The Application of Sound in Kabbalistic Healing
Adapted from Mark Malachi, Opening the Inner Gates
The mastery of Kabbalah is the mastery of the art of revelation. It is a clearing and alignment of the four primary bodies: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. The more deeply one works with Kabbalah to the point of living it, not just thinking about it, the more light will dwell within. Kabbalistic work creates space within the aspirant because it heightens consciousness and expands the awareness of the levels of divinity in every aspect of the universe.
The pursuit of Kabbalah is a process. It is an unveiling of layer upon layer of meaning. It is easy to get caught up in the mental sphere as one analyses this one and that one’s theory, or what attributes are ascribed to this or that Sephiroth. While the mental component is crucial to understanding the whole of Kabbalah, the information itself is not Kabbalah, for Kabbalah is a process. It is a process of growth in consciousness, a process of making room in our bodies, hearts, minds and spirits for Light. If one is overly concerned with concepts and ideas, one does not leave room for the Light to dwell within.
The study of Kabbalah better enables us to serve our fellow beings on this planet and perform deeds of loving kindness and acts of repairing the world. In the end it is our actions that count. What good is knowledge if it does not cause us to behave in more ethical and loving ways? We study Kabbalah because it expands our perspective on the nature of Light and the Universe so we can repair the world and mend the broken hearts of our fellow human beings. One who practises esoteric Kabbalah (not just thinks about it) knows how to create Harmony, Light and Love, all of which are the basis of healing.
Healing and Sound
Healing is a process much as Kabbalah is a process. It is a process of returning to a balanced natural state of being. Consciousness, like breathing, expands and contracts, expands and contracts. At times we are aware and in tune with Spirit. At other times we forget who we are and why we are here. The natural rhythm of life follows the same pattern: a wave pattern. The waves may have a vast amplitude, such as the change of seasons and the phases of the moon. Or they may be much more rapid, such as light and sound waves. It only takes a small effort to notice that everything in life and in the world cycles and thus forms wave patterns. From the rotation of the earth to the beating of the heart … everything is vibration. And since everything that vibrates produces sound it can be said that all life is sound: an endless symphony of infinite proportion.
All matter, whether or not it is alive, has a natural state at which it vibrates its particular frequency. This is known as the resonant frequency. Each resonant frequency is an individual tone that sings the song of individual form. This phenomenon is demonstrated by tuning forks. When a specific pitch of the tuning fork is sung with the human voice, the fork vibrates sympathetically, ringing the same tone. One has thus found and intoned the resonant frequency of that particular form and has caused it to vibrate in its most natural fashion.
Our physical bodies have a resonant frequency as does each organ and cell. When the resonant frequency of the body part is sounded, the particular part of the body returns to its natural state as it vibrates sympathetically with the tone. Harmony, therefore, is the natural state of the human body, as it is in all of nature.
In terms of the Kabbalah, the Tree of Life can be viewed as the blueprint or prototype for the human body. It is composed of ten Sephiroth, each a vibrating and pulsating vortex of energy. Each Sephiroth corresponds to an area of the human body. When one of the Sephiroth is underdeveloped, its spiritual gift is unrealised and a blockage can occur in the corresponding aspect of the person. This may manifest in a spiritual, mental, emotional or physical problem. The optimum state of health exists when each Sephiroth is in harmony with each of the other Sephiroth.
Harmony, therefore, is determined by the degree to which each Sephiroth is open and functioning and in alignment with the whole. Each Sephiroth is actually an aspect of consciousness, just as it is a particular vibration. Each has its resonant frequency, which when aligned properly with all other Sephiroth, creates a beautiful harmony – a soul song.
When one of the Sephiroth is blocked, the faculties ruled by that Sephiroth are affected. For example, if it is YESOD, then creativity and intuition may be blocked.
Since the Tree of Life is a blueprint for life (just like DNA), one can work on their individual “tree” directly to achieve healing results. This means we can use sound to address spiritual issues such as healing the world, as well as psychological disorders such as depression by working on the spiritual, mental and emotional bodies directly. We can use sound in healing by directing the resonant frequency to the particular blocked area. By sounding the correct tones, the blocked energy will free itself thus promoting the free flow of life energy. Harmony and balance is then restored.
My Addition:
What does it mean to work on one’s “individual tree”? When we map your personal astrology upon the Tree of Life, the blueprint becomes unique to you. In my Kabbalah sessions, we work both with your personal Tree as well as the Tree of Life in general. As this article suggests, Sound brings Harmony and Harmony leads to Healing. In Tree of Life classes we accomplish this by using Hebrew letters as a meditation device as well as learning how to chant these letters both singularly and in permutations. When chanting we learn how to focus this chant into parts of our bodies.
FREQUENCY (vibration/sound) + INTENT (focus) = HEALING