Expanding your Personal Space through Sound

The phenomenon of sound waves continues to amaze me. As a child my mother played Mozart and similar classical music, understanding on some level, the favourable neurological effects on brain development. Growing up I was surrounded by meditation, chanting, and dissonant singing in numerous languages, evoking strong ties to countries, cultures, and ancient practices far beyond my comprehension. Collective singing in any sort of school choir, evoked feelings of shared oneness, reminding me of the complimenting power of each individuals’ unique voice. Similarly, the simple act of sitting in the garden listening to a chorus of Magpies warble in harmony, continues to amaze me to this day.

Ever since I can remember I have been particularly sensitive to sound. In a crowded room, my ears would prick up from a cautionary tone of conversation in a far corner, diverting my attention to understand the persons involved. While backpacking in foreign lands, I could sleep easily in a room full of people, but would leap out of bed at an indiscriminate sound. This sensitivity has increased over the years, preventing me from attending music festivals, concerts, clubs, mass-scale social events, listening to the radio, and watching television at the end of the day. For me, undesirable sound is noise; and when loud sounds disrupt my inner peace, it depletes my vital substance.

In the modern world, external sound functions as a method for security. Noise in a sense, protects us by providing a short-term information overload that we devour for a quick thrill. Waves of commotion reverberate and circulate in layered chaos, shifting focus and importance to anything other than ourselves. The act of disconnection fragments any unconscious desire for comprehending our true needs. Energy required for hearing instinctive warnings, inner reflection, understanding personal anxieties, or addressing an underlying fear of total silence, is deferred through distraction. The constant disruption of our attention through external sound dilutes our ability to recognise the importance of silence. When we allow this intrusion to occur, we risk misidentifying our personal sound space, experiencing nervous stress through the blurring of boundaries.

Depending on the situation, person or environment, I will automatically decrease the footprint of my sound-awareness to improve my ability to respond. This self-preserving act aims to protect the sanity of my inner silence, by physically removing myself from the influence of the interjecting energy. While this answer may work in a public environment, unfortunately I experience noise pollution in my home every evening from an angry, abusive neighbour, yelling at his children and wife for anything and everything. Solving this problem is not as easy as slamming windows, drawing blinds, or relocating to another area of the house, for his effect provokes uneasiness within. In this particular situation, mindfulness fails to acknowledge the power of sound on one’s energy field, and so the response must therefore produce sound to counter-balance harmony for the ears.

To re-establish the true sound of your soul, stand up close to a wall so you can hear your voice. Take a deep breath in through your mouth, expanding your belly, chest and shoulders. Whether you feel inclined to sing a favourite tune, hum, recite ‘om’ or a similar calming phrase, make non-sense sounds like a baby, or speak your name, the act of hearing your own voice draws your energy downward, expanding your centre point outward again. The act does not try to compete with ongoing external noise, but rather arranges your listening attention for your higher good. You no longer need to split your attention between thoughtless people, but assert your personal control through an act of self-care.

What might come to light in one’s consciousness if we nourished our inner soundscape with attention and reflective silence? Meaning and purposeful direction perhaps? The only person that can answer this question is your voice. Be open to hearing what it has to say.