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Whether you want to get rid of that vexing pain in your back, relax after a tiring day at work or erase all of the negative voices in your head, the melodic chime of bells, the resonant echo of a gong, and the easy vibration of a tuning fork can bring you into a state of deep relaxation, making all of your stresses disappear as you float in the calm sea of sound waves.
Sounds enchanting, doesn’t it? Read further to learn more about the benefits of sound healing sessions, how often should you opt for these sound bath sessions and what they have in store for you.
What is Sound Healing?
As the name suggests, sound healing is a meditative procedure involving various sounds meant to soothe the mind, body, and soul. These relaxing sounds are created by musical instruments like gongs, water rattles, rain sticks, Tibetan bowls, bells, and even tuning forks for healing. Some also call it sound bowl healing.
The instruments such as sound healing bowls are carefully chosen and played in such a harmonious manner that the rhythms of the sound waves are in sync. These waves are meant to help balance the flow of energy in our bodies and keep any unwanted thoughts at bay. Not only does sound healing promote mindfulness and a state of deep relaxation, but it also helps with the more profound healing of any physical or emotional wounds.
It is a common belief among sound therapists that humans are made of different energy frequencies and using different sound frequencies, we can interact with these energy frequencies and attempt rebalancing the body’s energy. Sound healing can take multiple forms, ranging from guided meditation to sound “baths” and focuses on improving mental and physical well-being.
Origins of Sound Healing
The use of sound to increase the rate of healing and promote physical and mental well-being is a practice that has been around for a long time.
Some of the earliest uses of sound healing date back to around 40,000 years ago when the indigenous Australians used didgeridoos (a prehistoric wind instrument) during their healing rituals.
Moreover, history suggests that the Egyptians also used sound to promote healing and relaxation, as the pyramids have been designed with sound chambers in them.
Ranging from Tibetan bowls, vocal chanting, shamanic drums, and Japanese gongs to music in yoga studios, sound therapy has been a part of almost every culture in the world throughout the course of history, and it only continues to grow in popularity as more people understand its positive impact on the mind and soul.
Sound Healing Sessions: What to Expect?
Sound healing or sound bath meditation sessions typically last around 15 minutes to an hour and are guided by an experienced practitioner. However, each session may be performed differently according to the client’s requirements, and each sound healer has a different method of performing them.
These sessions are performed in a group or individual setting, where the participants lie fully clothed on a couch or comfortable mat, and the sound healer makes sounds from various instruments like crystal healing bowls, tuning forks, gongs, bells, etc. around them, combined with motivational and soothing mantras or chants, which act as food for the soul.
During individual settings, the trained practitioner may even place the sound bath bowls near or on the body to promote the flow of energy and vibrations, which help to enhance lymphatic flow and muscle relaxation.
Participants of sound healing sessions report an improved sense of physical and mental relaxation, which may even have the effect of lucid dreaming. The melodious harmony of the instruments chiming together improves mental clarity, restores inner balance, and curbs all negative thoughts.
Benefits of Sound Healing
For thousands of years, humans have tried various therapies in order to escape the woes of daily life and enhance their lifestyles, and sound bath meditation is one of them. Not only anecdotal, but you can also find science-based facts about the benefits of sound healing.
Read below why you should opt for a sound healing session for yourself and how it will improve your life.
Improves Organizational Skills
The rhythmic vibrations of the euphonious instruments used in sound healing sessions help get rid of any tangled thoughts and thus boost mental clarity. This gives us more command over our daily tasks and assists with making better decisions.
Provides Pain Relief
Stress is one of the most significant factors behind many mental and physical ailments such as depression, anxiety, stomach pain, joint pain, high blood pressure, etc.
The vibrations made by the sound implements create an atmosphere for healing by reducing stress and thus cutting down on the painful symptoms of these illnesses. Moreover, the vibrations made by these implements are said to interact with the cells in our bodies and encourage healing.
Health Boost
The reason why people advocate sound healing so much is because the difference it makes is visible. Apart from improving the sleep cycle, the relaxed environment created in the sessions helps lower cholesterol levels and keep blood pressure in check, which is vital for a healthy cardiovascular system.
Additionally, sound healing has also been proven to help those suffering from severe migraines as it helps to calm the nervous system.
Food for the Mind and Soul
As sound healing reduces stress and anxiety, it promotes a level of mindfulness that cannot be challenged. This therapy promotes emotional and spiritual well-being, as well as a renewed sense of purpose and internal happiness, which helps keep depression and anxiety at bay.
This also helps improve one’s interpersonal relationships as stress relief leads to a better mood, and all the pent-up frustration drifts away. Moreover, self-destructive behavior and addictive habits are eradicated, which is why sound therapy is quite common in rehabilitation centers.
Deep Relaxation
Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t want to just shut their eyes and bask in resonating tunes after a hectic day?
A sound bath puts one into a meditative state, which helps the mind and body relax after burnout from daily life matters. It is also highly beneficial if you want relaxation due to a certain situation or issue in life and allows you to think with more clarity.
Energy Boost
Feeding the brain with stimulating sounds, sound healing prompts the brain to release any latent energy, which results in a shift in energy levels, completely vitalizing the human body.
How Often to Opt for a Sound Bath?
When it comes to sound baths, it is better to opt for regular sessions than taking a session once in a blue moon, as consistency helps best to reap all of its benefits.
For individuals just starting out, it is recommended that they go for four sessions with an interval of a week or two in between. Otherwise, one to two sessions should be good enough. However, those suffering from emotional and physical distress can benefit from drifting in the sound waves in weekly sessions.
Therefore, deciding how often you go for a sound healing session is entirely subjective and depends on how well you know yourself. You can also ask for advice from the sound healer, discussing your situation with them as they are experienced in offering guidance concerning consistency and duration.
Is Sound Healing Actually Effective?
While sound healing is not a replacement for proper medical care, it can act as a complementary treatment, which science has proven so as well.
Since everything in the universe operates at a certain vibrational frequency, so do the cells in our body and the central nervous system. Thus, the resonating vibrations from the instruments interact with the cells within the body as well as the brainwave frequency to promote healing and maintain a balance of energy.
Research shows that sound implements such as tuning forks effectively reduce joint and muscle pain, and in 2006, a study concluded that meditation via singing bowls can decrease blood pressure, improve circulation, and even boost immunity. Adding to that, the study of vibroacoustic therapy has also shown that this practice helps to treat chronic pain and speed recovery, while another research showed that using sound healing can significantly improve motor function in adults or children that suffer from cerebral palsy.
Without a doubt, sound healing gets rid of unnecessary stress and relaxes the body, helping patients feel calm. Reduced anxiety, depression and boosted mental focus mean that one is able to make better decisions, have more confidence, and concentrate on things that actually matter, thus improving quality of life drastically.
Wrapping It Up
Quite often, we are so overwhelmed by the daily worries of life that we forget to look after ourselves. Sound healing can curb all of these stressors, reduce the pain of emotional or physical trauma, and heal anything causing the disturbance in our mind, body, and soul, thus paving the way to a life full of happiness.
Going to search ‘sound bath near me’ on the internet? Book your next sound healing session with Johnny Sage for a life-changing experience while bathing in the sound waves. You can also book a session for a Reiki sound bath and can also get a sound healing certification.
