and now with over 25 years of experience with mental health and spirituality. Dr. James Howard
everybody where we are in the world at this time welcome to reclaiming authenticity do not adjust your dials cuz yes I am coming to you live and In Living Color via video today I shared with you last week that I was going to do a show dedicated to Native American flute and share with you some of my own collection of native american flutes and why I'd love it in the background of the Native American flute and why I consider to be such a rich rich instrument not just in my prayers but also my own toning as well as in ceremony and a different way so welcome aboard today so glad to be with you here each and every Friday at the 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in Pacific Standard Time in between and by that I mean that you're now able to download these podcasts feel free to do so just by going on the website which is WWE
PBS radio.com reclaiming authenticity all one word there so you just go on the website that you can go through the whole list of them to see if there's any particular shows that you missed or would like to listen to again so feel free to do that and also if you would like to call Lynn part of today show if you have any sleep stories yourself or like to share your experiences of playing the flute or maybe this is your first time hearing the Native American flute and you want to know a little bit more information or about how just to go about starting with such a precious instrument of the toll-free line is 888-627-6008 that's 886-227-6008
well again welcome to Today Show it's entitled spiritland The Healing flute and if you are a regular listener or if you are now to this particular broadcast again thank you for your continued support and you know me well enough by now that reclaiming authenticity is something that I cherish very much it is something that I have found a healing in my life but also healing in the lives of others because whenever we find our anticipated whatever we find our authentic Voice or even the voice of the flute and that's that you're very authentic in and out of self we are empowered we are here and we impart healing and Truth to others and so forth okay but it brings us back to relationships and that is the key that because we are social beings
not run from relationships even though we may think we want to just go up to the mountains and hide we still cannot get away from ourselves but as we are growing in our authentic voice our author I think excels our relationships do change they also are enhanced and wonderful healing to take place so this is why I place reclaiming authenticity right back where it where it belongs in the relationships that we have not only with ourselves but also with others and certainly God or the Divine and you've heard me say this on more than one occasion that reclaiming authenticity really comes out a to deep-seated belief in myself and the first belief is that I truly believe that people have the answers within about how many times do we spend our lives look
outside of ourselves for the next biggest thing in our our lives or or if I only had that I would be happy is that what you do just now catching into the second deep-seated belief that we do come into this world already gifted and graced everything that we need is always right here but how many times do different experiences that we have or different troubles in our relationships or the fact that we just don't realize the look within how many times do we suffer disappointments and frustrations or woundedness or hurts you know the emotional and psychological physical even spiritual wounds and that tends to Rob our relationships it robs us
Rob's us from exploring the very best of who we are and then understanding ourselves as souls and so I share with you later on. That's how the Native American flute I really brought that home to me that wonderful wonderful message I saw just a share with you a little bit of the history of the Native American flute it is steeped in Legend depending on who you talk to different tribes and so forth different stories are slight variations but the story I'm going to share with you now is the legend that I always hold near and dear to my heart
well as dusk a hunter found himself deep inside a dense forest filled with trees and he did not end up there by accident because ever since the beginning of time cultures from around the world have integrated their own music into their spirituality and celebrations and everyday lives and the native american flutes along with other indigenous instrument has created a unique sound and vibration that has often lifted Humanity into higher Dimensions that cut across time and space well whether you are a member of an indigenous people are simply loved the rich tones of the Native American flute for yourself is indeed just opens up by a precious meditative and ceremonial space
and so let us return to the story that once Untold Generations ago the people did not know how to make flips and they had drums and rattles and bull Roars and you know but not flutes and these long past days before other non-indigenous people started making flutes long before they showed up on Horseback and their firesticks a young Hunter went out to find game
it's a game was scarce in the people were hungry and he found tracks of an elk and followed them for a long time now the elk was wise and it was a very swift animal and it is the animal that possesses of that some people refer to as the love charm and if a person has milk I'm sorry elk medicine they will win the love of their lives and they will find a husband or wife and they will also be a lucky Hunter so at dusk there we go getting back on track here folks that I thought the hunter found himself deep inside a dense forest of tall trees and the tracks of the elk hide this appearance and so happy out that he had spotted in a distance and the young man had to face the fact that he was now lost and he too was you know that you adjust in a dark way of finding
