Sound Healing

Sound has been utilized in various cultures for thousands of years as a tool for healing. Whether through the use of mantras as with the Hindis, the Icaros medicine melodies of various Indigenous peoples from Central and South America, or Pythagoras' use of interval and frequency , these various techniques all have the same intention: Sound helps to facilitate shifts in our brainwave state by using entrainment.

Entrainment synchronizes our fluctuating brainwaves by providing a stable frequency which the brainwave can attune to. By using rhythm and frequency, we can entrain our brainwaves and it then becomes possible to down-shift our normal beta state normal waking consciousness to alpha relaxed consciousness , and even reach theta meditative state and delta sleep; where internal healing can occur.

This same concept is utilized in meditation by regulating the breath , but with sound it's the frequency that is the agent which influences the shift. A sound therapy treatment is both a passive and participatory experience. The passive aspect is that you become more relaxed by laying down and slowing your breath. By doing this, you prepare yourself to become the receiver of sound.

It's in this place of stillness that you participate by becoming more open and aware of each sound that comes in. Sound helps create the pathway to this place of stillness the same as a mantra helps you to arrive at the still point of meditation. Some of the tools I use are voice, drumming, tuning forks and Himalayan singing bowls.

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It's important to note that awareness plays a huge role in our own healing. I find that vocal toning is an incredibly powerful practice that gives us the ability to fine-tune our greatest vibrational instrument: I always encourage clients to incorporate simple, but effective breathing exercises and vocal toning exercises in their daily routine, to help bring a greater sense of balance into their lives. If we are able to shift our perspective, we can change our relationship to the issue that may be preventing us from experiencing our optimal homeostasis.

Sound not only helps with inducing relaxation, but also has a way of moving through areas of blockage.

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These energetic blockage areas can be located in our physical bodies, our subtle bodies, or both. The physical body is where we experience localized pain and discomfort. Using tuning forks, especially osteophonic tuning forks they vibrate at lower frequencies , we can stimulate the release of Nitric Oxide, a free radical molecule that has been proven to positively affect pain transmission and control. Which, in short, means that these frequencies help to create a physiological reaction, while the sound itself helps to influence our auditory system, enabling us to modify our relationship to the pain.

Our "subtle body" is our energetic body. This body is where our life force energy exists, commonly referred to as Qi, Chi or prana. In Chinese medicine, meridian points are used to pinpoint areas that have restricted energetic flow to our physical and subtle bodies.

The body is known to have thousands of these meridian lines that are mapped out through the body, in the same way we've mapped out the latitude and longitude of the earth. The subtle body holds imbalances and traumas that can eventually manifest in our physical bodies, which is why it's important to look at healing and balance not only from a physical perspective, but as a complete holistic experience that includes mind, body and spirit. Sound has the ability to positively affect our whole being.

Eileen McCusick, author of Tuning The Human Biofield , has been exploring the theory that our subtle body acts as memory storage. For example, a tree has rings that extend outward as the tree grows. McCusick suggests that our subtle body expands and stores our life experiences in a similar way.

If we apply frequency with tuning forks we can help blocked energy from past experiences move toward the energetic filtration system of each chakra , so that the stuck energy can be recycled back into our life force. More recently, research has linked music to a number of health benefits, from boosting immune function and lowering stress levels to improving the health of premature babies. There are a few different types of sound therapy, each with different benefits, though not all have been proven. Vibroacoustic therapy uses audible sound vibrations to improve health and reduce stress.

This type of sound therapy involves using speakers imbedded in recliners, mattresses, and special mats to transmit music and sound vibrations directly to the body. Guided mediation is a form of sound healing in which you meditate to voiced instruction, either in a session or class, or using a video or app.

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Meditation can involve chanting or repeating mantras or prayers. Research has found that meditation offers a number of health benefits, including:. Music therapy can reduce stress and promote relaxation. A study published in found that a minute music therapy session combined with traditional care after spinal surgery reduced pain.

Treatment involves creating, listening, singing, or moving to music. Named after Helen L. Bonny, PhD , the Bonny method of guided imagery and music uses classical music and imagery to help explore personal growth, consciousness, and transformation.

A study showed promising evidence that a series of sessions could improve psychological and physiological health in adults with medical and mental health needs. They use music familiar to those being treated, create new music together, or work toward a performance. This approach is used to treat children with developmental delays and their parents, mental health, learning difficulties and autism , dementia , and other conditions.

Singing bowl therapy dates back to the 12 th century and has been used for meditation and rituals in Tibetan culture. A study found that singing bowl meditation reduced stress, anger, depression, and fatigue. All of these things are known to impact physical health and raise the risk for disease, suggesting that singing bowl therapy may be good for your physical, as well as emotional, well-being.

What You Need To Know About Sound Healing - mindbodygreen

Tuning fork therapy uses calibrated metal tuning forks to apply specific vibrations to different parts of the body. This can help release tension and energy and promote emotional balance. It supposedly works similarly to acupuncture , using sound frequencies for point stimulation instead of needles. There is some research suggesting that tuning fork therapy may help relieve muscle and bone pain. Also known as binaural beats , this method stimulates the brain into a specific state using pulsing sound to encourage your brain waves to align to the frequency of the beat.

Sound healing uses different aspects of sound to improve your emotional and physical well-being. How it works depends on the method of sound healing therapy being used. Most sound healing sessions are experienced one-on-one with a specially trained practitioner. A session may involve sitting or lying down while listening to music or sounds from a speaker or instruments, or having vibrations applied using a special tool, such as a tuning fork. You may be encouraged to participate by singing, moving, even using a musical instrument, or remain still and quiet to let the sounds take effect, depending on the method.

Some methods use a variety of instruments in one session, which can include a guitar, piano, or other instrument. Though evidence may be limited on some methods, sound healing has been found to be effective for stress reduction and relaxation and has been shown to offer many health benefits.