The Benefits of Sound for Healing
The ancient practice of Sound for healing is now backed by science thanks to the development of cymatics – the science of wave phenomena. Whether you’re at the gym with a classmate or in your home with some headphones, the vibrations of music can help calm your mind and body to reduce stress and encourage healing.
Every cell in your body has a different frequency and if you’re exposed to sound, these frequencies can impact your brainwaves. For example, the lower frequencies can bring you into an Alpha state where you can daydream or focus on a task at hand and the higher frequencies can move you into the deepest level of sleep.
The benefits of this relaxation and balance in the mind, body, and soul can help improve your health and wellbeing in many ways. The most common benefits are that it helps ease stress and tension in the body, reducing aches and pains, and it can increase the flow of energy and promote relaxation and clarity in the mind. In fact, over 90 percent of doctor’s visits are due to stress.
It can also aid in meditation and enhance your spirituality. You can listen to the sounds of chanting and kirtan which is often led by a group and helps cultivate mindfulness, concentration, and compassion. It can also be a great way to connect with your community and the divine.
During a session, you’ll lie down on a mat or meditation carpet (comfortable clothes are a must!) and listen as a practitioner plays various instruments. You’ll be ‘bathed’ in these vibrations and as each instrument has its own unique resonant frequencies, the result is deeply relaxing and transformative. You may experience sensations like warmth or coldness and a sense of peace, balance, well-being, and contentment.
You’ll hear Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, chimes and more, all of which have their own unique resonant frequencies that can impact your body on a physical level. Tuning forks are small, handheld devices with two prongs tuned to a specific frequency and when struck, they produce a sound and vibration that can be lightly placed over certain parts of the body.
For a more focused and specific benefit, you can try binaural beats which are created by playing two pure tones at slightly different times to create an auditory illusion and affect your brainwaves. You can find them in the app store and there are lots of recordings online that you can use to aid you with your wellness journey. The most popular are 741 Hz (healing, personal growth) and 852 Hz (stress relief). We’re big fans of both!Sound for healing