The Alchemy Singing Bowls and the Treatment of Addiction
As part of the series of Sound Healing and Vibrational Medicine, this current article focuses on Sound Healing and its effective use with Addiction. These valuable experiences were collected at a highly respected treatment center located in Fort Lauderdale, by B.S. Edith Echeverria, a certified Sound Healing Practitioner.
Edith has been playing the Crystal Alchemy Singing Bowls for groups since 2010. However, it is the groups of those young and old struggling with addiction which she has led since 2015, that have changed her life and her perspective towards Sound Healing forever.
This treatment center integrates music as their core value, to empower those suffering from addiction to take ownership of their recovery and their lives. They combine proven traditional practices with an innovative music-based treatment approach which includes the crystal singing bowl meditations as part of the curriculum.
The power of music is used in this center to help human beings break down emotional barriers and begin their healing process.
The Director of Creative Recovery is an award-winning singer/songwriter with 40 years experience in the music industry. He applies his expertise to compile songs that speak to deep emotions and personal struggles. As a person in recovery, he understands the importance of non-threatening, judgement-free communication during the treatment process.
His songs relate directly to the patient's personal journey, allowing them to open up about their illness and the damage addiction has caused in their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. He knows firsthand that music is an important gateway to people's hearts.
The power and potency of music as a unique healing force is one convincing reason why the Crystal Alchemy Singing Bowls make sense in an environment where music is the most valuable tool to unlock and release deep patterns of self-abuse and self-destruction.
The vibrational frequencies of the quartz in combination with the infused gemstones, metals and minerals are activated and amplified through the playing of a particular series of notes. In turn, they touch the patients where traditional therapy and medicines do not.
Please read Edith's experiences in her words.
The protocol we follow is very simple and similar to other sound healing groups. We place the crystal alchemy singing bowls in the centre of the room at the floor level where all the participants lay down on yoga mats with their heads towards the inner circle and their feet towards the walls.
The session is an hour and fifteen minutes long. This includes a personal introduction and a brief explanation about sound healing and the crystal alchemy singing bowls.
We remind them how science supports the fact that all of the universe is made of energy and vibration and how the sound of the crystal singing bowls raise our frequency which gives our bodies a more supportive environment for health and wholeness.
We explain simple breathing steps for silent meditation and we begin with 3 minutes of silence to then amplify the profound experience of the sound vibrations. This is followed by a guided meditation with the crystal singing bowls where we include silent moments and chanting moments to create active participation for the participants. At the end, 60-70% of the group is relaxed and probably 20% of them experienced a bodily felt sense of relaxation.
When they come back from their journey we open space for them to share their experiences, which are always beautiful and very personal. They are touched in the subtle areas of their inner selves.
Before we close the session, we always invite them to chant OM with the Crystal Singing Bowls as the human voice and the frequencies from the bowls make a magical container of safety and stability. Together, they create amazing overtones, sounds and vibrations that touch the soul in a very deep and transformational way.
We finally close with a circle where we hold hands and share positive words. Each participant chooses a word and creates a simple affirmation to carry with them during the week as their 'Mantra', i.e. I am tranquility. At the very end, we repeat together three times I am Peace, I am Peace, I am Peace. This anchors in their system.
So many touching experiences have happened during these past years, but there are a few which have moved my heart and my soul. Stories from real human beings that struggle every day to conquer their addiction and recover their lives. The experiences I have shared with them gives me the motivation to keep playing the bowls.
There was a boy around 20 years old who when we met, was quiet and shy. He crossed his legs and arms when he lay down on the yoga mat. He was not convinced of this kind of therapy and really did not want to be there. Although he fought with himself, he did not leave the session.
At the end he finished with his arms and legs open and excitedly asked me if he could be scheduled again the next week? He was very surprised to have experienced a few minutes of relaxation without thoughts or anxiety running through his mind. For the next two weeks he was explaining his experience to others with an enthusiastic amazement and even inviting them to join the group.
"Just come, it really works" were his words. He opened his legs and arms, but most important he opened his heart to the possibility of relaxation and inner tranquility. Maybe a sound or a silence made the difference for him. Weeks later I saw him in the half-way program, and to my joy, he looked like a totally different person!
He was excited and grateful to be part of the sound circle. At the end, he thanked me and hugged me. I just told him "thank you for opening your heart, it was you with your openness and willingness to feel who has changed your life.
You have allowed yourself to receive the gift of healing sound and to be touched by one moment, one sound perhaps or perhaps even the silence in between."
Another young Spanish speaking man was in his early thirties and he was very confident to speak with me about his addiction and the years he had been working on the process with his wife by his side.
He was very disciplined in following the instructions during the meditation and he received the healing sound and enjoyed the process every time he was there. Once he mentioned that during the meditation he saw himself riding his bike along the boardwalk at the beach.
Weeks later I saw him in the half-way program and he was so excited to tell me that he was able to ride his bike at the beach and his words were "I felt alive again, I almost forgot the feeling" and we cried together, tears of grace and happiness.
There was a young girl in her early twenties whose presence has stayed with me. In my experience, girls, in general, are more challenging than the young men. She was no exception, always fidgety and cranky and negative, complaining about the room temperature being too cold for her and the yoga mat too uncomfortable on the hard floor.
Still, she was curious to experience the sound vibrations of the alchemy crystal bowls. At the end, she was so excited to describe the geometric forms and the vivid colors she saw and the sense of peace that was hard for her to put into words. She was part of the group for the next three weeks and then she left.
I may never see her again, but I will never forget her. With the increase in the digitalization and rapid pace of our lives and the easy access to many unhealthy substances, addiction has become more widespread, especially among our youth.
I am so honored to be part of Recovery Unplugged and to serve those struggling with addiction through healing sound. Every week at the end of our sessions we share an intimate moment and set our intentions together to hold until the next meeting, Tranquility, Peace, and Freedom.
The vibrational frequencies of the bowls create a sacred space where we are all connected and the chosen addictive patterns can transform into positive life choices.
For further information on crystal alchemy bowl and sound healing please contact info@crystalcadence.com
