Six Healing Sounds

HISTORY:

The Six Healing Sounds (六字诀 liù zì jué) is a breathing technique devised by the ancient Chinese to improve health and promote healing and longevity. The earliest record of the breathing technique is believed to appear during the Southern and Northern Dynasties written by Tao Hongjing, a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor, Taoist, alchemist as well as astrologer who lived from AD 456 to 536. Incidentally, he also played a crucial role in the discovery and identification of “Chinese snow” (potassium nitrate) by being the first person on record to describe the unique lilac-colored flame produced when the mineral is burned.

HOW THE SIX HEALING SOUNDS WORK:

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the five major organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidneys) are each assigned an element (fire, earth, metal, water, or wood). Every organ also has an associated sound with which the organ resonates. By using the associated sound, stale and congested qi can be expelled from the affected organ and be replaced with fresh and clear qi.

When qi gets congested or blocked due to inappropriate diet, poor lifestyle habits, repressed emotions, and/or weak constitution, it becomes congested and turns into a cause of pain, discomfort, or illness. Depending on where the qi gets stuck, symptoms vary. If it gets stuck in the spleen, the stale qi may manifest as bloating, abdominal pain, gas, and/or poor digestion. If it is in the liver, then it might be felt as pain in the lower right rib cage, quick temper, or liver/gallbladder dysfunction. If it gets trapped in the head, then it could lead to headache or illusion. According to TCM theories, badly congested qi can also lead to stagnated blood and blood clots.

The Six Healing Sounds practice helps to move congested qi and allow the body to get rid of it by creating different internal vibrations and pressures within different parts of the body through the inhaling and exhaling of air. In other words, when you make the six healing sounds, you are giving the internal organs a good massage to expel stale qi.

USAGE:

There are several ways to use the Six Healing Sounds, and its usage largely depends on your current state of health.

* For health maintenance, practice the six healing sounds in the order as given above, that is: Xū (Wood) → Hē (Fire) → Hū (Earth) → Sī (Metal) → Chuī (Water) → Xī (Wood). This order is based on the mutual generation of the five elements. Alternatively, if you are short of time, you can practice just the sound that is associated with the current season. For example, if it is winter, practice the sound, Chuī, to strengthen the kidney system. Note that the last sound, Xī, can be practiced all year round to support the triple energizer.

* To promote healing, practice the six healing sounds in the following order: Xū (Wood) Organ: Liver→ Hē (Fire) Organ: Heart→ Hū (Earth) Organ: Spleen→ Sī (Metal) Organ: Lung→ Chuī (Water) Organ: Kidney→ Xī (Wood) Organ: Triple Warmer / Gallbladder.

* Alternatively, if a specific part of your body requires special attention, you can practice only the healing sound associated with that organ. But as the organs referred to in TCM are not quite the same as the anatomical organs we are familiar with, you may need to consult a TCM practitioner to give you an accurate diagnosis of the organ(s) you should focus on.

Regardless of whether you are practicing all six healing sounds or only one of them, always breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out evenly from your mouth. Repeat each sound six times and practice the sequence (be it one sound or six sounds) preferably three times a day.

MOVEMENT:

The early version of the Six Healing Sounds was merely a breathing technique that did not include any movements. As it evolved through the years, movements were added to aid in the flow of qi and to better expel stale qi out of the body.