The Power of Sound
Powerful healing practices harnessing sound are nothing new, but have recently begun to take off again. Ancient traditions such as Tibetan singing bowls and Aboriginal didgeridoos have been used for therapeutical purposes for thousands of years. In other cultures, the Ancient Greeks used sonic sound vibrations to treat mental disturbances, induce sleep and aid in digestion. Even Aristotle’s De Anima detailed how the sounds emitted from flute music could purify the soul. I find the topic of sound healing really interesting and closely connected to energy healing that I loved researching about. Today I wanted to discuss some of the benefits of different forms of sound therapy, how they work, and my experience with the types I’ve tried.
What is sound healing?
Towards the end of the 19th century, researchers looked at the correlation between sound and healing. These studies showed that music could decrease pulse rate, lower blood pressure, assist the parasympathetic nervous system and a plethora of other benefits to our wellbeing. Sound healing encompasses a variety of powerful healing modalities within energy medicine. Sound can not only possess the ability to help a client reach their core frequency, but it can also connect them to higher energies. As sound healing can be approached in a variety of ways, it’s crucial to figure out exactly which modality works best for you.
Key benefits
Sound or music therapy has been used to treat an array of conditions, including but not limited to:
Mood disturbances such as anxiety disorders and depression
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Dementia
Behavioural and psychiatric disorders
Cancer
General wellbeing including assistance the assistance of our parasympathetic system
Each modality has been used to treat a variety of the above concerns, whilst certain modalities have also practice-specific benefits which we’ll look at below.
5 selected sound therapy modalities:
Neurological Music Therapy
Neurological music therapy is a kind of sound healing that has shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It is administered by a therapist who tailors the experience to the individual needs of a client. It involves creating, listening, singing or movement to music and has shown to be particularly effective during physical rehab, pain management and brain-related injuries. Studies have even shown that it is more effective in reducing a clients anxiety levels than the use of prescription drugs!
Tuning Fork Therapy
Tuning forks are something I swear by. I use a particular tuning fork every morning before I sit down to work, and also to cleanse the energy in a space (along with palo santo smoke) when I feel that it’s become too congested. Tuning fork therapy utilises calibrated metal tuning forks that apply specific sound vibrations to specific parts of the body. This form of therapy can assist in releasing tension, promoting emotional balance and releasing negative energy. Within our body, each gland, organ and cell vibrate at their own specific frequency, and these frequencies correspond with musical notes. Studies have shown that tuning fork therapy can also relieve muscle and bone pain. I use my tuning fork alongside a variety of crystals, the vibrations from the tuning fork awaken the healing powers of crystals which is another supplementary benefit of use. The pure and precise sonic vibrations from the tuning fork help me re-centre throughout the day, and become aware of certain things that could be bothering me. To view the pre-order for Welluvia’s Healing Tuning Fork Set, visit this link.
Brainwave Entrainment
Brainwave entrainment, also known as binaural beats, is a sort of sound therapy that stimulates the brain into a specific state utilising pulsing sounds to promote the brain waves to align with the frequency of the beat. This modality has shown to help enhance focus, and help the body and mind deeply relax promoting a healthy sleeping cycle. A few years ago I tried a type of brainwave entrainment therapy, where I wore a large headset and laid down on an electromagnetic mat. The process was deeply relaxing and I found it helped me with focus better in school after the session. Other supplementary benefits of brainwave entrainment have been studied, such as reduction of anxiety, pain, and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Singing Bowls
Singing bowls are another kind of popular sound healing method. There are two kinds of singing bowls generally used. Tibetan singing bowls which are made from metal such as copper and tin, and crystal singing bowls that are made of quartz crystal. Singing bowls produce a healing sound when struck with a mallet on the outside of the bowl, and then moved around the outer edge of the rim of the bowl. This sound vibration produces a pure note that has a base frequency and several harmonic overtones It is said that these sound waves emitted are of pure radiant sound that reaches up to the Divine. Tibetan singing bowl therapy harmonises the chakras and the parts of the body associated with those chakras. The use of crystal singing bowls emits robust radio transmitters that send out pure energy into the atmosphere. The tones can activate brain waves and ease us into an advanced state of consciousness, releasing hormones and neurochemicals that can overcome addictive tendencies, boost willpower, promote creativity and reduce pain.
Sound Bath Sessions
Sound baths are becoming increasingly popular as of late, but what exactly are they? Sound baths have been around for centuries and utilise a variety of methods within sound healing. Sound baths are defined as an immersion in sound frequency that cleans the soul. The use of the word bath is because during the sessions clients are submerged in sound, and feel cleansed and cleared after their experience. Sound baths use repetitive sonic vibrations at different frequencies to help bring your focus away from your thoughts. Generally, these sounds are created with traditional crystal bowls, gemstone bowls, cymbals, and gongs. These sessions are guided with meditation and work similarly to a sort of yoga class. Given my positive experiences with tuning fork and brain entrainment therapy, I’m really excited to try this with my friends once we’re able to.
Music For Relaxing Times
When I wrote about floatation tanks a while back I created a relaxing mix to aid in the transition into deep meditative states. Floating Through Time and Space… can be listened to here.
I hope today’s article has highlighted some of the important and fascinating benefits of sound therapy, and the many different ways of approaching it. It’s important to note that every therapy works differently for different people, and the best way to approach it is with an open mind.
With wellness,
Aleksandar
Title painting and selected light work studies by Vanja Zarić