this way out and there was not even the moon out that night to show him the way he found a stream flowing by just just wonderful clean cool water and he sat down to quench his thirst and he also had a little pouch of food with them so he had sat down and had a meal and finish eating and drinking he destroyed himself into a fur robe that he had with them to keep himself warm and himself up against a tree and he tried to get some rest well he couldn't sleep because the forest was just simply full of strange noises that he had never learned or heard before there were Erie cries of night animals the hooting of owls The Grove of trees in the wind and remember hearing the sound
not heard before but it was almost as if he was hearing them for the very first time and suddenly she started to hear a unique sound that he had never ever heard before he had never experienced before it was a very mournful said almost hunting ghosts like sound and at first it said made him very very afraid so he drew his robe tightly around and just tried to do fall asleep and I said very hunting but it was also very beautiful and he would slowly drifted off to sleep and he had a dream this dream as it is called a red-headed woodpecker appeared to him and beautiful new song and
singing to this young Hunter follow me and I will teach you about this this song
when the hunter awoke the sun was already you know really high in the sky and all the branch of the tree against the you know that which he was leaning against that night was this Red-headed Woodpecker and the bird flew away to one trailer to another to another and so the Hunter decided to follow and once more I learned where the Woodpecker was by just following I'm listening to this haunting sound of the Woodpecker and the bird flew toward the sound that the young man and it's flaming Red Top fluttering through the leaves and just made it very easy to spot the spur on a cedar tree and hammering on the dead branch and the noise like the fast beating of a small drum
there was a gust of wind and against the hunter heard this hauntingly beautiful sound right close to him
and then he discovered that the sound came from the dead branch of the cedar tree of which the Woodpecker was making you know a whole another hole and another hole and then he found also that it was the wind whistling through hollowed-out branch which was producing the sound and so he called out to the Woodpecker you said, let me take this Branch home and see if I can make this sound if I can imitate the sound and so he brings back the Sprints and he tries to copy the sound and then so forth and he was tweaking it and trying to get it right then all the sudden to make this beautiful sound and it was something that was very beautiful to the tribe and it was a gift that is shared from that point on and it's a it's a
symbol for Native Americans and how the flute came to be you know all thanks to the cedar the Woodpecker the wind the young Hunter who didn't shoot an elk but he learned how to listen
well today the date of American flute is really seeing all kinds of wonderful Resurgence that I would say and its popularity we have wonderful performers out there like Carlos Nakai Johnny Whitehorse or Kevin Locke or even Mary Youngblood they have made wonderful recordings and with their own style they have brought the Native American flute back to life with you a little bit about my experience playing the Native American flute I have not heard the Native American flute growing up but it was something that when I heard it for the very first time if you really captured my attention you know how much in the same way the hunter was just mesmerized by this town and it was something about the richness of this wind instrument that was going through the various designs and structure of the Native
American flute and I fell in love with it and when I purchased my first one I remember my teacher thought I was doing a weekend seminar
I dropped my phone and I was just you know playing around with it it was squeaking I didn't I couldn't make no great Rich tones with it but he said here let me try then he made some adjustments he started to play and it was just a beautiful rich and we happen to be near a fire and every time she plays the firewoods increasing and you know it by the way I noticed the fire tone down a little bit when he played it gets shot up a damn state was you know like I said it came alive. It was very beautiful so since that time and it's been probably 12 years now or so 11:12 years that I've been playing the Native American flute and I really enjoy it so let me share with you
what about just a richness now I will say if you are listening to this broadcast and you don't have your own Native American flute and you would like to buy one and there are several great companies out there and I always say just allow the flute to come to you you know what you can go through catalogs or websites or whatever but just a fluke to speak to you and find websites that have YouTube video listen to the voice of the flute and then how does it speak to you because friends come in all shapes and sizes they come in different tones they come in different styles of wood this is a Spanish Cedar but have right here and after the break I'll be talking more about timing and and how I use my date of american flutes very specifically but it comes to
working with negative crystalline energy and transforming - crystalline energy so I have here is actually one from High Spirits it's in the key of A. I just have the I have the the tie over top of it the pad just keep it as a 5 hole flute and it makes it a pentatonic lived now if you want to play Sharps and flats are you need to do is just removed the the covering and now you have a 6 hole flute so you know when you buy your your very first Native American flute be careful because you'll enjoy it you'll have fun with it and
