Life is not easy, and making sense of the things around us can become incredibly overwhelming at times. With so many external stimuli to decode and make sense of, you might often feel the need to detach and let go. And when it comes to that, sound healing has been found to do wonders.
For years, humans have healed themselves and given themselves the necessary release they need through sound healing practices. Research shows that music therapy and sound healing can lead to reduced stress, fewer mood swings, and lower blood pressure. There are many forms sound healing can take; one increasingly popular and incredibly effective form is a sound bath.
Here we will be discussing what a sound bath is, where they originate from, how they are performed, and what benefits you can expect from a sound bath!
What is a Sound Bath?
Despite what the name suggests, these baths aren’t in the form of actual baths but are rather a mindful practice that incorporates sound therapy. The technique essentially involves listening to different relaxing sounds to help soothe the mind and body. So in this scenario, you are “bathed” with sound waves emitted from healing instruments such as gongs, Tibetan bowls, water rattles, Tingsha bells, rain sticks, chimes, and tuning forks for healing.
These instruments or sound healing bowls are carefully collected and used to produce rhythms with a notable resonance and overtone that help balance your inner energy and “let go” of the thoughts that are weighing you down. The goal here is to help you relax from deep within and experience mindfulness at its core. The benefits of sound bath meditation aren’t just limited to relaxation; they extend to deeper healing, which is also why you will see them commonly used in rehabilitation facilities and treatment centers.
Where Did They Originate?
Sound baths aren’t new; sound and music have always existed as a tool to help guide our minds and souls. You may not know this but sound therapy dates back thousands of years; it has been used in cultures worldwide to bring balance internally and emotionally. Tibetan monks are an example who used Tibetan singing bowls for meditation and spiritual wellbeing, well over two thousand years ago!
These practices have seen growing popularity among the west over the past few years. Many meditation spaces, yoga studios, and wellness retreats now offer sound bath meditation as a part of their mind-body practices. While the sessions vary in length and instruments used for the different institutions holding them, they usually range up to an hour. They may include practices of yoga in conjunction for more significant results.
How are Sound Baths Performed?
Not all sound baths are performed the same way. However, they may all involve the guidance of an experienced sound healer. These sessions may be performed in collaboration with a group or in the form of individual sessions.
- For individual sound bowl healing sessions, your instructor may place the instruments near your body or directly over your body, so the vibrations move through your body, enhancing muscle relaxation and improving your lymphatic flow.
- In the scenario that you participate in a group session, you may be requested to lay down with others in a room. Usually, this position could be in the form of the Savasana position in yoga, where participants lie on their backs.
A sound healing practitioner will then guide you through the meditation experience using the instruments combined with certain chants or mantras. The instruments will work in cohesion by creating soothing, overlapping vibrations. These vibrations do not necessarily have to be in the form of a melody or rhythm but are selectively used to create a soothing resonance. The experience may last from fifteen minutes to sixty minutes.
Do They Work?
Now moving on to the more important question, is this form of sound therapy effective? You may not know but our physical body vibrates at a varying frequency at our cellular level. We resonate with sound, and sound therapy in the form of sound baths helps “restore our vibration to a state of harmony.”
Many studies have linked the use of sound meditation and sound therapy to positive effects in reducing physical pain, anxiety, tension and promoting general wellbeing. The best part? Sound baths can be used for individuals of all ages and gender, particularly those who are experiencing a rough patch in their lives, battling depression and anxiety or trauma. Sound baths may also help individuals who find it challenging to meditate the traditional way and are looking for a similar experience.
Healing Benefits of a Sound Bath
What benefits does a sound bath hold exactly? What happens when you let your mind and your body immerse into the sounds around you as you lie peacefully?
While the general intention is to help you relax and relieve yourself of stress, there are several associated health benefits these sessions can provide you.
Improved Consciousness
When you are experiencing a sound bath, you invite your body to relax and enter a state of “being.” As the notes wind around you, you need not respond or react; just let them resonate with you. This experience will help you uncover a deeper state of consciousness; you no longer need to discern each stimulus but rather study the turmoil within.
Recent research at The British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST) has proven that sound baths can lead to “long-lasting therapeutic effects” where your brain slows down to an “altered state of consciousness (ASC).”
Improved Mood and Cognition
Sound therapy has been linked to mood and cognitive ability improvements among patients. The same effects hold true for sound baths as they have strong physiological effects, improving both your mood and cognition and leading to a significant decrease in tension, anxiety, and negative moods after experiencing the therapy.
You get to experience a state where you can relax a busy mind and balance your emotions. As a result, people tend to feel calm and relaxed after their experience.
Improved Wellbeing
Sound therapy in the form of sound baths helps to promote a stress-free lifestyle and therefore leads to improved overall wellbeing. Not only is it effective in achieving a state of relaxation by removing blockages in your mind and body, but a sound bath also helps reduce stress, fatigue, anxiety, high blood pressure, and alleviate pain. You will experience a new spiritual and physical wellbeing, a state of mindfulness where healing and wellness combine.
Benefits of Mental Health
Sound baths are known to help treat mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Participants of such sessions report a significant decrease in tension, anxiety, and negative moods. Most importantly, sound baths give you an opportunity to recharge your mental state as you can relax, let loose, and give your mind the release it demands. You eliminate the need to consciously react to external effects and instead enter a state of recharge.
Reduction in Pain
Many arguably find this hard to believe, but sound baths are also linked to alleviation in physical pain. A study showed that participants who took a sound bath session reported their pain level to be higher before than after the session. Limited research also states that sound baths may help improve conditions such as high blood pressure and heart rate.
Sound therapy helps to activate the parts of your nervous system that regulates rest, causing your muscles to relax, and along with it, your blood pressure. It also allows the heart rate to decrease to lower levels. When your muscles relax, you experience an alleviation of pain in the body.
Improved Self-Awareness
When your body lets go of its physical attachments with that which flows outside and solely relates to the sound around you, it gives you a chance to take a look into yourself. It allows your brain waves to slow down and enter a more relaxed state for you to reflect in. At the end of the session, you feel an increased level of awareness.
The Takeaway
Sound baths have several incredible healing benefits. One thing to note is that not everyone responds in the same way to this form of sound therapy. Some may feel incredibly relaxed and enter a dream-like state; others may feel energized or revitalized. The sound bath meditation benefits are in no way limited to mental and spiritual well-being but rather transcend into physical well-being and healing.
Looking for an Authentic Sound Bath Session to Renew Yourself?
Going to search ‘sound bath near me’ on the internet? Opting for sound bath sessions with Johnny Sage is an excellent opportunity for you to put a pause on your somewhat chaotic life and give yourself a few minutes of calm. The meditative practice is easy enough to follow and doesn’t demand a lot of discipline or time to master; you simply must show up in comfortable clothing, relax and listen to the sounds around you. Each sound bath experience will be different from the last, and you will find yourself in an improved physical, emotional, and mental state.
You can also book a session for a Reiki sound bath and can also get a sound healing certification at Conscious Compassion.
