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Use of Vowels in Sound Therapy

The use of vowels as a part of sound therapy has been coming up a lot for me lately. Joseph Rael talks about the use of vowels for healing, there are plenty of references to the use for vowels for clearing chakras, Gnostic teachings, PrimaSounds and although not strictly vowels, Bija Mantras as taught by John Beaulieu all teach how to use vowel sounds for healing.

Here is what you'll find on a search for which vowels are associated with the chakras:
Root UH - relax your throat so that you feel the vibration in your chest
Sacral OOO (like "you"), also trying to get the vibration deep into you chest
Solar Plexus OH like Ohm
Heart AH
Throat EYE
3rd Eye AYE (like "say")
Crown EEE (like "me", get as high a pitch as possible)

In his book Sacred Sounds: Magic & Healing Through Words & Music, Ted Andrews explains:

This method of opening by the vowels can be better understood if we realize that breath penetrates deeply into the region concerned, according to our thoughts. The breath takes the energy of prana and combines it with the vowel tones and together they open specific inner regions of the body or consciousness.

Vowel - Area of Body Opened by its Sounding U - Pelvis, hips, legs, feet, and lower body in general. O - Lower trunk, abdomen area from solar plexus to groin. A - Chest cavity, heart, and the body as a whole. E - Throat, upper chest, and head regions. Back of the skull and head regions.

Each vowel creates what I consider to be an internal echo chamber. Once you start to feel the vibration, the vibration you created continues to echo within your body, even after you've stopped. If you don't feel it, visualize using either the chakra table above or Andrew's guide.

As part of using vowels in sound therapy, try to not only feel where the vibration is but also how it feels. Do you feel good, agitated, etc. Be careful not to judge the feeling though. Unless it is painful, I would continue regardless of the feeling. A feeling of discomfort may just be an indication that certain chakras are "out of tune".

Joseph Rael

I've mentioned it before but Joesph Rael's book, Sound, Native Teachings and Visionary Art and Being and Vibration are very good. I would not call them "how to" books but they give a really good perspective on Native American use of vowels and sound healing.

Rael points in Sound, out that each vowel has a meaning:

  • A -- Purification
  • E -- Placement
  • I -- Awareness
  • O -- Childlike Innocence
  • U -- Carrying
and using a combination of vowels bring focus to specific organs:
Brain: aah-ii Eye: eh-eh Facial Nerve: aah-ii-ahh
Spine: ii-eh Ribs: ii Lung: uu
Spleen: eh-eh Stomach: ooh-aah Kidney: ii-eh-ii
Rectum: eh-uu Femoral Artery: eh-ooh-aah aah-eh-ii FemurL eh-uu
Patella/Knee Bone: aah-eh-aah Tibia: ii-ii-aah Feet/Ankles: ii-ii / aah-eh
In the book Sound, Native Teaching and Visionary Art, you can learn how download and listen samples of these tones.
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