Humming

For thousands of years, people have used humming, chanting and sacred sound to quiet the mind and settle the body. There is something almost primal about vibration. You don’t just hear a hum, you feel it moving through you.

Modern science is beginning to illuminate some of what ancient traditions understood intuitively. Humming combines vibration with a long, gentle exhale, helping the body move toward a calmer state. Research has also found that humming can dramatically increase nitric oxide in the nasal passages and may support healthy heart-rate variability, healing and parasympathetic activity.

TECHNIQUE — Close your eyes if that feels comfortable. Breathe gently in through your nose.

As you slowly exhale, make a soft “mmmmmm” sound. Notice the vibration in your lips, face, throat and chest.

Repeat several times. Don’t worry about making a particular note or sounding beautiful.

Just feel the vibration. You can’t do it wrong.