Sound therapy, and sound baths in particular, have become a popular practice in the wellness world and with good reason. Sound healing has been used for over 40,000 years, all over the world. The science of sound and how it affects the healing process is still being studied, however, what is available does suggest the power it holds on the physical and spiritual body.
Meditating with Sound
Sound therapy in the form of meditations has helped people reduce anxiety, brain fog, tension, and depression. People who have experienced a sound meditation have also shared that they feel increased spiritual well-being. Sound created singing bowls sends out a frequency, measured in Hertz, and those frequencies stimulate your body.
By meditating with sound, you are stimulating different areas of your body that affect your pain perception or your sleep cycles and your bodies ability to take rest. The varying frequencies also attune to the frequency of your brainwaves.
Meditating with sound includes the use of mantra in your practice. Try Sarah’s quick Sat Nam practice here.
Sound Therapy and Brain Waves
Our brains operate in four states of frequency, ranging from alert and conscious to the other end of the spectrum such as deep, dreamless sleep.
Beta brain waves occur when your mind is active and engaged. These are faster brainwaves. Alpha brainwaves have a slower frequency and occur when one is resting, meditating, or otherwise not actively engaged in a task. Theta brainwaves are usually related to daydreaming or when one is in a state of flow, for example, if you have been running for a long time. These theta brainwaves occur during the REM (rapid eye movement) cycle of sleep. And last, though certainly not least, are the delta brainwaves, which occur in deep, dreamless sleep and carry the slowest frequency.
So, What is a Sound Bath?
A sound bath, much like a symphony, can be created through a variety of instruments, such as gongs, crystal boals, tuning forks, and chimes. As the one experiencing the sound, the idea is that you are being “bathed” by the wash of sound waves over the body and the frequency of the sound is resonating with the frequency of your brain. Often, the facilitator of a sound bath will also fold in the use of singing and chanting, utilizing the human voice as an instrument.
A Yin practice is a beautiful compliment to a sound therapy experience. You can explore what Yin is like with one of our newer instructors, Devin Bailey.
Benefits of Sound Therapy
The benefits of participating in a sound bath experience are vast. They range from a feeling of overall wellness and creating balance within one’s energy body to decreasing anxiety, increasing relaxation and awareness, and fostering physical healing.