end up buying separate you'll get addicted to them and you'll find a different style that you like or different sounds and voices from the flute so this is actually tune to 432 megahertz and it's it's more of an Earth Tone and I'll say a little bit more about that after the break is just a different very slight tone to it then my other place that I have that are tuned to a 428 megahertz is the voice of this
this is in the key of A in Spanish Cedar and let's see that one life just played a mid-range floating this is also a mid-range float this is the key of F sharp which many people consider that that's the original Native American tone the app shark others would say it's a somewhat against it depending on who you talk to but that really speaks to you you know that's probably the best advice that I can share with you and in Discovery you know just your own enjoyment with flutes and this particular fluid is a little heavier it's made out of Walnut and then again to listen to something real quick about the price of these floats depending on the make or a mid-range
very accordingly so listen to this F-sharp flute
so you can really hear the difference in the tone that just because it's an F sharp. The richness of the would also has just a wonderful contribution to the voice now here is also Castro Flute from High Spirits it's from the it's in the key of C and this is a very very high high-pitched flute high-tone flute and I love it because again different types of flutes my play a different times were there if I have a specific purpose in playing a particular
Castrol flute high range flute or a mid-range ravenov bald shave my bass flute here all depends on what I feel is needed at the time so play this for you this is as I said in the key of yuul notice how how high it goes
looks and that's another thing that that's a very good point become too right now make sure that if you have a 5 hole flute that it is covered because if you get any air or if your fingers do not cover the holes going to get that squeak so I'm just a nice way of demonstrating that for you
let's take a stroll very high high tone and here is the bass flute as you can see it is very large a very very long and that's another thing to keep in mind if you're shopping for your first flute or you know you also have to take into consideration your arms legs because with these bass Lutz you know they are quite quite long so if you happen to be a person that has shorter arms take that into consideration and maybe trying a mid-range food
to get the feel of it so this is in the key of D and this is also made out of Spanish Cedar
that is actually this is a base Condor from High Spirits flute in the key of D very very lightweight but it has a DVD rich rich bass sound and I'll show you this particular flu this is called a drone flute and I can see it has just a different shape than like more like your cigar Bay store or I should say that this car shaped of the flutes drone flute on one side and it has two holes here will you blow out of it on one side there is just a constant a drone as they would say just one second you get out of that other side you are able to use the fingering and then that's where the Melody comes in but if you blow through both holes at the same time and it really provides just
a wonderful special effect when it comes to wanting to get that sound as if you were playing two flutes at once, show you what I mean by that
go get very beautiful very haunting and it's just the one particular style again this is a High Spirits flute in the key of f shark again and you going through various websites and so forth and some you know if they have you do the drugs floats that look like you have to play to loosen once with your mouth covering over the two holes and I also have a 3-hole or three drone flute is just another depth to the sound of it already so but just just the rich get awful town that comes through these woods and just very wonderful so I take a little break if you think about calling you give me your stories are so forth I invite you to do that that number again is 888-8627
what's 6008 that's 888 6 to 7 6008 the break I'm going to go into a little bit more detail of how I use these flute to really bring healing and toning and I listening to and feeling the vibration of these flutes I'll be back with you in one
alright welcome back everybody you even listening to reclaiming authenticity I'm your host dr. James sure you've heard the Native American flute playing at the beginning and of course I do have to break even at the close of the show shopping sites are three different types of eye play providing that with you because as I said at the beginning of the broadcast that the Native American flute is very near and dear to my heart I really enjoy playing it and not just my own times of meditation most of the different Native American ceremonies that I have been involved in and for me it really provides just a nice sense of I would say it says there's a richness that goes out just wonderful vibration that is released and the toning
so anyway invite you to call in any time and during the second part of the our 888-627-6008 stories that you have or your interest in the Native American flute just my love for the Native American flute has really taken just taking me to this different heights and depths in in just my understanding of my own spirituality in and how I integrate spirituality and and mental health and one of the things that I really enjoy doing what the native american flutes are just toning and transforming negative crystalline or crystalline energy if you will very basic understanding that everything has sound
and when everything has a sound or because everything has to sound it has a vibration and you know you know what this different aspects of science as I have taught us just how sound reverberates and how it just bounces off of our eardrums and and we can see the vibrations of not only a different wavelengths but it's just found is communicated from one person to another at a different tones and the shapes of those sounds and just what that does for our quality of life sell the toning that I do with the flutes actually again brings me back to listening to the richness of not only the sound of the voice of the flute shall we say but also feeling the vibration in the flute at South
