thrilling! Along with my monthly residency at The Inner Garden, I'm also excited to have found an accepting community in the yoga network. Sound Healing and yoga seems a natural affinity as yoga nidra is an ancient practice of using sound to effect healing, notably referenced in the frequent use of chanting and mantra in all yoga traditions. I provide 'crystal music' for an ongoing class at Kula Yoga Annex called "Go Deep With Sound" in partnership with the magnificent yoga teacher, Josie Houpt and the feedback has been also very positive, with some remarking that the merging of yoga practice with sound healing has created some of the best yoga classes they've ever experienced. I'm also beginning many other partnerships in the yoga community at such places as The Yoga Sanctury, Downward Dog and 889 Yonge so look out for me! Indeed, to be making music of such uniqueness and depth is a blessing and I'm so incredibly blessed to be able to share the gift of crystal music with the masses in this time when integrating spirituality and music of a higher kind into all of our endeavours is so important.
Here's a link to a blog entry written by Nicky Poole, Yoga Community Leader at the popular 889 Yonge Wellness Spa and Yoga Studio describing one of our classes we created together with yoga and the sounds of crystal singing bowls: here.
*I am available for private Crystal Singing Bowl performances for groups at homes and other spaces. I also bless spaces and offer my services to commence events, using the powerful tones of the bowls with my intuitive singing to charge spaces and empower intent. Please inquire for more details!*
I came across Sound Medicine when I found that my musical/artistic side was restless to integrate itself in my medical training and was finding no easy way into my rigorous Chinese Medicine studies. It was the counsel of an Ayurvedic Teacher who opened me to the notion that I should check out what she called 'Sound Healing'. Little did I know that typing in those two words into the Google search bar later that evening would set me off on an amazing odyssey that I'm still living to this day! Serendipitously, I attended a performance by David Hickey of Crystal Journey a mere week later on the Winter Solstice. This was my first introduction to Crystal Singing Bowls. Deeply moved by David's numinous music, I realized why for years I had been frustrated making music in the traditional format of different rock bands and going it on my own as a singer-songwriter. That kind of music always seemed to be somehow too self-centred for me, not deep enough and unfulfilling. But here was music being produced with a powerful intent of healing, and created in a way that relied on improvisation and intuition; something I'd always felt an affinity with since I was a child who had a penchant for making music out of nothing.
In my journey, I was also introduced to the use of applying tuning forks to acupuncture points not only in place of the traditional use of needles but in a whole new paradigm of sound medicine that uses the vibratory principles of sound to effect powerful changes in an individual. This was, of course, a very natural progression for me already with my Chinese Medicine training and I'm grateful to have found another texture to my integration of my musical/artistic nature in my practice of medicine. Such treatments are quite profound with most patients remarking that they enjoy the feeling of the tuning forks emitting vibration into their bodies via the acupuncture points, often feeling the vibrations coursing through the specific acupuncture channels and effecting powerful medicinal results. I've even observed, like others in the field, that sometimes the forks effect change faster than the needles and though this isn't yet completely understood it theoretically makes sense as sound is very basic to the nature of things. As Einstein pointed out, all matter is really just energy and all energy is moving or vibrating. Moreover, if it's vibrating, it's making a sound or frequency so working on that level of things allows us to work on a very basic realm.
I'm happy to say that my journey into Sound Medicine continues to be ever-evolving. My SHEN (Sound Healing ENergy) events have garnered tremendous attention and popularity. People seem quite drawn to the novelty of the experience and, of course, the remarkable nature of the crystal singing bowls, and I'm often told that my performances are among the most beautiful things people have ever heard, which is really thrilling! Along with my monthly residency at The Inner Garden, I'm also excited to have found an accepting community in the yoga network. Sound Healing and yoga seems a natural affinity as yoga nidra is an ancient practice of using sound to effect healing, notably referenced in the frequent use of chanting and mantra in all yoga traditions. I provide 'crystal music' for an ongoing class at Kula Yoga Annex called "Go Deep With Sound" in partnership with the magnificent yoga teacher, Josie Houpt and the feedback has been also very positive, with some remarking that the merging of yoga practice with sound healing has created some of the best yoga classes they've ever experienced. I'm also beginning many other partnerships in the yoga community at such places as The Yoga Sanctury, Downward Dog and 889 Yonge so look out for me! Indeed, to be making music of such uniqueness and depth is a blessing and I'm so incredibly blessed to be able to share the gift of crystal music with the masses in this time when integrating spirituality and music of a higher kind into all of our endeavours is so important.
Here's a link to a blog entry written by Nicky Poole, Yoga Community Leader at the popular 889 Yonge Wellness Spa and Yoga Studio describing one of our classes we created together with yoga and the sounds of crystal singing bowls: here.
*I am available for private Crystal Singing Bowl performances for groups at homes and other spaces. I also bless spaces and offer my services to commence events, using the powerful tones of the bowls with my intuitive singing to charge spaces and empower intent. Please inquire for more details!*
