Music has been used for centuries all over the world to communicate with Spirit and echo and mimic nature. Sound Healing, while not new, is emerging as a popular healing modality as we increasingly understand that everything in the Universe (Uni = one, Verse = Song) is connected through vibration and frequency. Sound Healing is a practice that uses a diversity of instruments, music, tones, and other vibrations to encourage balance and heal the body, mind, and spirit. Sound Healing practitioners may use a range of instruments including a gong, shamanic drum, crystal bowls, digeridoo, flutes, guitar, chimes, and voice to deliver a healing experience. Sound Healing is visible in many cultural traditions – Native American Indians (shamanic drum and flute), Aboriginal Australians (Didgeridoo), and Indians through Kirtan (devotional singing and music) with sitar, harmonium, and tabla.

But how does Sound Healing work? How is it used for healing?

Every bone, cell, muscle, and organ in the human body has its own resonant frequency and if an organ is out of tune it will affect the rest of our system. When sound healers use vibrations and frequencies, they are able to create a relaxing and therapeutic atmosphere that supports overall well-being. Through the resonance of sound, you can bring the body back to homeostasis (balance). Imagine having two tuning forks both tuned to the note C. If you strike one fork and place the second one next to it, the second one will automatically start to resonate in accordance with the first one. The first one is transferring its energy to the second. The same principle applies to Sound Healing. The resonance from natural instruments and the practitioner’s voice will resonate with the vibrations of your body. This resonance helps to rebalance your system. Fabien Maman, a French Sound pioneer carried out an experiment on healthy blood cells and cancer cells. He submitted them both to the same frequencies and found that the cancer cells became unstable and deteriorated whereas the healthy cells absorbed the sound and became more vibrant and resonated at a higher frequency.

Sound Healing has many health benefits.

It can help reduce pain and inflammation, promote rest and relaxation, and lower the heart rate and blood pressure, to mention a few. It can also help to release emotions that have been trapped and stuck in the body due to emotional or physical trauma. After I completed my Sound Healing Practitioner course, I chose to include a session in the 200 hour yoga teacher training I run in Bali due to the healing benefits. Stored emotions can start to be released through various daily practices. Incorporating a Sound Healing session into the yoga instructor course helps release and heal those emotions. It also alters the state of consciousness by influencing our brain waves. The frequency of the sound changes the brain patterns that allow us to feel more relaxed, resulting in a lower heart and respiratory rate.

A Sound Healing experience will be different for everyone and even if you attend many Sound Healings you will not have the same experience each time. How you receive the Sound Healing depends on the vibrations of the instruments and the voice of the practitioner and how it resonates with your energy. We are constantly changing on a daily basis depending on what is happening in our lives, what we’ve eaten, and the state of our thoughts. Our vibrations change as a result so naturally, the vibrations that we receive from a Sound Healing will always be different.

To experience Sound Healing you can remain seated or lie down in Savasana. Your body temperature may drop as the body relaxes so it’s good to have a blanket or extra layer. There will be some sounds that you will find very relaxing and others may be a bit more challenging for you to receive as they may bring back difficult memories or experiences that your body has stored. The key is to hold an intention that whatever you experience is for your higher good and healing purposes. It’s common too that as you relax into the experience it’s easy to fall asleep or be somewhere in between a state of awake and asleep. You may experience flashes of memories or events that you haven’t thought about in decades. You may see colors or light. You may be fully at peace or have an emotional breakthrough. Your body may experience tremors as it releases things. Nonetheless, everyone’s experience is different and there is no correct way to feel. You just need to go into the class with an open heart and gratitude.