the passes through where my breath that passes through the Native American flute there's a vibration that goes on very subtle but again it's there and I've really come here with my teacher and my understanding of me and I'm playing the Native American flute and just listening and feeling that vibration and even after I'm done playing to just sit with the vibration at self even though the sound is no more but the vibration in between the voice of the Native American flute or the or the vibration in between the notes has it well as you will and so forth okay so Even Silence has a vibration that when we tap into it enough just a rich understanding of really paying attention more to everything
and how God and the universe gets our attention if we can just quite ourselves if we just become aware of how God speaks in a different way so I guess I just want to play a little bit and if you are watching this or you might be listening to this particular show if you are able not if you're a behind-the-wheel driving don't don't do this but if you're just sitting at home or somewhere else and you are just like the close your eyes and just listen to the sound of the flute and allowed to speak to you wherever it needs to speak to you
well
hopefully as you were listening to the sound of this particular flute that it was able to speak to you I just put the sound but also the vibration because it's one of the things that as we begin the process of higher vibration on our relationship with God or higher dimension in our relationship with God a death we are going to be reminded of all the negative psychological emotional and spiritual patterns within our relationships that often keep us stuck in the past, man we wonder how we going to get past our past how we going to move Beyond certain Hertz how we going to get past a certain pain in our lives and what do we do now that we are going through something totally knew that we feel so unprepared for
you know as we are turning and as we are letting go and I love in order to take on something better in our own spirituality we find our prayers become simplified. Let's say that we you know we've always asked God for you know we we want to find that peace and Grace and love and as we let go as we transform. - crystalline energy and take on something better something more positive and we grow in our vibrational awareness discover that we are now becoming Grace and peace and love and others will notice this vibration as well it's something that we give off the you know what I'm not sure if you're like me and you've
I've been around people and they just don't know if something feels a little off because it usually is and I've even walk through our doors of people and their different vibrational energy has been very pleasant some of loving just downright very difficult to to be in that that presents so it's something that we can feel because it's an energy change and so certainly as I use the Native American flute and just to change the vibrational energy like say something negative I feel it myself or if I feel blocked in a particular area I'll just play the flute through that and allow the tone to break up that negative crystalline energy
I know there are times when we allow our negativity you know the cause of us to spend much time just ruminating over frustrations that we have experience we all been there many times you've been stuck in traffic or how many times are you frustrated about paying bills or disagreeing with colleagues or you know arguing with friends or lovers and when this occurs we often miss out on the opportunity to see to hear to taste smell the touch the goodness of God as well as the way that God loves to work through the most unlikely people in through the most unlikely ways I am convinced that God loves to do that and when we are not paying attention
that's when God shows up and I could be and we haven't been looking at a particular area but that's where God has been all along
so again let me play some more for you and if you are again hopefully not driving out behind the wheel of your car but you are seated in the next place you just gently close your eyes and allow the flute to speak to you
well I guess you can tell just a different using a different flute the richness the town this is the Walnut Wood High Spirits flute in the key of F sharp M just creates a different vibration awareness tennis and again it really is I said I use these to break through that I have or it helps me in times of meditation to Center myself the focus and so forth and I don't see my animals here with me in the studio one of the things that I've noticed that whenever I'm playing the Native American flute they quiet down animals have a way of shall we say no no pun intended here soon again the vibe to the vibrational sounds of the native american flutes that old adage like music calms The Savage Beast it's true it is true my dogs are just
okay ready to go down for a nap but it's the richness of the town that really puts them at them if they happen to be anxious or in pain and so forth they find it very comforting and reminded me of this different times that I've visited others and I taken one or two of my native american flutes with me and just asked to play the flute for them and how much of a comfort it is to provide staff now and find it in these moments that when you know the Native American flute is able to speak in ways in which just simply words cannot music touches Us in in a in a depth that words often fail us but it is the melody it is the it is the tone it is the vibration that creates the set
