Sound healing is a type of energy healing that can be used as a stand-alone holistic therapy or in combination with other types of therapies, guided meditations and yoga. Usually in 1-1 sessions, a trained therapist will play sacred healing instruments such as singing bowls, on or around a person to promote natural healing for the mind, body and spirit.
Sound energy can be very powerful, even for those that feel they are already healthy and balanced. It works on a cellular level and the sound waves have the power to shift blocked emotions as well as relieve pain and ease physical tension. Sound healing helps with mental rebalance as it provides a distraction from intrusive and destructive thoughts, which then assists in helping you reach a state of clarity, peace of mind and overall well-being. It also helps to balance the subtle and vital energy centres and channels in and around the body (aka the aura, chakras, meridians, nadis) and give an overall sense of calm and wellbeing. This can be a great 1-1 treatment for anyone who struggles to switch off. Think about when you have had a massage or other holistic therapy, has your mind really switched off or has this been an opportunity for more thinking time?
Sacred sounds can very quickly bring a person into a state of healing due to the encouragement of Theta and Alpha brainwaves. The sounds are manipulating the body into its own healing space. In scientific terms, the parasympathetic nervous system is initiated. This is the state needed for holistic rest and repair. It is the opposite to the stress response, which is the sympathetic nervous system in action along with high Beta brainwaves. The stress response is our survival mode, which is essential for humans at certain times, but it is a damaging and sometimes dangerous state if it becomes chronic. Sound healing is a great tool to relieve stress and anxiety and help the body to repair, especially after a period of stress.
What I like to do in my 1-1 work, is create an environment where all the senses are opening up to the sound with little to no effort from the client. I combine massage therapy and guided meditation with sound healing and reiki. It may seem like a lot to put into one treatment, but this is proving very popular for those wanting to go into a deeper state of relaxation and healing, and really get the best value for their time and money investment. This is my number one way to facilitate healing, by combining different treatments during 1-1 sessions and the reason is simple, because my clients get maximum results.
Try sound healing out for yourself, very easily!
An Outdoor Exercise
There are many sound healing modalities, and they are all around us! Think about how the sound of water makes you feel, especially in nature. That stream trickling or waves crashing. Those sounds create a shift in the body on a holistic level and although this may seem subtle, when you really tune in, you will realise that it is actually very powerful.
Next time you are by water, close your eyes, tune in to the sounds it creates and notice the subtle changes in your mind and body. Notice how it soothes you and gives you sense of calm if the water is slow and calm. And notice how it makes you feel more energetic and alive when you hear waves crashing and the water has more force. When you tune in to the power of sound, try to focus on your entire body absorbing the sounds rather than just your ears hearing the sounds. This is one way to start becoming more open and receptive to the power of sound healing.
A Quick and Simple Exercise
It may surprise you to read that you have your own internal sound healing instrument – your voice! The vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the body, can be stimulated with a simple humming exercise. This is true sound healing as the vibrations created by the vocal chords are responsible for initiating the parasympathetic nervous system. It is also a great mindfulness exercise and breathing exercise too. We should all do more humming!
Use your voice with your breath, breathing in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7 then as you breathe out, hum for a count of 8. Play around with the counts and notice those subtle vibrations resonating from your throat area to the rest of body.
Connect Deeper to Music
Music is a form of sound healing too. You are probably realising right now that this is such an obvious thing, as we have all felt the effects of music on our emotions at some point. Whether that is a sad song releasing tears, or a happy song making us feel positive and upbeat. It is important to note that it is our receptiveness to the sound that will determine our experience. The more you listen and tune in, the more receptive you will become and the more you start to really feel the music.
Think of the way particular songs or types of music make you feel. Next time you listen to music, close your eyes and see where it takes you. Notice how you feel when you consciously connect your body and mind with the music, listening and feeling all the intricate parts of the music, every instrument, lyric and layer of the piece of music. And if you are anything like me, you may begin to dance! Music can release feel-good hormones which counteract the stress hormones.
Try listening to different types of music to see what resonates with you. Music that has been composed and produced specifically for the purposes of facilitating healing has usually been written using specific notes, chords, frequencies and instruments. My personal favourites are the ones with nature sounds, acoustic guitar and chanting.
Check out Lawrence Libert’s music on the free Insight Timer app here. The tracks that Lawrence has written, recorded and produced are seriously beautiful and never fail to release emotions for me.
If you like to listen at home in your own time, I also have some guided meditations and sound healing experiences on the Insight Timer app here, most of which Lawrence has written and produced unique music for. We work alongside each other on various projects to provide high quality, well thought out tracks and meditations to help you come into a place of natural healing. We hope you enjoy the sounds and are able to join one of our future live events. Please do share our work with people who you think will also benefit. It is all created in our free time and we are so grateful for your ongoing support.
Try a Group Sound Bath
You can book onto our sound healing events at Nurture Saddleworth where we run a 90-minute workshop with live music on the second Sunday of each month. I also hold a class every Wednesday at 7.30pm called Sacred Rest with Sound Healing. It's restorative and will help you to melt away stress and tension.
If you ever get the chance to go to a live sound bath, I can highly recommend this. It can be such a powerful and beautiful experience! Make sure you check out the person that is delivering the session first, as each healer has their own style, and it is important that you choose one suited to you. The energy is not only felt from the sounds, but also from the other people in the room, and when there is a group of people in a state of relaxation and healing, this is a supercharged environment for spiritual development and enhanced feelings of wellbeing. It is something very special when the group chants together too. I try to encourage everyone to join in with chanting during our sound healing events. Although some people can be quite reluctant to begin with, by the end there are usually big smiles and even some emotional releases. I will share more about that in the future. But for now, enjoy your sound healing journey and look out for further inspiring blogs, classes, track releases and events from us!