Ioana Todoran
Dec 31, 20183 min
Sound has been utilized for thousands of years in various cultures as a tool for healing and consciousness transformation. From the primordial sounds of shamans, to the Hindu sounds of chakras, to the Gregorian chants, sound proved as a powerful instrument to restore health in body, mind and spirit, achieve non-ordinary states of consciousness and open the gate to self-transformation.
Sounds are vibrations, and vibrations resonates with every part of our physical being. In our world we are exposed constantly to unnatural sounds (the sound of traffic, alarms, the background noise of a TV, the loud noise of an airplane) which stimulate our nervous system and raise the level of stress. When we are exposed to calm, peaceful, natural sounds the stress dissipates.
How does sound stimulate healing? There are different mechanisms:
Heart rate and blood pressure decrease.
Breath is restored to its normal rhythm and becomes deeper.
Every single cell return to its natural state of vibration.
The brain waves pattern alters by using entrainment. The brain waves frequency becomes stable and aligned in both hemispheres of the brain allowing them to work in sync. This way the mind will become more awaken and focused.
The brain waves shift from beta state ( normal walking consciousness) to alpha (relaxed consciousness) and even theta (meditative state) or delta (deep sleep). The autonomic nervous system switches from the sympathetic to parasympathetic mode allowing the body's healing and repairing mechanisms to be activated.
Sound can be used as a healing tool in two types of setting: sound bath and individual session.
A sound bath is an improvised concert where the participants are immersed in the soothing sonic resonance produced by playing a variety of instruments: Tibetan Singing bowls, Kohi chimes, drums, rain sticks, ocarina. This concert is played with the intent to achieve a deeper state of relaxation. Participants either sit in a chair or lie down on the floor.
The Tibetan Singing bowls are made of a special seven metal alloy of gold, silver, iron, mercury, tin, copper, and lead. In the Tibetan tradition these metals were considered sacred and they were correlated with the seven celestial bodies in our solar system (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn) and the seven energetic centers or chakras of our bodies. These bowls contain the energy of these metals, the frequency of the planets and they are tuned to the specific note that affects an individual chakra.
The sound and vibration produced by playing the Tibetan bowls resonates with our subtle energy, realigning the energy centers creating balance and harmony on both level, energetic and physical.
A sound bath is also a short cut to meditation for those who find it difficult to stay still and transcend their thoughts. The vibrations immediately allows the brain to release the energy or thoughts which no longer serve you and move into a state of calm, peace and receptivity.
Sound therapy can be also experienced in an individual session in which one is also immersed in sound but has the opportunity to experience the powerful effect of vibrations in direct contact with the body. The Tibetan bowls are placed on the body and then played by striking or rubbing. The vibration penetrates deeply in the body structures, removing stagnation and restoring the smooth flow of energy. It penetrates deeply to the core of your being reviving your essence.
Researches now are documenting what the mystics have known forever: sound can enable sleep, improve mood, enhance the immune system, and can alleviate many maladies, from pain, to headaches, anxiety, depression, misaligned vertebrae and even cancer!
In the modern fast paced world, a sound healing session will offer the time and space to reconnect you with your heart and your breath. You will leave feeling relaxed and restored, balanced and centered.
"I had...come to understand illness as a manifestation of disharmony within the body, an imbalance in the cells or in a given organ, such as the heart or lungs. Thus, the bowls (Tibetan, crystal), with their distinctive resonant tones, not only permitted me access to the cosmic symphony, but also a means by which harmony could be restored within the body on the physiological as well as the psychospiritual level". (Dr. Mitchell Gaynor - The Healing power of Sound)