I put a shout out on my Facebook page about a week ago, asking who was suffering with tinnitus and was astounded at the amount of people who responded with a #yesmetoo! Whether it was recent or they’d been suffering with it for a while, it was clear that this was a conversation that needed to be had, sooner rather than later. So here’s my summation of what causes this mystery ringing and what you can do to support yourself.
Firstly, a brief disclaimer to let you know that I am not a medical doctor, I do not profess to be able to heal tinnitus and I always advocate seeking the advice of a seasoned GP ahead of trying any new practice or therapy. The information here is gleaned from my own experiences plus the things I have found that help, through research and personal practice, over the years. My wish is that by sharing this information, you too can find some peace and deeper understanding of why tinnitus has manifested in your own life.
So, let’s get on with identifying what tinnitus actually is.
There are several medical explanations for ringing in the ears. The main ones are:
1. Cochlear damage (known as Meniere’s disease)
2. Eustachian tube dysfunction
3. Temporomandibular joint malfunction (TMJ)
4. Auditory nerve damage (excessive and prolonged exposure to loud noises)
5. Inflammation of the inner ear (causing vertigo, balance issues, infections)
6. Brain damage
7. Tumor near the 8th cranial nerve
8. Excessive drug use
9. Hearing loss (linked to age, genetics, thyroid issues and Lyme’s disease)
10. Post-surgery damage
As you can see, there’s plenty for your doctor to choose from when it comes to explaining the physical causes of tinnitus and that is good because I do believe we should exhaust all tests so we can tick things of our ‘could be possible’ lists, but what about the other layers of you – the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects? Let’s take a look at some other perspectives to help shed light on this as yet ‘completely misunderstood’ and often misdiagnosed illness. I’ll start with what Traditional Chinese Medicine has to say.
Ask any TCM practitioner about tinnitus and they will invariably link it to the kidneys. This is because the kidneys are organs of balance (like the ears). The ears develop from the same stem cells as the kidneys in utero and conceptually, the kidneys are all about listening, hearing and comprehending information, so it makes logical sense to connect them to the ears and hearing issues. The energy known as kidney ‘yin’, gradually depletes as we age and in many circumstances, (no) thanks to poor diet, immunity, lifestyles and mental and emotional health, this vital essence often drains faster than we can replenish it. Yin is the dark, feminine, nourishing energy that complements and balances our solar, masculine, expressive ‘yang’. The majority of women (especially those who have given birth and had multiple babies), are yin deficient, running on empty, for obvious reasons, although a lot of men can also obviously be equally depleted. It also depends on the individual's constitution, that is, what levels of qi/chi/prana they inherited from both parents at the time of conception. The emotion connected to the kidneys is fear (anxiety and stress too), so if you have been suffering from these (long term especially), then it follows that your kidneys (and hence, your hearing/ability to listen/ability to relax), will be negatively impacted. I won't go into more detail here because it will take too much time, but I do suggest you investigate further.
When our yin deteriorates to this 'emptied' degree, it places immense stress and burden on the kidneys themselves as well as the liver, lungs and spleen, essentially throwing these organs (and eventually other systems in the body) out of whack as they try and make up for the lack of yin, of qi (or chi) ‘juiciness’. Where tinnitus is concerned, one can trace the imbalance back to either liver heat (excessive fire), liver yin deficiency, lung qi deficiency, spleen qi deficiency or spleen qi sinking energy. Naturally, there are a lot of other factors involved also, so please seek the support of an experienced TCM therapist for precise personal diagnosis if this therapy speaks to you.
The science of Yoga and Ayurveda has a different approach to tinnitus, linking it to a ‘vata’ (and air and ether) imbalance – an excess of the Vata dosha to be exact – and suggests warm fluids, nourishing foods and specific yoga practices to help rectify. Yoga describes vata as a drying out of the body where dehydration, constipation, anxiety, asthma, poor circulation and muscle spasms manifest. These can all be alleviated by re-balancing this particular dosha. Ayurveda practitioners would also suggest there is a glandular component to tinnitus, in particular relation to the third eye and accumulated toxicity in this chakra. Many also attribute tinnitus to ‘ascension’ symptoms as our bodies ‘upgrade’ energetically with the current planetary shifting.
