It is nearly three years ago now that I met Karina Schelde for the first time. A friend recommended I attend a weekend workshop in Melbourne facilitated by the internationally recognised voice healing pioneer. I had been battling with depression for five years and after trying several traditional and alternative methods with little success I was willing to try anything. I had learned that depression comes from suppressed emotions but had not yet been able to fully set them free. I could never have imagined that the Soul VoiceTM workshop was the start of such a life changing expedition.
We would all agree that living things are made up of cells that contain energy. This energy vibrates at different frequencies and is affected by other forms of energy such as sound. For animals and humans, sound has been an integral part of life since the beginning of time and is often an essential component for the survival of a species. Many modern day humans seem to have shut off or forgotten about this concept. This is fairly easy to understand as in much of the western world the innate primordial sounds of nature have been taken over by machines, concrete buildings and synthesised tunes passed on by information and communication technologies.
Human sounds are coming more and more out of our minds rather than our bodies as we rush through our busy lives. Much of the sound we make is in the form of words where the truth is often suppressed and keeps our genuine feelings hidden. It is no wonder the World Health Organisation has predicted that by 2020, depression will be the second biggest health problem world-wide, behind heart disease. Focusing our attention back on sound, our own innate voice, may be just the answer we have been searching for.
As I began my sound journey I had feelings of self doubt, inadequacy and fear of doing it wrong. At the workshop I was not fully open to what Karina had to teach but she skilfully helped me chip away the layers. Having more of a science background I was not quite convinced but I felt drawn to the work and so I continued on the path. The program encourages freedom of expression and I learned to trust whatever sound wanted to escape me. It is rather difficult to describe the processes and transformations that I have experienced but I will never forget my first true experience of sound.
We were working in partners and it was my turn to receive. My head felt as if it were about to explode with all the thoughts churning inside it. My intension was to break through the illusion of thinking and to get reconnected with my body. I lay down and began to relax as the sounds of my partner filled my consciousness. After a while I felt like I had been put on a piece of playground equipment that you can spin really fast and my whole body felt as if it was moving. The feeling was surprising put not unpleasant and as the dissonant sounds subsided I felt my energy shift. My mind was no longer clogged. It was as if a tornado had come in and sucked them all away. I remember saying “If this can happen just from a sound, anything is possible”. In the coming days I found it easier to listen to my body and I could therefore express myself much more clearly.
Having completed Karina’s Soul VoiceTM program I am now building my practice so I can facilitate and be a part of the sound journey of others. It is so moving to aid people in their quest to dive deeper within and unlock their creative expression. I want to share this unique method with everyone so together we can go about healing not just ourselves but also our planet.