Mantras, Toning and Chanting
For many millennia, chanting has been used for focusing, becoming centered and healing. Chants are a powerful healing tool because of the proximity of the voice and the oral cavity to the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
Every sound is also a vibration. Sound vibrations are not only carried to the brain by the ear canal, ear drum and the aural mechanisms, but also through the bones of the skull. This is known as conductive hearing. This is especially true for sounds that you make yourself vocally.
Have you ever recorded yourself on a device and then listened back? Often the reaction is “That doesn’t sound like me!”. This is because we hear ourselves through a combination of sensory (through the ears) hearing.
“Particular vibrations (from chanting) can strongly stimulate the glands of the endocrine system, especially those found in the head and the neck. This includes the pituitary, the system’s master gland, and the hypothalamus”.1
What sounds should you chant?
The mantras chanted in yoga have been practiced since ancient times. According to Darma Singh Khalsa M.D. “The ancient mantras…were chosen specifically because of the sounds within them. On the simplest level these sounds include a plethora of vowels, which create a much greater vibratory action than percussive consonants.”
However certain consonants also have strong, direct action because of the way they make the tongue strike the upper palate. This striking force is carried to the pituitary, which is only millimeters away from the upper palate.”2
In her book Toning, Laurel Elizabeth Keys states “The vowel sounds can be used as a vessel into which the tone is poured and carried upwards.” 3
She goes on to describe how the progression of vowels from “ah” to “oh” to “oo” and finally to ”ee” directs the sound vibration upwards. Which is where you want it to focus in stimulating the pituitary gland.
Without getting into the metaphysical or spiritual systems practiced by each of these writers, I can leave it to you to explore them yourselves.
I can generally state that your chanting should contain open, elongated vowels punctuated by consonants that strike or connect with the upper palate such as “t”, ”n”, ”s” and “k”.
A word about chanting before I conclude this page. Chanting or Toning need to be combined with two things to be effective as a healing tool. These are breath and mental focus. These I will discuss on separate pages.
References
1. Dharma Singh Khalsa M.D., Meditation as Medicine, Pg.28,
paragraph 4. Fireside,NY,NY,2002.
2. Dharma Singh Khalsa M.D., Meditation as Medicine,
Pg. 106, Paragraph 2
3.Laurel Elizabeth Keys, Toning, Pg.33,paragraphs 1-3, Devross, Marina Del Rey, CA 1997.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Elizabeth_Keyes