awareness is the subtle shifts in us take us into a deeper vibrational awareness of our relationship with one another and our relationship with God or the Divine let me grab another flute let me grab my bass flute hear my Condor bass flute in the key of D and this is the one that's very deep very rich very you know very mellow and said it was just the flu. I usually go to if I happen to be awake at 3 in the morning and yes I have been known to play my flute in the morning just because well that's why not know right now I just play them just my own meditative awareness times when I feel led to just be in prayer with God but I don't say any words I left the flute to the talking for me because that's probably one of the most powerful lesson
my teacher had the shared with me he says you know when when you're first learning to play the flute about the fingering and everything and anything for me before you know sometimes life my finger slipped. That squeak but after awhile you get to feel where your fingers are and so forth and he said you know just in line and how to play close your eyes so that you're not looking down and I was looking at your fingers and I know that's a great Temptation because we're we're taught to like looking you know and and then play instruments looking like that but the richness that comes into being when we play with you know we have that touch that awareness that as we are playing so forth that also provides a richness and the second very important thing that he taught me is you know just stunts you know you can play the flute and they said we have
wonderful people out there if that play the flute and concert playing type your native american flutes and so forth but he said if you really really want to take the Native American flute into your meditation into your prayers he says Trey the Flint
don't just play the flu but pray the flute and their sheet music out there in fact I have a Native American Spirit songbook here that has just wonderful love finger charts and so forth if that's something you want to do that's very beautiful as well but they said with my own eyes and prayerful practice I just play the Native American flute and I use it in order to pray the native american flutes sometimes so I got just invite you to sit back and to allow the tone of this Condor bass flute to take you where it needs to take you
I'm just another richness to the different style and tone of a Native American flute just a concept of in our own lies how we can also apply the Native American flute just a greater awareness of our relationship with God or the Divine and this is the concept of being a hollow bone and some of the most ancient ancient flutes out there that are not made out of wood have been made out of bone again all shapes and sizes of Bones and so forth
and of course the the Native American bone whistles that are out there the authentic ones are made from Eagle bones however you have to meet Native American to own that because you know the bald eagle or the Eagles in general is it endangered species so most people make phone whistles or Ben wessels out of turkey mounts and that also provides just a rich sound and different ceremonies and so forth but this concept of being a hollow down and I've shared this this this image this analogy it's just well what does it mean to allow God to speak to us when they had to speak through us and just wonderful again analogy and a metaphor a concept of the Native American flute that
South when it's so forth its to get out of the overtime rate of american flutes the different sounds and so forth but the concept is is pretty much the same it's a hollow instrument and there's the end that you would blow into and you have the fetish hear of which the sound travels through and everything is designed according to the pressure but it depends on the wind and the fingering gives its its unique sound that's 47 the air out in different ways and very similar to if you take a trumpet apart and the valves that are in there you left out a valve and you can see the various holes and location the combinations of the fingering of the valves forces are through a very specific ways in which you get the notes or you got the tones
so I can turn in our lives with our relationship with God or the Divine Hollow bone being hollow doubt that is in our relationship with God having everything removed in our lives that would get in the way of producing a wonderful Rich quality sound very things we go through is just a process of letting go of things that get in the way I am so this has a way of also affecting our prayers of which for the longest time and I know many of you might have said you know I have this in the you know what it'd be great if I give me that and so forth but them and just look at my life and really understood the concept of the hollow of my prayer life has shifted
and then I'm not asking God for things I'm asking God to remove things in my life remove the things that get in the way remove the obstacles in my life that keep me from your voice you know just speaking it to me or in me and through me and so as the wind passes through the instrument makes a beautiful beautiful sound so to when the spirit of God is his passing through us it creates a beautiful sound so that others are not hearing our voices but they are hearing the voice of God speaking directly to their hearts
so let me play one more
the more variation of these towns for you and just allow again allow the flu to take you where it wants to
dr. James how can you have been listening to reclaiming authenticity thank you for spending this hour with me I really appreciate you sharing with you this video segment on the native american flutes and feel free to shoot me your thoughts and ideas about the Today Show and invite you to be back with me here next week 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in Pacific Standard time every Friday on CBS radio.com station one on till that time everybody do take care of please be safe keep your Native American flute take care God bless
or an answer and comments to buy a book by dr. hope it's all there just one drawn over to reclaiming authenticity. Calm and we'll see you next Friday at noon Pacific Time on PBS radio TV