Sound healing is a form of vibrational medicine that uses instruments or even the voice to shift your frequencies from low energy states of fear and guilt into higher vibrations of love and peace. It may seem like a new age wellness trend but using sound to heal is as ancient as human language itself. Even today, many of us use music to improve mood, clear energetic blockages and support our health.
In addition to reducing stress, therapeutic sound promotes your body’s natural parasympathetic “rest and digest” healing response by increasing nitric oxide (NO), which improves circulation, blood flow and cell efficiency, all of which supports health. It also stimulates the brain to produce a feeling of deep relaxation, which helps to release emotional trauma and repressed memories.
The vibrations produced by gongs, tuning forks, singing bowls, and the voice create sounds that interact with every cell in your body. They affect your brainwave frequencies and create dynamic mandala-like patterns in your water molecules—and since your physical body is 60% water, this has an impact on the whole system.
You can get into the practice by playing or listening to your favorite music, chanting, singing, or doing guided imagery with soothing sounds—even just a simple playlist on your phone can help you to relax and de-stress. You can also find a lot of great youtube videos of these kinds of sound healing practices. It’s important to note that while these frequencies are incredibly relaxing, they are not designed to be used as a replacement for any medical treatments that you may need such as prescription drugs or surgery. Pregnant women, those with serious mental or medical health issues and anyone with an implanted heart pacemaker or stent should be careful about participating in these types of vibrational therapy.
The most well-known forms of sound healing are crystal bowls, singing bowl meditation, and the Nordoff-Robbins method (GIM). These methods utilize classical music or guided imagery and use a trained musician—who has completed a 2-year master’s program—to play or sing for you to help you experience spiritual growth, transformation and a deeper awareness of your body and mind.
Regardless of the type of healing you seek, it’s important to remember that all sounds can create a positive or negative effect. Listening to loud noises can raise your stress levels and trigger a fight, flight or freeze response. On the other hand, hearing tranquil sounds such as waves crashing on the beach can lower your heart rate and boost feelings of calm and happiness. The key is to intentionally choose the kind of sound and music you expose yourself to, as you are in complete control of how it impacts your mood and emotional state. Just remember that the sound of your favorite song can lift you up just as much as the next annoying radio ad or traffic jam. What is sound healing