"Sound is the force of creation, the true whole."- Inayat Khan, musicology professor, poet, philosopher, Sufism advocate
Sound is powerful. Think of hearing birds chirping while out in nature. Or when your favorite song comes on. Do these sounds change something for you in that moment? Maybe they put a smile on your face, clear your mind or have you shaking your lil tush.
Whatever the sound, it can change our mood or state of mind. When we step into the power of sound to help us heal, or release negative energy and feel calmer and more peaceful, that is a form of sound healing. And it goes deeper. Specific vibrations and frequencies of sound can actually alter our brain waves.
There's science behind this that shows how sound shifts patterns in our minds and changes our state of consciousness. But what actually is sound healing and how can it help us?
Basically, sound healing is when a practitioner uses designed instruments (like tuning forks, singing bowls, shamanic drums, etc.), tones, and frequencies and vibrations to change your state. It can also involve chanting or humming. Surrounded by these sounds in a group setting is known as a sound bath.
Usually, the environment where sound healing takes place is geared toward relaxation and a meditative state. The room is often darkened, perhaps some candles are lit or there are pleasing scents diffused throughout the space.
Sound healing can have many benefits, from easing anxiety and stress, to promoting physical healing, to lowering blood pressure and relaxing your muscles. I have felt many of these benefits firsthand from attending sound baths.
One of my early experiences with sound bathing was part of an all-day holistic healing salon, with many practices offered including bodywork, massage, acupuncture, and aromatherapy.
This was also where I had my first reiki session (see my previous blog post all about reiki).
In the sound bath session, we got comfortable by either sitting or lying down. The room was darkened and everyone was quiet. We started with some deep breathing, and then were immersed in sound. The sounds were light, melodic and pleasant, and allowing them to wash over me brought me into a state of deep relaxation. Many people even fall asleep during a sound bath.
The session lasted about 30 minutes, and we were aided in coming back into the space with the lights gradually brought up and instructions to start noticing things around us. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and have since attended more in-person sound healing sessions.
To bring these benefits home, I ended up buying a small singing bowl and mallet to recreate some of the sound from the session. I normally use it when I want to go into a deeper state of relaxation to ease my anxiety or stress, or sometimes in the morning when I wake up to start my day on an uplifting note.
Sound baths are fairly popular these days, so a quick search can likely turn up practitioners and events in your area. Or try a local wellness or yoga studio. However, you can also do some of this at home. Many wellness apps like Insight Timer or Calm offer soundscapes, music meditations or ambient sounds with vibrational frequencies.
You could also invest in a few of the lower cost instruments yourself, like a singing bowl. However you choose to participate in sound healing, I can tell you from my experience that I've consistently found it worth the investment.
If you decide to give sound healing a try, I'd love to hear how it went! Tag me @allyouallin (Facebook or Instagram) or support@allyouallin.com.
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