What Is Sound Healing?
Sound Healing Benefits
You may have heard the terms sound healing, sound bath, assisted meditation, energy healing, and more. Sound healing therapy goes by many names but the process and benefits are the same no matter what you call it.
During a sound healing session, a certified practitioner will play various instruments which may include tuning forks, crystal pyramids, singing bowls, and other instruments in order to balance your energy centers and induce a meditative state.
What Is the History of Sound Healing Therapy?
Sound healing has been around for thousands of years. Evidence of sound frequency healing has been found on every continent. Every culture from the first people to the ancient Egyptians used sound healing. It is believed that sound healing has its roots in Buddhism where certain tones are tuned to chakras or energy centers in the body.
What is the science behind sound healing therapy?
You already know the benefits of sound; the right music can help you meditate or pump you up for the gym.
The difference is in the frequencies and rhythms that you are listening to. Different sound frequencies "hack" your brainwaves and can produce different effects.
By using specific rhythms and frequencies, you can shift your brain waves from the beta state (normal consciousness) to the theta state (relaxed consciousness) and even the delta state (sleeping).
Everything in the universe has a vibrational frequency down to the smallest atom. As humans, we are hard-wired to have sound be part of us. Our neurons fire at different frequencies based on the data they receive from things around us. Those vibrations interact with every cell in your body.
The sound waves or vibrations created by sound healing therapy can alter your brainwave frequencies. Your ear contains the vestibulocochlear nerve which connects to the vagus nerve, the major parasympathetic nerve in the body. Your parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for "rest and digest" activities such as reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and relaxing muscles. This vagus nerve helps control hormone release, digestion, blood glucose levels, inflammation, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Is sound frequency healing scientifically supported or is this just hippie stuff?
Sure, all of this sounds a little woo-woo and New Age-y but sound healing is scientifically supported.
Research suggests that tuning forks help relieve muscle and bone pain.
A 2016 study found that singing bowl meditation lowered blood pressure, improved breathing and circulation, alleviated aches and pains, and strengthened the immune system.
A recent study on vibroacoustic therapy found that the practice could be an effective treatment for chronic pain and injury recovery.
While the exact mechanisms behind these sound healing benefits are still being researched, one of the main things sound healing therapy does is put your body into a parasympathetic state. When you're in the sympathetic, or "fight or flight" state your body is surging with cortisol and inflammatory molecules.
Being in a parasympathetic state affects you on an emotional level and a physiological level. It increases antibody production for better immunity, it helps decrease cortisol, which helps you decrease high blood pressure, and it increases alpha and theta waves so you can be more alert during the day and go into a deeper sleep at night.
Sound frequency healing can stimulate cell production of nitric oxide which up blood vessels, helps cells be more efficient, and mediates your blood pressure at a cellular level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I expect during a sound therapy session?
When receiving a sound therapy session your practitioner will ask what position you would like to be in before beginning the session. Guests often choose to lie on a yoga mat on the floor. However, some couch seating and reiki tables are available for guests that prefer to be elevated during their session.
Sound healing is closely tied to the chakras that are found in Reiki and Buddhist principals. Therefore, your practitioner may ask if you have any specific concerns or how you have been feeling in order to better focus on tones and rhythms most likely to assist you.
The practitioner will then begin playing the chosen instruments. It is not unusual for a practitioner to “wave” or move the instrument around your body. If a particular energy center needs attention it is also not unusual for the practitioner to place the instrument directly on your body.
Sound healing is often used with other therapies such as aroma therapy, reiki, crystal healing, etc. Therefore, it is not unusual for the practitioner to use aromatics or crystals during your session as well.
What does sound therapy feel like?
Most people will feel deeply relaxed during their sound therapy session. This is due to the brain reacting to the different tones and rhythms and shifting from a beta state to a theta state or perhaps even a delta state. You may feel the vibrations from the instruments as well. Some guests may feel restless for the first few minutes much in the same way starting a meditation session can take some time to settle in.