Sound Healing

Sound therapy covers a range of treatments, from music therapy to sound baths. Similar to massage therapy which delivers healing through touch, it’s a form of sensory therapy, and it has been used by various cultural groups for centuries. The most prominent form practiced in the U.S. is music therapy, but the use of individual sounds and frequencies has been growing. Essentially, sound and music are noninvasive, simple, and cost-effective therapeutic tools.

Many sessions begin with simple breathing exercises, which help slow the mind and shift focus to listening. For sessions like sound baths and vibrational therapy, participants sit or lie down in a comfortable position, sometimes with an eye mask or blanket. Often, bowls are placed on the body and around the head.

Sound baths and sound therapy are not about one particular sound or set of sounds, but about cultivating intention and receptiveness in the listener. Common sound therapy instruments include Tibetan sound bowls, crystal bowls, gongs, tuning forks, chimes, and voice. Sounds can also be pre-recorded, like white noise, ambient music, or guided instructions. The right instrument, tone, and frequency varies with the purpose of the session.

The goal of sound therapy is to ultimately balance and restore the mind and body. Although, participants have  emotional release of all kinds, such as crying, euphoria, laughter, and even anger.

There is no definitive answer to why sound therapy can be so soothing (or sad, or euphoric, or angering). But its practitioners have theories. The vibrations work by massaging every cell in the body. It is about more than just the meditative, relaxing effects of sound. Some have described the experience as a contrast to a traditional massage, which manipulates the surface tissue of the body, by which  this treatment works all the way through your skin, muscle, tissue, and organs.

Plenty of compelling research supports sound therapy for relief of both physical and psychological pain. Studies show noticeably decreased stress and anger, especially among people who were new to this kind of practice. 

• Sleep disorders
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress management
• PTSD
• Depression
• Pain management