Did you know that sound can be used for healing? It’s true! If you’re looking for a way to relax and de-stress, sound healing may be the answer for you. Given that everything, including ourselves, has a vibrational frequency, it’s only natural that sound frequencies influence our emotions. Sound healing is a type of therapy that uses sound vibrations to improve your health and well-being. Let’s learn more about this alternative therapy.
What is Sound Healing or Sound Therapy?
Sound therapy is an ancient therapeutic technique that uses tonal frequencies to balance and harmonize the body’s vibrations. A sound healing session, often known as a sound bath, involves lying down on the floor or a yoga mat, sometimes cuddling up with a warm blanket, and simply listening as a practitioner plays various instruments while you “bathe” in the soothing sounds and vibrations. The sound frequencies then induce a deeply restorative state in the brain, activating the body’s self-healing system.
The most common instruments used in sessions are gongs, Tibetan bowls, singing bowls, drums, and tuning forks. Almost any instrument can be utilized in sound healing if used with the right intention. Each instrument has a distinct function. The tones of the seven chakras, for example, are tuned into crystal bowls. The gong is thought to assist the body in relaxing and stimulating the glandular and neurological systems. (Estrada, 2020)
According to science, sound can be explained in two ways: physically and psychologically. The physics of sound discusses the pressure changes that occur when an item vibrates, which are subsequently sensed by the physiology of the outer and middle ear. The psychology of sound refers to how our brain interprets each sound, which not only provides information about our surroundings but also triggers emotions and sentiments. This component is known as psychoacoustics, and as this discipline continues to grow, new developments in the aural wellness space are emerging. (Sonos, 2021)
The Benefits of Sound Healing
Sound healing has emerged as an alternative therapy people seek in the case of stress, anxiety, or to deal with pain. Some benefits of sound healing are:
Relaxation
One of the most important and universal advantages of sound therapy is deep relaxation. The sounds pervade our system, restoring equilibrium. As calming as a spa, sound healing helps you find your harmony.
Improves Energy
As the sound vibrations open, clear, and balance their chakras and release blocked energy, some patients experience deep healing during sound therapy. It makes you feel refreshed and balanced.
Health Benefits
Improved sleep, less chronic pain and blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and a lower risk of heart disease are all advantages of sound healing.
Mental Health Benefits
Stress, anxiety, and depression can all be reduced with sound healing. Sound healing restores mental balance and clarity, resulting in a revitalized sense of purpose, well-being, peace, and enjoyment. (Estrada, 2020)
Meditation and healing have long been linked to sound. Sound healing has long been practiced in civilizations around the world, from Australian aboriginal tribes that have been using the didgeridoo as a sound healing instrument for over 40,000 years to Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowl spiritual rites.
Sound meditation is a sort of meditation that focuses on concentrated awareness. An analysis of 400 published scientific studies on music as medicine showed substantial evidence that music improves mood and reduces stress in both mental and physical health. In fact, rhythm (as opposed to melody) can help to relieve physical pain. One hour of sound meditation, according to one study, reduces stress, anger, weariness, anxiety, and sadness while also enhancing spiritual well-being. (Psychology Today, 2019)
Sound Heals
Sound healing is an effective and natural way to heal the body, mind, and spirit. It can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, both physical and mental. If you are looking for an alternative therapy to help you relax, reduce stress, or improve your overall health, sound healing may be right for you. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether sound healing is a good option for you.
Works Cited
Jessica Estrada. “3 Ways to Bring Your Body Vibrational Balance Using Sound Healing Therapy.” Well+Good, 26 Mar. 2020, www.wellandgood.com/sound-healing/.
Sonos. “Heard of Psychoacoustics? It Could Have Major Benefits for Your Mental Health.” Mindbodygreen, Mindbodygreen, 6 Dec. 2021, www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/wellness-trends-science-of-sound/.
“The Healing Power of Sound As Meditation.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/201907/the-healing-power-sound-meditation.
