Sound healing is a practice where a Sound Healing practitioner intentionally introduces sounds from instruments and vocal tones to affect the physical, emotional, and spiritual body to induce relaxation and overall well-being of the recipient(s) in question. In a group or private setting the person(s) experiencing the sound will lay down comfortably with their eyes closed and “bathe” in the vibrations from the sounds. These vibrations can be heard and felt in the body, causing the person(s) to be more grounded and present by putting them into a meditative state.
What are the benefits of Sound Healing?
The most powerful benefits of sound healing are that it helps your body and mind relax deeply, which allows your natural healing process to take over. The vibrations from instruments or voice work with your nervous system, helping to slow your heart rate, calm your breathing, and quiet racing thoughts. This shift takes you out of stress mode and into a state where your body can restore balance, release tension, and feel more peaceful overall.
Sound healing can result in relief from stress, anxiety, pain, and restlessness through regulating the nervous system, and by encouraging the release of feel good chemicals in the body. Sound healing can help people to feel more calm and well rested or help them to feel more grounded, clear minded, and more energetic depending on what type of sound bath you go to.
How does Sound Healing work?
A lot of people have been led to believe that Sound Healing is all “woo woo” and that there is no evidence to back up how this modality works but that simply is not true. The concepts of Sound Healing are deeply rooted in science–especially physics. Everything and everyone is made up of energy and vibration and we all vibrate at our own frequency. There are many sounds that we come into contact with, some that we may not even be aware of, that can throw our natural frequency off balance, causing stress and illness. The frequencies produced by the instruments that are introduced during sound baths are a lot closer to our own natural frequencies, and when we are exposed to them, it brings us back into alignment, triggering the body to activate its own natural healing mechanism. There are three major concepts in physics that sound healing works through and those are cymatics, resonance, and entrainment.
The study of cymatics shows how frequencies from sound create order in matter like water or sand. When water or sand is exposed to different frequencies, these particles begin to arrange themselves into perfect geometrical shapes. Since our bodies are mostly water, our internal state responds to vibration, reorganizing itself and restoring health and harmony. Healing instruments and vocal tones create resonance with our natural frequencies which the body recognizes as familiar and safe which encourages the nervous system to relax, while entrainment gently synchronizes our breath and heartbeat, shifting our brainwaves from an active beta state into slower alpha and theta states which are linked to meditation and deep restoration. For those of you that would love to have this particular topic broken down even further, I will be going into more detail about this in a future blog.
What does this look like in practice?
Sound baths can be performed in more intimate sessions like one on one or in group settings that can range from 5-100 recipients. Typically the recipient is laying down on a massage table for one on ones or on a yoga mat on the floor in group settings. In a group setting, it almost feels like a performance while a one on one session is more intimate and individualized. Either setting asks that the recipient simply lay back and receive. If possible, recipients are asked to listen with intention and without judgement, stay present, and notice how their emotional and physical states shift, although there is no pressure to do so. Simply relaxing and allowing the sounds to “take you away” is always an option and a completely normal response to sound healing.
Sound baths can vary due to the individual preferences of the practitioner and the type of training they received during their certification. They can also differ depending on the goal of the Sound Bath. Sound Baths can be designed to be activating, meaning they give the recipient energy and clarity or they can be designed to be calming which can help the recipient achieve deep states of relaxation to assist with stress, anxiety, and sleep. Typically a Practitioner will have either metal bowls, crystal singing bowls and/or gongs as their main healing instrument. Everything from there is all about preference of the Practitioner. Their instrument collection could range from things like hand drums, handpans, xylophones, and chimes attuned to 432 or 440hz, to instruments like piano, harp, and zither. Some Practitioners intertwine their voice as well for singing and vocal toning, while other Practitioners leave out their voice completely.
How exactly does a Sound Bath work? Do I need to do anything?
During a sound bath you will be laying down (or sitting if you prefer or need to sit). As mentioned above, as the receiver you can either listen with intention so you can be aware of the shifts taking place or you can allow the sounds to take you away. Falling asleep is also completely normal during sound baths.
During my sound baths, we will begin by settling in, setting our intentions and focusing on some light breath work. In some of my sound baths, I will guide everyone to play with making their own sounds with their voices so they can explore for a moment how they can easily do sound healing on themselves, but this exploration is completely optional. Once this settling in portion is done, the sound bath will begin. During this time you will relax with your eyes closed or your gaze softened while you enjoy the soundscape or you can meditate. I will weave the instruments and my voice throughout this experience. For in person events, I will also go around and play some instruments over people's bodies. After it's over, I will gently lead everyone out of their meditative state and we can do some journaling and shares. Sharing your experience is completely optional.
Integrating
After the sound bath, this experience will continue to integrate over the next few days or so. Be sure to drink a lot of water and get some good rest. Take some time for self care even if it's just for 5-10 minutes; as long as it's done with intention, it is valid and powerful. You may notice better sleep, more energy, or some emotional releases; this is all normal, so be gentle with yourself and listen to what your body needs.
How you can start to play with Sound for your own healing
You can easily begin playing with sound in the comfort of your own home and without spending any money. You can do this by exploring the power of your own voice. Begin by taking at least 5 minutes for yourself. Sit up right in a comfortable position, take a couple of deep breaths and begin humming. While doing this, begin to feel into your body, noticing how you can feel the vibration from the humming in your mouth, throat, and chest. Continue to play with this, allowing your humming to evolve in tone and volume if you feel called to do so. Humming with your mouth open and humming with your mouth closed. After you are done, sit in silence for at least a minute, taking note of any shifts that you feel in your body or emotional state.
Written by Selenia Rodriguez
Selenia is a certified Sound Healer and Holy Fire III Karuna Reiki Master.
Ready to dive deeper?
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