A moving bus is not a sound that heals. A horn blowing from a car is not a sound that heals. A jackhammer in the middle of the afternoon when you’re trying to write a story for the Santa Monica Mirror is most definitely not a sound that heals. But certain sounds do heal, as I found out a few weeks ago.
I recently visited Naam Yoga, an international yoga, healing, and wellness center located on 4th Street between Wilshire and Arizona in Santa Monica. I had heard about a powerful treatment called Harmonyum, a transformational healing modality that in part, uses sound for lasting change.
Naam Yoga LA’s Executive Director Jane Mirshak explained that Harmonyum directly sends healing energy to the source of the nervous system, brain, and heart.
I learned that it is excellent for pain, insomnia, hormone imbalance, stress and anxiety, learning disorders, fertility, heart disease, and immune system challenges.
It also strengthens and balances the autonomous nervous system by promoting the body’s capacity to heal itself and slow the aging process. Slow the aging process? Now you’re talkin’! When can I start?
I made an appointment for the following week. The day of the appointment, I toured the facility.
It looks a lot smaller from the outside; once you’re inside, it’s another story.
First, there’s a large reception area, with a communal table for people to wait for classes or just relax. Then, I followed Jane down a long, narrow industrial-looking hallway, lined with beautiful large pictures depicting peaceful spiritual places around the world.
This hallway ran alongside their 3,000 square-foot, sky-lit studio which holds over 300 people.
A variety of yoga classes are taught there, as well as those fun Zumba classes. Just at the end of the hallway, there was another peaceful area with several tables and chairs for relaxation and socializing.
After taking my shoes off and heading up the stairs, there was another smaller sky-lit studio for classes as well as rooms for healing sessions and private instruction.
There is also an office area for their main corporate headquarters, as they have other centers in New York and Miami as well as in several countries including Mexico, Europe, Brazil, New Zealand, and others.
Bypassing these areas, I was led to a room designed for individual treatment, with what looked like a massage table in the middle of the room.
Jane herself was to lead the healing treatment.
After speaking with me about Harmonyum healing for a short time, she asked me to lie on the table, face down and put my head in the opening of the table, specially designed to be able to breathe and support the neck area, very much like you do when you get a massage. And I did not have to take any clothing off. No biggie to me, but for some folks who are shy about getting naked in front of a stranger, this is a good thing.
The treatment began with a variety and levels of sounds enveloping the room.
This was clearly special music designed for the experience.
I learned later that in fact this sound current was indeed special and had been created and recorded by Dr. Joseph Michael Levry, an international spiritual leader and founder of Naam Yoga and Harmonyum.
Some sounds were like ocean waves, and others were high and low vibrating sounds with a subtle and beautiful voice interwoven throughout. I immediately felt a wave of energy across my back and my legs. And Jane was not touching me.
As the music continued, I felt total peace and relaxation permeate my entire body. In fact, I fell asleep in about 10 minutes.
I only know this because laying face down, it’s harder to breathe, and I woke myself up a couple of times from my snoring. Attractive.
As part of the session, Jane gently ran her hand up and down my spine several times. Before I knew it, the treatment was over.
Immediately, I felt well-rested and able to breathe more deeply. A few days later, I realized that I had lost noticeable inches in my hip and stomach area. How? Because clothes that did not fit before all of a sudden fit me! Hard to believe.
After the treatment, I did a little extra research on Harmonyum. I look forward to other benefits I found that can occur, like superior health (that’s a good thing), increased stamina (I always could use a little more stamina), and increased mental and physical performance (I could use some of that as well). All good stuff for women over 50, or really for any age.
Who doesn’t need a little more stamina and healing in their lives?
Namaste, Naam! See you soon!
Hot Flash Universe is the go-to source for women over 40 looking for insight into the hottest, most current trends, products, and issues. Topics are approached with candor, intellect, and a healthy dose of humor. We search for the best Santa Monica has to offer for women of any age to be sexy, smart, and savvy.
Barbara Bishop is President of Santa Monica-based BBPR, Inc. For comments or suggestions, email Barbara.bishop@bbprinc.com.
