Riding on the new vibration of the new year is a great time to nourish yourself with the healing power of music and positive affirmations. Perhaps you already write out short, positive statements, and tape them on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.

     Let me suggest that you take this spiritual psycho-technology to a higher octave by actually recording your own voice speaking these phrases. If you don’t have a digital dictation device, even an old analog cassette tape recorder will do. Many of you can also record directly into your computer.

     It’s really simple to get started on making your homemade program. Assemble a series of five-twenty statements. You can source them from the monthly magazines from Science of Mind or Unity, from books you may already have in your personal library (by Louise Hay, Shakti Gawain, or so many other fine authors), or from your friendly local retail store.

     Once you have your source material, type them out, and speak each one three times into your recording setup. Remember to take a deep breath between each statement. I suggest that you record in your bathroom for maximum positive acoustics in a non-professional recording studio environment. Bring a boom box into the room to play music to provide the background for your voice.

     Of course, you may also record in close proximity to your major stereo system. Trial and error will show you what the best blend will be in your own situation. Once you get into the flow, you may choose to gift yourself with a few hours in a real recording studio, with a professional engineer, to really honor your own process. The following hints are still applicable.

     Here’s an insider’s secret: depending on what music you are playing in the background, it’ll be easier or more challenging to breathe slowly and deeply. For instance, if you play fast music, your breath and heartbeat will entrain to the fast tempo, and it will difficult to fight the effects of automatic rhythm entrainment.

Sound-Assisted Subliminal Support and Self-Health

Once you are satisfied with the volume of your voice relative to the music, consider doing a second version, in which the volume of your voice is barely audible. Done correctly, this will allow the affirmations to bypass your conscious mind and its natural tendency to resist positive suggestions that are not yet manifesting in reality.

     And that’s really the key: your subconscious mind accepts input without resistance or analysis. As you can see, this can be a two-edged sword. But if you are in charge of the affirmations and messages you are feeding to your mind, it’s a “good thing.”

     You may find it helpful to listen to one of the CD programs that are part of my own Soundwave 2000™ Subliminal series. Remember, in most cases, you won’t consciously hear the spoken words, but your subconscious mind does, and responds accordingly. I’ll have samples available on my website.

     The final step is simply to listen and enjoy. lf you recorded onto a cassette, you already have a finished “master tape.” If you need to burn a CD, it’s well worth learning how.

     Listen at least once a day for at least thirty days. You may listen while driving, while going to sleep, or whenever convenient. I look forward to reading your emails about your experiences.

Harness the Healing Power of your Voice

Another great way benefit from active music-making and sound making is by chanting. To get started, begin with the universal mantra, “OM.”

     Chant it for one minute on a low note. Then chant for an equal amount of time on a mid-range note and then a high note. If you prefer, even thirty seconds can help you orchestrate your vibrational reality.

     You may, however, tend to get bored chanting by yourself. I know this feeling often comes up for me. That’s one of the reasons I’m so delighted to have a “backup choir” to accompany my chanting at home. “OM Suite OM,” a track on my latest CD Tonal Alchemy, has transformed my resistance to chanting. “Om Alone” is no longer necessary, and certainly not a future Macaulay Culkin film. You’ll find several versions of an orchestrated OM on Tonal Alchemy. I wish I had recorded this years ago, but, as they say, no time like the present.

     So consider giving yourself a present ... of the healing power of sound ... as an ideal way to raise your vibration in 2006. There’s a sample on my web site, but it’ll sound much better and be mor convenient on your own CD player, iPod, or other personal stereo system.

     Another great way to deepen your experience of music is through insights gained through reading books. A great new one is Music and Soul Making by Barbara Crowe (Scarecrow Press, 2004). The subtitle is “Toward a New Theory of Music Therapy,” which will give you a heads-up that it’s a heavy, often very intellectual overview of the field. But there’s so much of value to reward checking it out.

---

Steven Halpern is currently celebrating his 30th anniversary with the 30th anniversary edition of Chakra Suite, and his latest release, Tonal Alchemy. To hear samples, or to order, go to www.InnerPeaceMusic.com.

---

Next Article

Return to This Month's Index

Go to the Home Page