Sound Healing
Sound Healing
As people look for answers to our modern day issues many ancient healing modalities are making a resurgence. Those wanting to Raise their vibrational frequencies, optimize emotional and physical wellbeing, and heighten their consciousness are turning to alternative therapies that are gaining momentum. Sound healing is one of them.
Humans have known for thousands of years that sound and vibration are one of the most powerful tools in existence for healing. Long before modern science, medicine people and healers used sound to induce deep, meditative states and trigger the natural healing process.
Many cultures have used music and singing to heal the body and spirit since ancient times. Ancient Egyptians, Native American tribes, ancient Indian cultures and our very own Australian Aboriginal people believed certain sounds had healing powers to treat illness.
So what is sound healing?
Sound healing is the use of specific instruments, music, tones, and other vibrations to balance and heal the body, mind, and spirit. It involves using specialized sound frequencies to create a therapeutic atmosphere to promote deep rest, nervous system rebalancing, and emotional release.
These days sound healing journeys tend to integrate instruments which originate from the Eastern meditation practices with the shamanic traditions and more. Some common instruments include Tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls, native American flutes, gongs, handpans, rattles, drums, harmoniums, bells, chimes, tuning forks, rain sticks and the human voice.
A sound therapy session is usually experienced while lying down or comfortably seated. The sounds and vibrations wash over you and through you, which is why it is sometimes called a sound bath. The frequencies are also know to clear the space you are in of any negative energy.
How does it work?
When we experience stress, illness, injury, or emotional trauma, our subtle body becomes depleted of vital life force energy - our immune system weakens, making us susceptible to disease. Our bodies innate ability to heal ourselves is naturally diminished. Sound therapy uses the power of sound to restore balance to the body’s energy fields.
Sound healing works on so many levels. On a basic level, and one reason they are so good for people new to meditation is that by simply focusing on the soothing sounds of the instruments and vibrations around us rather than on our thoughts, we relax deeply and release stress, anxiety, and tension. Ideally, a hypnotic, meditative or theta brainwave state is created which allows access to deeper levels of inner wisdom and healing.
On a physical level, the sound waves interact with the water in our bodies, our organs, our cells, our DNA – shifting, clearing and cleansing as they vibrate through. Findings suggest that the brain switches off the prefrontal cortex, deactivating the language centre, and temporarily switches from left to right-sided dominance, that is responsible for intuition, creativity, holistic processing, inducing a state of meditation or trance and inducing higher states of consciousness.
On an energy level, the sound wave vibrations shift and balance energy within our chakra system aiding the intelligence of our bodies to feel, heal, relax and release that which is not serving our highest health and wellbeing. The vibrations and at times the instruments being placed directly on the body can stimulate acupuncture points, trigger points, and/or areas of discomfort. These points are connected to meridians and chakras throughout the body, which means they affect the entire system. By stimulating these points with high-frequency sound waves, the practitioner aims to release blockages and restore harmony within the body.
A sound healing session requires nothing but your presence to be fully experienced, but it is one of those things that must be experienced in order to even start to grasp the potency. Each sound healing session is different. Sometimes you lay still for the entire session which can extend up to one hour. While others encourages deep breathing and may include meditation prompts and visualization exercises. I personally, integrate the ancient wisdom and modern science with intuitive guidance to create a beautiful experience that carries you away in a magical and mesmerising healing journey.
What are the Benefits?
The benefits of sound healing run deep and depend on the style experienced, the instruments used and the practitioners unique expertise, healing both mental and physical ailments. It is a very effective form of alternative medicine because it works directly on the body’s energy field and chakras rather than just on the body itself. When the energy body is healthy and balanced, its own natural healing abilities are enhanced.
The specific frequencies of sound waves used in a sound healing can target the brain and nervous system – increasing feel good chemicals (endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and norepinephrine) hence help us out of fight or flight response, reduce blood pressure and heart rate and inducing deep states of relaxation. Sound healing can also improve sleep, aid in pain relief, increased energy, improved mental clarity, increased creativity and boost the immune system.
On top of all that, the deep meditative and trance like states reached can elevate ones consciousness, allow one access to higher self or communication with guides or higher realms gaining clarity or insight.
Regular clients of mine are often in wonder at how different each experience is and often comment that they feel lighter, calm, grateful and energised within. Some get insights or messages, while others feel they are visited by loved ones passed over. I like to believe you get what you needed and whether you are conscious of the benefits you received or not… your body, mind and spirit received the frequencies… and you have up-leveled your SELF while chilling out to beautiful and mesmerising sounds. Simply being present is all that is required.
Simple ways to incorporate sound into your everyday
Not everyone can get to a regular sound event but we can all incorporate some simple sound therapy into our daily lives with ease. Here are some things to try:
· Play music – While you clean the house, drive or drink a cup of tea. We all know how music can lift our vibe in just moments. This is real and more profound than you may think – on the body, mind and spirit.
· Find some binaural beats – Taking music to the next level. Designed to induce brainwave states that allow us to enter a trancelike state where we can access altered states of consciousness.
· Singing – By yourself or try chanting or kirtan with a group. Kirtan is a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness, concentration, and compassion. In addition to being a wonderful meditative experience, kirtan is also a great way to connect with a spiritual community and the divine.
· Get out an instrument or make a makeshift drum and strike up a rhythm. Get creative and play. Play and rhythm can drop you into a meditative type state and induce many of the benefits.
· Gift yourself or family members with a true gift from the heart – and purchase something that appeals to you. Like a Tibetan or crystal bowl, drum, tuning forks or flute.
· Vocal toning – play with making sounds like vowels. Setting an intension and adding toning along with a crystal bowl can be powerful to clear a space or promote healing.
· Hum – Yes, try humming. Believe it or not, humming can be a powerful psychospiritual healing tool. It not only improves stress levels, sleep and blood pressure, it increases lymphatic circulation and melatonin production, releases endorphins and creates new neural pathways in the brain….. So start humming.
Raising your frequency and staying joyful despite what you see and experience around you is sometimes tricky, especially in these times. Sound Healing, with the profound healing capabilities that certain vibrational frequencies can provide, has many positive effects on your physical, emotional, and spiritual being.
While many believe in the powerful healing effects sound can have on your entire system, activating heart-brain coherence and raising your own vibration…. Imagine if this could in fact raise the vibration of the collective – the entire planet – touching the hearts and easing suffering all around the world… and to mother earth herself.
Taking small steps to incorporate more sound into your life is easy.
Enjoy your journey.