What Are the Six Healing Sounds in Chinese Qigong?
In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s believed that there is only one true illness — an imbalance of qi, often translated as vital energy.
Chinese qigong is a traditional healing practice that has been used for centuries to improve physical and mental health, by working with the flow of qi in the body. When the flow of qi is blocked or weakened, any number of physical, mental, or emotional symptoms can emerge.
One of the key techniques used in qigong is the Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue), which, like the meditative chanting of monks and certain pranayama techniques used by Indian yogis, use vibration to affect the body’s internal organs.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Six Healing Sounds and how they can be used in your qigong practice.
The Six Healing Sounds
The Six Healing Sounds are a series of tones that correspond to different organs in the body. The idea is, when air passes through the body in a certain shape, it will resonate in different internal areas, “moving qi” in the process.
The practitioner exhales air (without making a true vocal tone) to make one of six specific sounds. In addition to being associated with a specific organ, each sound is also connected to a unique emotion and natural element as described by traditional Chinese cosmology.
The sounds are:
Xu (pronounced “shoo”) – associated with the liver, the emotion of anger, and the wood element
He (pronounced “huh”) – associated with the heart, the emotion of joy, and the fire element
Hu (pronounced “hoo”) – associated with the spleen, the emotion of worry, and the earth element
Si (pronounced “sigh”) – associated with the lungs, the emotion of sadness, and the metal element
Chui (pronounced “chway”) – associated with the kidneys, the emotion of fear, and the water element
Xi (pronounced “shee”) – associated with the triple burner (a concept in Chinese medicine that refers to the organs and processes involved in digestion), the emotion of anxiety, and the fire element
How to Practice the Six Healing Sounds
To practice the Six Healing Sounds, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, and place your hands on your lower abdomen. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and focus your mind.
Next, inhale deeply through your nose, and as you exhale, make the first sound, “Xu.” The sound should be made with your mouth slightly open, and your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth. Repeat the sound six times, feeling the vibration in your chest and throat.
After completing the first sound, inhale deeply again and move on to the second sound, “He.” Repeat the same process, making the sound six times.
Continue with each of the remaining sounds, making each sound six times. As you make each sound, focus on the corresponding organ and emotion, and visualize the element associated with each sound.
You can practice the Six Healing Sounds a still, meditative exercise, or alongside the gentle aerobic movements characteristic of qigong. If you opt for the latter, try following along with this 30-minute video routine above.
Benefits of the Six Healing Sounds
The Six Healing Sounds are believed to have a number of benefits for the body and mind. Some of the benefits include:
- Balances the body’s energy and promoting healing
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Boosts libido and sexual pleasure
- Improves digestion and elimination
- Strengthens the immune system
- Increases mental clarity and focus
***
So do the Six Healing Sounds really work, or is this a load of ancient hooey?
In the Western world, we’ve been taught to doubt practices which pre-date or follow different models from modern medical science. The truth is, modern medical science is incredible…but we’re still far from having all the answers.
Today, we understand more about the roots of inflammation and disease in the body, and we’re finally beginning to understand how those things are linked to our mental and physical states.
There’s an increasing amount of scientific attention focusing on these ancient practices, and multiple studies have attributed positive effects to the Six Healing Sounds.
Here’s what one of those teams reported after measuring a reduction in brain states associated with stress and fatigue immediately after performing the practice:
"We hypothesize that the found brain activation patterns result from different attentional focusing styles and breathing techniques performed during the investigated Health Qigong techniques."
The Six Healing Sounds are a powerful tool for improving your physical and mental health. By incorporating them into your qigong practice, you can help balance your body’s energy and promote healing.
While they may seem simple, the Six Healing Sounds are a foundational practice in Chinese qigong, and are worth exploring further if you’re interested in improving your health and well-being.
Follow on Instagram for more doses of modern-day wisdom!
This article was produced by the Mind Body Globe team using a variety of tools and resources.