There are plenty of yoga postures you can try to help sedate your nervous system and hence, help get you relaxed enough to take your mind off the incessant cicadas in your head, but they are not touted as panaceas. These include: Uttanasana (standing forward bend); Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend); Child’s Pose; Supta Virasana (reclining Hero Pose); Dhanurasana (Bow) and Savasana (Corpse Pose). It is suggested you avoid Plow, Shoulderstand and Salutations. Practicing Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) and Bhramari (bee breath pranayama) will also help soothe frayed nerves.
Another factor that has a huge impact on tinnitus, are the environments we live, work and play within.
It should be a no-brainer to most people by now that increased exposure to EMF’s (electro-magnetic frequencies) is not conducive to human (or animal and plant) health. With daily exposure to this form of pollution, people are literally being radiated, 24/7, which results in toxic build up of heavy metals, chronic stress and the negative vibrations emitting from all the devices we surround ourselves with. The Schumann Resonance (the earth’s electro-magnetic impulse) is also shifting daily, this year more than ever, so on top of all the ‘man made’ movements, we also have to contend with all the planetary vibrations that are influencing our energies, albeit in a subtler way. Getting away from it all and into the wilderness, has never been so appealing.
On that note, let's now expand on what some of the symptoms of tinnitus are and what you can do to reduce whatever variation of incessant sounds you are experiencing personally.
1. If you have had ringing in the ears for more than 6 months, you are considered to be a chronic sufferer.
2. These sounds vary from buzzing, whirring, ringing, humming, clapping or whistling. It can feel like your ears ‘pulse’ (called pulsatile tinnitus) and the level of sound can also change depending on the time of day and varying stress levels.
3. You may notice the weather affects the pitch, or your menstrual cycle, emotions and even relationship dramas, can cause flare-ups.
4. You can experience gradual hearing loss (in one or both ears).
5. Obviously your quality of life is greatly impacted, changing your sleep patterns, your dietary choices and therefore your metabolism, your moods, your energy levels and your overall sense of joy and peace.
6. Depression and anxiety go hand in hand with tinnitus unfortunately, as can many other conditions that manifest as a result of not feeling and being your best.
The bottom line is, tinnitus sucks and if you’re reading this and ticking all these boxes, I can guarantee you have also had more suicidal thoughts than you’d like as well. This is nothing to be ashamed of and anyone suffering with tinnitus will most certainly empathize with you. So what can you do to stop the noise and regain some sense of ‘normal’ again? The therapies I describe in this article will really help but remember, nothing is guaranteed (as yet), to eradicate it for good. We can’t lose hope however that some day in the near future, silence will return.
Because tinnitus is intimately connected to the sphenoid bone in your skull – where your pituitary gland rests – the integrity, alignment and overall health of your skull is paramount in softening the sounds of tinnitus. The following explains the link between tinnitus and Spirit.
The sphenoid bone is seriously one of the most important bones in your body. It is one of eight cranial bones and is shaped like a butterfly. With two sets of ‘wings’, the sphenoid houses as small central hollow known as the “turkish saddle” and it is here that the master pituitary gland calls home. The sphenoid is literally the gateway between the brain and the facial structures, making it a key player when it comes to tinnitus and this is because the sphenoid “milks” the pituitary gland for the (nine) hormones that regulate homeostasis (optimal balance/health). This action also affects the dual-master gland, the pineal, which produces melatonin (and serotonin), affecting our sleeping, breathing, eating and heart-beating patterns.
For us to become an "enlightened" being, the sphenoid activates these two master glands to merge their masculine (right side) and feminine (left side) energies within the brain. This is the "ascension" upgrade connection and this is what allows us to receive God energy/Christ Consciousness. The release of what is known as “amrita”, the divine elixir stored inside the pineal gland, is what unifies our sacred mind and intelligence with our human mind, our “higher” knowing, as the wisdom is released via these glands, into the two hemispheres of the brain and the four chambers of the heart. The sphenoid is therefore the “bridge” that merges the heavenly energies with the earthly energies within the individual, creating the union of divine masculine and divine feminine and thus, awakening the soul.
