Vibration and Verse

I have long been of the opinion that sound vibration heals, in particular, when driven by one’s own voice. The vibration in my chest when I chant and sing has gotten me through illness, fatigue, and deep sorrow. That is why I believe that reading aloud lifts medicinal words off the page and imprints them in your throat and lungs to create the most effective healing spaces.

In my experience, nothing heals like poetry and poetry is most potent when read out loud.

Recently, I bought a book of beat poetry, a collaboration by a trio of men from BC after a year of gathered readings. Though the book was a gift, while it was still in my possession, I read it aloud every day – as was intended by the structure – and found fascinating results. Harsh syllables and seemingly nonsensical language popped inside of me. My voice became playful and joyful or deeply seething. In response, I sometimes laughed loudly while other times I became sullen and silent but every time the sensation was somatic.

Much like the ancients who chanted in Sanskrit to teach and heal with verse and vibration, modern day poets weave words into a tapestry that provide us – in a world now made of concrete and glass – with a unique opportunity to feel the nature of our souls. Poetry pulls back the curtains, walls, and boxes we’ve hidden our deepest feelings behind and invites it all out to breathe again. When this happens, it is the poet’s language – what Shakespeare calls, ‘gentle verse’ – that we carry in our lungs from every poem read that also settles what it stirred.

To me, the healing aspect of poetry is summed up in a line from the book Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock, “Pain and beauty, our constant bedfellows”, because the marriage of the two is the root of all healing practices. But don’t take my word for it. Read poetry aloud and often to see what comes up - and out - of you.