About Sound Meditation
Thank you for finding me. I have been on a mindfulness journey for approximately 5 years and I discovered the power of sound baths in 2022 . I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing this meditative modality with my friends, family and community.
I hope you find the following information helpful on your sound meditation journey.
Utilizing sound for healing purposes dates to ancient civilizations all over the world. There is a lot of contradictory information surrounding the exact origin of the sound bowl, but most attribute them to the Himalayan and Tibetan cultures. More recently (maybe 1980’s) Crystal Bowls were introduced which are ideal as they can be tuned to specific notes and frequencies.
Being “bathed” in sound waves is a deeply immersive, full-body listening experience that harnesses the power of sound to bring balance, relaxation, and restoration to the body. A sound bath is an immersive meditation whereby the participants lay on a yoga mat in savasana pose (or whatever modification needed (chair, pillows etc). The idea is to keep a mindful presence while the sounds wash over.
The sound bath begins with the sound guide / facilitator guiding the participants into stillness with some gentle breathwork, body scans and encouragement to allow the breath to release any lingering tension. Intention setting is paramount and can also guide you in directing your energy toward a specific outcome for the sound bath experience. Perhaps, you want to release energy that is no longer serving you or release tension, or obtain clarity.
Lots of emphasis is placed on giving yourself permission to surrender and let go of what is happening in the brain. Trying not to attach to any thoughts is difficult, but if one can visualize, all of the mental chatter (judgements, to-do lists, self doubt, negative self talk) locked away in a box that sits outside of your being until the meditation is over, the participant will have the opportunity to unplug from the external stimuli of life. This where the magic happens and our nervous system enters a parasympathetic state or “rest and digest state”. (Keep reading for more this). The sound bath ends with a gentle integration back to awareness through breathing, stretching, reflection, and gratitude.
A sound healing session utilizes numerous instruments such as crystal bowls, Tibetan or Himalayan bowls, gongs, seed chimes, wind and koshi chimes, ocean drums, and many more. These vessels of sound all have varying frequencies and vibrations....each resonating with different parts of the body. When we participate in a sound bath, our brainwaves shift from high Beta into Alpha and sometimes into Theta brain waves and therefore, we begin to experience a more calm, peaceful, harmonious, and meditative state of being.
432Hz frequency known to resonate with the vibrations of our biological vibrations which is why it has a calming effect on the brain and nervous system.
Some Science:
The Vibrations and frequencies from the instruments utilized in a sound bath or sound experience will kick the body into the Parasympathetic state or the “rest and digest” state. This is when the cells in our bodies can repair and regenerate and lead us into homeostasis.
The vagus nerve controls the parasympathetic nervous system and extends from the brain stem down to the colon and branches out to the heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines. The vestibulocochlear nerve in the ear connects to the vagus nerve; a little branch of the vagus nerve goes right to the tympanic membrane, which vibrates in response to sound waves. Every sound you hear sends information to the vagus nerve, which will either switch the parasympathetic nervous system on or off. In other words, the sounds you hear impact your hormone release, digestion, blood sugar levels, inflammation, heart rate, blood pressure, and more.
The benefits are numerous:
MORE BALANCED MOODS
LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
RELAXATION & LOWER STRESS LEVELS
LOWER CHOLESTEROL
IMPROVED SLEEP
HEIGHTENED AWARENESS, CLARITY & BALANCE
REDUCED CHRONIC PAIN
IMPROVED COGNITIVE AND MOTOR FUNCTION
A STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM
IMPROVED PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH
Some Spiritual Insights
Sound baths enhance meditation and mindfulness practices by providing a focal point for the concentration required to keep the thoughts and outside stimuli at bay. Lots of participants use this modality as a tool for emotional expression and release. The crystal bowl set used by many are tuned to the note of each chakra withing the body’s energy center. (root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, third eye and crown).
Chakras, the energy body:
Since our emotions are closely related to our chakras, the sound bath experience is a holistic tool to ensure balance of these energy centers.
Our bodies have 7 major energy centers. Root, Sacral, SolarPlexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown. Sound healing for chakras is a therapy used to balance the chakras by using specific frequencies that reverberate through the body. Sound healing works by aligning each chakra to its sound frequency. When your chakras are in balance, your body, mind, and spirit are full of vitality and health.