The sphenoid is not only the internal conduit; it also aligns with the grid or ley lines of the earth plane. It helps us activate our crystalline codes and anchor us in the earth “brain” via our own elevated brain waves.
From the spiritual perspective, tinnitus is a side-effect of electro-magnetic re-calibrating that allows us to perceive higher and subtler frequencies and vibrations, which ultimately serve to expand our experience of consciousness. In relation to ascension, there are also some other things to be aware of in regards to the "crucifixion implants" that have impeded humanity for eons. In order for us to be truly free of all slavery programs and reclaim our sovereign, sacred “crown” selves, we must first remove these implants so the cosmic energy can be fully transmitted through the sphenoid and hence, ground us into the planetary grid patterns, as well as our own. This cosmic energy channeling via our sphenoid, is what creates the electro-tonal experience that is tinnitus. Axiatonal alignment – this expression of sacred geometry – is the key to our ascension because this is exactly what enables us to align our newly activated DNA, with the new earth template. More about that in another blog however as it is a massive topic to explain.
So. In summary, there are many reasons why you are experiencing tinnitus and they aren’t all scientifically or medically explainable. In my personal and professional experience, whenever anything is not functioning as it should in the body, mind or spirit, I always search for where I (or my client) is out of alignment with their soul path and with Mother Nature. This is the shamanic way and it has served millions well, for millenia. When you approach any imbalance with an open mind and inquisitive heart and endeavor to commune with the core energy of said ‘condition’, you will invariably discover many interesting and insightful things about yourself. It does require a lot of patience and courage however and although it isn't an easy or 'quick-fix' situation, I can promise you will learn heaps about yourself (and life), by making the effort in this way.
Here are my suggestions to help you deepen your understanding of your tinnitus.
1. Change your relationship with it. Embrace it as the master teacher that it is.
2. Stop being the ‘victim’ and accept that we each co-create with the universe, all that we need to learn and resolve in this lifetime.
3. Work to clear any ancestral trauma and self sabotage/shadow stories that you intuit are connected to your tinnitus.
4. Find the “song” of your tinnitus, its rhythm, it’s “call” and mimic by humming or singing it to yourself.
5. Understand that you are shape shifting and transcending your ‘old’ self through this experience and it will enrich your life, if you let it.
Practical daily advice: avoid sugar, caffeine, chocolate, salt, alcohol, food additives, prescription (and recreational) drugs and don’t ever use iphone ear buds! Add more papaya, pineapple, pears, bananas, mangoes (all high in potassium), spinach (iron) and beef, lamb and seafood to your diet.
Try these therapies and when you find one that works, stick to it for a good few months on a regular weekly basis, to get the maximum benefit and gauge how it’s helping you. Cranio-sacral therapy; kinesiology; Bowen Therapy; acupuncture; laser therapy; breath work; yoga; meditation; mudras (“Shunya” mudra in particular); sound healing; energy healing: plant medicines (supervised and at your own discretion); essential oils (basil, thyme, lavender, frankincense); crystals (carnelian, yellow jasper, citrine, shungite, fluorite, clear quartz, black tourmaline and bloodstone); ear candles; homeopathy; hypnosis; herbs (ginko balboa, zinc, magnesium, iron, B12) and daily grounding.
Some affirmations to help:
I am safe
I am heard
I accept and release the past with love
I release the burdens of my ancestors
I choose to listen to my higher self
I am ready to listen without fear or judgment
I forgive myself for the choices I have made in the past
I am ready and willing to merge with my highest and best frequencies
I no longer fear, all that I hear
I release all programs of denial, deflection and disconnect
I am not obliged to believe all that I hear or am told to believe
I choose to listen with equanimity and love
I trust my higher self
I embrace and embody my Mighty I AM Presence
I let go of stubborn behaviors that stop my soul’s growth
I trust my inner voice and my inner wisdom
I let go of everything that is not love
I trust and follow my intuition.
I sincerely hope this sharing has provided you with some clarity around your tinnitus and given you the strength to keep moving forwards and take each day as it comes, knowing you are not alone and knowing that anything is possible when you equip yourself with the right ‘tools’ and make the choice to be present, to listen and to practice unconditional love with yourself, no matter what the circumstances.
AHO
XXX
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