Blog
The Benefits of Sound Healing: A Beginner's Guide
Whilst you might think that peace and quiet is the perfect way to unwind, have you ever considered using sound to relax and de-stress? Recently, more and more people are turning to sound for its healing power and health benefits.
Sound has been used as a tool for healing for thousands of years; the Ancient Egyptians used musical incantations as a way of curing the sick, whilst Greek physicians relied on the power of vibration to encourage healthy digestion, sleep and emotional balance. The ancient yogic text, the Samaveda, also contains chants and hymns that were recited in a specific harmony. You’ve probably already experienced how powerfully healing sound can be without even realising it. When you’re sad, do you listen to a certain song that instantly changes your mood and makes you happy? Or perhaps you’ve got a favourite artist whose music makes you want to dance until your feet are sore. Sound has the ability to change how we feel, most of the time without even realising it. Whilst yogis have been aware of the healing power of sound for thousands of years, it is only recently that practices such as sound healing and sound baths are becoming more popular.
During a sound bath, the listener lies down on a mat or a blanket with their eyes closed and cushions and other props surrounding them. They are then bathed in sound vibrations. These vibrations create a deeply-immersive experience that nurtures both the mind and the body. Sound healing is a very similar practice, except that it can be done with a practitioner as a 1-2-1 therapy session. It can also involve guided relaxation and visualisation. The practitioner uses a range of different ancient instruments such as crystals, gongs, bells, rain sticks, drums, flutes, Kenari shakers, Koshi chimes and Himalayan singing bowls. All instruments are tuned to a certain frequency in order to help optimise the body’s organs. They are also played in specific beats and rhythms to help alter your brainwaves so that you are able to enter a fully trance-like, meditative state. In her text The Vibrational Frequencies of the Human Body, Cristina Sessmus writes ‘humans have an optimal frequency, as does everything else in the universe, that occurs when each of the cells in our body vibrates at the frequency it was design to’. Therefore, when our minds and bodies are vibrating at a healthy level, we tend to feel good inside and out. Sound-based vibration can be used to rebalance the body and emotions if we feel drained or physically unwell. In fact, the practice of sound healing has been shown to have numerous health benefits including improved sleep, reduced stress, more balanced hormones, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduced pain and anxiety, and less mood swings. Medical practitioners today use sound-based vibrations to reduce pain for those with arthritis, menstrual pain and postoperative pain. Even ultrasounds use vibrations, echoes and waves to produce images from within our bodies.
Whilst extremely beneficial for our physical health, sound healing can also be used to release blocked energy from the energy channels within our bodies. Certain frequencies have the ability to restore balance to our emotions, which in turn has an effect on our mind and body. When we hear specific sound waves, our brain produces brain waves that make us feel more relaxed and focused, helping us enter a meditative state. When the brain enters this state, it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body’s organs and tissues rest and regenerate.
If you would like to experience the healing power of sound for yourself, check out the yoga schedule and events calendar on our website. We often offer Yin Yoga and Sound Healing sessions together here at AmaSER, so have a look if you would like to find out more.
