What is sound healing?

Us humans use sound and music in a huge variety of ways, from entertaining and celebrating, to expressing and communicating. Even heading out for a leisurely stroll can be made that much more enjoyable when listening to upbeat music, and everyone knows how much a kick-ass soundtrack can boost your performance during a work out.

So if sound and music can stir so many emotions and even physical reactions (who else gets a dopamine surge and goose bumps when a favourite song comes on?), then it’s not a far leap to believe that sound can actually trigger healing in the body.

No new fad

There is no shortage of instances where sound has been used for healing in ancient history. Music therapy was a staple in Egyptian temples, in biblical times sound was used to vanquish evil spirits from human souls, and Native Americans commonly used music and dance to heal the sick.

Fast forward a few centuries and the United States Military incorporated music into their programmes for the recuperation of army personnel during World War II. This is often described as the official dawn of music therapy.

So what’s involved?

Part meditation, part musical performance a ‘sound bath’ generally involves laying in savasana (ahh now we know we’ve hooked you in!) while the healing practitioner uses various instruments such as chimes, gongs, crystal singing bowls, and even the voice to ‘bathe’ you in sound. Nope, despite the name no actual water is involved here folks!

Because there are different vibrations and frequencies of the sounds produced, they can have a range of effects on the body. You can expect your breathing, brainwaves and heart rate to slow down, producing a deep sense of calm and wellbeing. As with most meditative practices sound healing can help quieten a busy mind and reduce anxiety, but the practice is also used for pain relief and the treatment of disease.

If it all sounds a bit woo woo to you then perhaps you’ll be pleased to find the science backs up the practice. A study in the 1970s proposed that when one tone is played to one ear, and a different tone is played to the other, the two hemispheres of the brain connect and create a third (internal) tone called a binaural beat. This is said to synchronize the brain, providing clarity, calmness, and faster communication between the mind and the body.

How can it help me?

Sound bathing is used to improve or cure many ailments including:

• Psychological/psychiatric and behavioural disorders including autism, depression, learning disabilities, and developmental issues
• Anxiety
• Stress
• PTSD
• Pain
• Mood swings, or negative emotions, such as sadness, aggravation, anger, self-pity, and heartbreak

It can also bring about:

• Clarity and balance
• Relaxation
• Improved memory and concentration
• Improved sleep (both quality and quantity)
• A stronger immune system
• Improved creativity
• Heightened awareness, both of the self and the environment

Does sound healing sound like something you’d like to try for yourself? We have our own practitioners on the island who hold regular workshops and sound healing sessions. Get in touch and experience the benefits!

Nourish Loves:

Gong and Didgeridoo Sound Healing with Peopletree Mallorca. Click here for more information.

Transformational Breath workshops utilising breath analysis, proven gentle touch and sound healing with Breathwork Mallorca. Click here for more information.

Group and private Tibetan sound healings with Jack Pescod. Please phone +44 7786 431632 for more information.

You can also join us at one of our Nourish Retreats to experience the benefits of sound healing and how it can nourish the body and mind. You can find out about our upcoming retreats here.

 

Written by Ché Miller

About the author Ché has always had a passion for hospitality having completed a conjoint Bachelors Degree in International Business and Hospitality Management. She has spent the last 15 years working in the hospitality industry. When this passion led her to working in a premier health retreat in Australia in her twenties, she found the knowledge she gained there inspired her to start living a healthier life. Now Ché loves to combine her two favourite things, hospitality and wellbeing, by scouring the island for the best nourishing restaurants, products and services. She has been living in Mallorca since early 2017, having moved from her home in New Zealand. She absolutely loves the energy of the island and everything it has to offer. Ché’s other interests include ashtanga yoga, boxing, reading, writing, and really good coffee.