Sound Is Energy // Pt. 1
“Slowing down is an act of love. When you slow down, you invite space to listen to your energy and act in alignment with your essence."
-Kasey Grey
As we move into a new year, we pause to reflect on the state of our energy: where it stands, where to place it, how it may be honored and renewed. One of our greatest resources and determining factors for how we respond to life comes down to our energy—whether we feel depleted and on edge, or regenerative and refreshed.
Science tells us that sound is both energy and also something of a great energy-influencer. This is why I am here, showing up to write about the intersection of sound and well-being. This is why we at Sound Off relentlessly study psychoacoustics (the scientific study of sound perception, audiology, and psychology), sound therapy, sound design, and deep listening as a well-being practice.
Sound is one of the most democratic and accessible energy-influencers in our lives.
Sound is for everyone. Even for deaf or hard-of-hearing ears, our brains have capacity to absorb sounds connected to emotions, memory, as well as mental and psychological development. The inclusive nature of sound reflects how it may be used as a universal tool for our becoming, evolving, and unfolding.
When we listen to the world around us, a response similar to a tremendous, echoing boom of thunder sets off in our bodies. And though it might feel passive when this occurs, these small surges of energy act as a charge for the brain. These energy surges are acutely powerful when you listen to music, which stimulates nearly every region of the brain—activating the parts of our brain where memory, emotions, and perceptions live. And since sound affects our brainwaves, bodies, and feelings, we have the option to utilize its influence in our daily lives.
Sound can uplift, move, motivate, as well as calm our nervous system, slow our heart rate, and induce states of deep rest and relaxation. Dr. Otto-Heinrich Silber writes that sounds have the “capacity to, by circumventing our rational consciousness, enter into deeper levels of our physical bodies, but also into our psyche.” Getting acquainted with our energy’s unique landscape—getting present with it and pausing so we may respond rather than react—opens up new insight into how our energy flows.
We live with and within sounds we intentionally invite and ones that just happen—sounds we release and sounds we hold on to. Sound is a powerful instrument of energy, but it’s a tool that often gets lost because of its dailyness—background noise in our subconscious rather than a song of our intentional choosing. Perhaps considering sound as a sonic force that impacts the state of our energy could help us gain perspective. Perhaps by sifting through the sound in our lives, our view of ourselves might become more understood, liberated, and clear.
Pulse + Pause
Find a journal and pen, then explore what the following questions evoke. Allow your energy to reveal itself as you move through the prompts:
What influences your energy, for better or for worse?
What aspects of your daily experiences create flow, revitalization, perspective, and rest?
What sounds disturb or distract you?
What do you want your energy to feel like this year?
How might you design your days to weave in sounds that inspire creativity and aliveness?
After writing your responses, give yourself some space to listen to your energy. Consider the relationship between your energy and the sounds filling your days.
A blessing:
May you hear new sources of energy
May you create, move, heal, and see beauty
May you listen rather than mimic or react
May you rest, restore, and make new
