When people hear about song, they try to make sense of it by way of what they know, which is usually music or chanting. They tend to expect song to either sooth those that are hurting, or to be a type of sound therapy that uses frequency and vibration to impact the emotional and larger energetic system. The songs of Life are neither of these things. They do use sound, but they don’t just use frequency and vibration to heal. Instead, they share Life—the power of Creation—with those in need.
The songs of Life are a tool that would fit well within Native American cultures because Natives used to live lives that were very close to and connected with the earth. Because of this, they knew that the earth had Life infused within her, and that this could be used to help those in need heal.
“I write about Life and Creation because I want the reader to understand how I was shaped into a practitioner. I don’t consider these connections to be religious, or even spiritual in nature. For me, finding Life is a human thing, and so it’s on that level that I try to share my story and the songs of Life with others.”
I think Natives would be surprised the songs of Life were given to a white man that grew up in the modern, Western culture. But once they heard how Creation served in saving my life as a boy (Post #1: My struggles begin), my expectation is that even this fact would make sense to them. They would also understand why this Gift came as a specific type of song. Natives have understood the role song can play in earth-based healing for a long time. To use song to heal was as normal a modality for them as taking pills to medicate pain is for us.
Folks in our culture don’t tend to have much experience with Life (with a capital ‘L’), so the idea of having a type of song share It is so foreign to almost sound crazy. When I tell you that this force is infused within native plant communities, and that the plants shared It with me by way of the songs they carry and sing, my explanations seem to go beyond crazy and to enter the woo woo zone.
Let me assure you, there’s nothing crazy or woo woo about song, or about me. The only way I’ve known to help others bridge the experience gap the presence of song creates is to share it with those in need while explaining what to look for, in terms of impact, as their healing process unfolds. I then let each person figure things out on their own from there.
When people receive song, they rarely feel better right away because song orients towards healing, not relief. In the beginning, song progressively wakes up torn up core emotion that has been shut down and placed at a distance. My clients learn to meet and work with this emotion so they can help it have what it needs to heal. As the core healing process gets moving, and my clients learn to play their hands-on role within it, the impact of song starts to clarify. They start tangibly feeling stronger and more whole emotionally and much more capable of handling pressure skillfully in their lives.
Song is shared in an interactive and customized manner. I don’t just sing standard songs that are written in stone, hoping people will get better. Instead, I use a skill called ‘seeing’ to connect with the person’s emotional healing process that has been activated because they’re debilitated. I then share song based on the current needs of that healing process, which allows it to fit impeccably with those needs. This gives the healing process the boost it needs to continue to move forward through its challenges over time.
The impact of song is inextricably tied to the singer that shares it because he’s the weak link in the connection between those in need and the power of Creation. The stronger and more skilled the singer, the more powerful his impact is on his client’s struggles. Singers need to heal through and overcome their own struggles so they can blaze a trail for others. This process doesn’t just teach them how to navigate the challenging world of core debilitation. It also gives them the strength, confidence, and skill needed to deal with other people’s struggles effectively.
Song reaches the deepest part of the emotional system, which is the main reason why it’s so consistent in producing such tangible and lasting results. This depth allows you to work towards, into, and through the heart of your issues and problems so you can generate change from the inside out.
When I had broken through to the depths of my debilitation by reestablishing my connection to my suppressed past (Post #2: Finding Steve and receiving my Gift), the idea of having the chance to reclaim a state of wholeness wasn’t even on the radar. All I knew was that I now had a Gift—one that connected me to something that had meant everything to me when I was a boy. I was only interested in making the most of what I had been given, which meant I was willing to fight fiercely for the rest of my life if necessary to get the chance to use my Gift to come back to Life.