YOGA/MOVEMENT/SOUND

A basic Tomatis law states that the voice only contains that which the ear can hear. By bringing the damaged ear lost or compromised frequencies, these are instantly and unconsciously restored in the vocal emission. Sufficient auditory stimulation will provide a lasting improvement of the ability to listen and consequently reproduce sound.

A recent study published in the current issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that hearing loss among teens is on the rise. The study was conducted by Joseph Shagorodsky, MD, MPH and colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston concluded the prevalence of hearing loss among a sample of US adolescents aged 12-19 was greater in 2005-2006 compared with 1998-2004.

One in out of five adolescents in America shows evidence of hearing loss! It’s not surprising considering their generation has been exposed to a lifetime of iPods, video games, mobile phones, and an increasingly noisy planet. A newsletter recently stated that “When kids are constantly plugged in they overload their auditory system, which loses its protective mechanism with sustained exposure to sound levels over 85dB.”

New events in a child’s life; growth spurts, puberty, family dynamics, grief, trauma or crisis within social or school structure may further compound problems with learning, attention, and communication. Auditory processing problems make it difficult for the brain to understand what it does hear. The TheraPeeds H.O.P.E. Academy curriculum utilizes the HOPE method to identify the specific areas of the brain in need of support with a multidisciplinary approach.

As the senior listening specialist at TheraPeeds I am fortunate to have access to the latest technology for sound intervention therapy. As a medical ultrasound technician (OB/GYN ARDMS) for more 10 years I became proficient in ultrasound physics (understanding how sound travels and affects our anatomy and physiology) as well as fetal development. When I attended my first training and learned of Dr. Tomatis and his research through Ron Minson, MD and Kate Minson of Integrated Listening Systems in Boulder, Colorado everything began to resonate for me.

In addition to working with listening I am creating a pediatric yoga model for the special needs child and a yoga teacher training curriculum. As with all things worth obtaining it will require effort and additional certifications on my part in order to realize this dream. By writing this paper today I am holding myself accountable to this goal.

Luli Chandra, CYT
Senior Listening Specialist