Listening to your heart with a stethoscope step by step

"The heart, with its sound, knocks on the doors of the spirit."

Hunab Amaya.

At Soul Sync we created a term called “Beat Healing” which consists of living a process of deep self-awareness through the sound of our own heart. For this we use stethoscopes, very simple technology devices that allow us to clearly hear our internal organs, including the heart and its rhythm. It is important before listening to our own heart that we know which stethoscope to use and how to get the most out of it. Here's a simple guide to listening to your own heart with a stethoscope from anywhere.

1. The stethoscope

If we want to listen to our heart properly and in great detail, we need a stethoscope that allows us to amplify the sound of our organ. Stethoscopes are very affordable devices these days, and different types of stethoscopes offer different benefits. Even if you decide to purchase a stethoscope on a shoestring budget, you will be able to hear your heart clearly.

The first thing is to locate the parts of a stethoscope. First they are eartips or earphones, which are those little pieces that we put in our ears. It is recommended to always disinfect them with alcohol before using them. This piece is easy to lose if you are using an accessible stethoscope, so make sure it is screwed on tightly to prevent it from coming out of the device.

The eartips have tubes called metal bows, which will be connected to the stethoscope hose. It is important to mention that the metal arches can rotate making the olives look more “forward” or “back”. The hose of the stethoscope is the elongated plastic part that makes sound travel in an isolated and effective way to our ears.

is finally the “head” of the stethoscope, which is round in shape and in most cases of aluminum or metal material. The stethoscope head has two more parts that are important to identify. One is the diaphragm, which is a plastic membrane that makes contact with the skin and which works as a kind of contact microphone. The other is the bell, piece of metal in the form of a cone or bell that in most cases has a small hole through which a little external sound enters

If you already have a stethoscope and locate all its parts, let's go on to listen to our own heart.

2. Put on the stethoscope

Start by inserting the olives inside your ears. It is important in this step that you ensure that the metal arches have enough pressure so that your ears are well isolated from sound, and at the same time the pressure does not hurt you so that you can enjoy the sound of your heart for a long time.

The angle of the arcs Regarding your ears, it can greatly affect how you hear with the stethoscope, so once you start listening to your own heart, it is important that you adjust the angle of the eartips (turning the eartips back and forth) so that you hear better. If the eartips hurt your ears you can separate them from themselves with light force and you will notice that it will reduce the pressure they exert on your ears.

When the eartips are in your ears, make sure activate the bell. To find out, we take the head of the stethoscope with one hand and turn it to either side taking the hose with the other hand. So you will notice that it makes a kind of "click" that activates and deactivates the bell or the "microphone" of the stethoscope. Just touch your finger gently on the diaphragm (plastic part of the head that makes contact with the heart) and notice the difference in sounds before and after the "click".

*Note*. Not all stethoscopes have the diaphragm on/off feature, so it is important to check your stethoscope user manual for how to turn the stethoscope diaphragm on..

For test that the bell is active, the diaphragm of the stethoscope must be touched very gently; you can do it with your own finger or a cotton swab. If the bell is active, the sound will come out of the eartips clear and amplified.

If you cannot perceive clarity and amplitude in the sound, turn the head of the stethoscope with respect to the tube again, look for the sensation of “click”, and try again to touch the diaphragm.

Can you hear clear and crisp through the eartips when touching the diaphragm?

3. Find the heartbeat

It is time to place the diaphragm on our chest and look for the sound of the heart. Place your index finger on the back of the bell (opposite the diaphragm) covering a small hole in the center and bring the diaphragm of the stethoscope into contact with the center of your chest. If you pay attention, you will begin to listen to your heart.

It is important to exert pressure with the index finger on the bell of the stethoscope to improve sound amplification.. If you can't hear your heart right away, start moving the stethoscope around the center of your chest, focusing on the left side. the left side of the chest (from our own perspective) offers more audible zones to appreciate the heartbeat. Sometimes you can place the diaphragm of the stethoscope in the correct place and not hear due to lack of pressure exerted.

If your heart sounds at a very low volume, you can try to adjust the eartips (rotating them forward or backward symmetrically) or by palpating the entire recommended area with the diaphragm of the stethoscope, constantly exerting pressure. Take into account that sometimes you can listen to it at a very low volume at the beginning but after a little time you will notice that the volume will increase naturally.

4. What can you expect now?

Listening to the heart is a practice that very few people manage to experience in their lives. Immediately it will be possible to observe that the attention becomes focused on the sound of the heartbeat, achieving a unique focus. Many things can happen from now on, but we summarize two potential paths.

The first thing you can experience it is a total relaxation that will eventually produce a state of drowsiness, which will end in deep sleep. For this reason, it will be important that you have enough space to lie on your back while you listen to your heart and enjoy the state of relaxation that it will produce in you. It's a great idea to listen to your heartbeat before bed when you're having trouble sleeping.

The second thing that can be experienced it is a set of visual and sensory stimuli that can feel similar to a dream. This happens because listening to the heart induces Alpha, Theta and Delta states (brain waves), which are associated with concentration, meditation and sleep, respectively. If it happens that you begin to experience this type of stimuli, it is recommended that you keep your attention on deep breathing throughout your experience. This will directly influence your heart rate and you will begin to experience a slowing of your pulse rate which will help calm you down. There is no proper time limit for listening to your heart, but if this experience is loud or intense for you, you can remove the stethoscope from your ears at any time.

Now yes! enjoy the wonderful sound of your heart and pay attention to its rhythm, since important messages are encoded in it for the regulation of your body systems and your well-being. We recommend that you try to breathe to your heart rate and play background music where there is NO percussion (any meditation music on the internet usually omits percussive instruments and focuses on strings and winds only). In this way, the heart will be like a percussion that goes to the rhythm of the music.

Note* This article does not suggest that this practice replace any medical therapy or treatment in any way.

In Soul Sync we are passionate about knowing the experiences of each person when listening to the heart. People from all over the world have shared with us how listening to their own hearts has benefited them; from reconciliation of sentimental relationships to healing of physiological deficiencies. If you want to send us a testimonial, please click on this link.