What is Sound Healing?
Sound healing is a practice that uses Sound to relax the mind and body. The experience involves lying down with your eyes closed. The practitioner will create intentional Sounds that the listener can hear and feel in different parts of the body. Conscious listening is listening without judgment or anticipation. When we listen in this way, it helps achieve a state of presence in the moment, moment-to-moment. You can think of Sound as an anchor that roots down the mind during meditation.
How does it work?
Strong vibrations have an effect on people. This is a theory in physics called Entrainment. Each of us has a specific rate at which we walk, talk, breathe, and more. Entrainment is the idea that we are influenced by other frequencies and synchronize to a powerful vibration. When we walk next to someone and realize we’re walking together in unison, that is entrainment. When we tap our toes and dance to music, that is entertainment. Our bodies try to match our environments.
Sound healing uses many instruments including crystal singing bowls, gongs, and wind chimes. These sounds create a stable frequency that our brains synchronize with. Through this practice we can change our brainwave state from Beta to Alpha and Theta, where internal healing can occur. There is also evidence to show that other systems in the body also entrain to the sound, like blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. It’s possible that we are entraining ourselves with all the technology that surrounds us: electrical devices, wifi everywhere, phones on us at all times. Sound Healing allows us to connect to natural frequencies and return to our original vibrational state of being.
Benefits of Sound Healing
Sound healing is extremely relaxing! It relaxes the central nervous system and allows the body to heal. Time spent in a peaceful state improves our health. Medical research estimates that as much as 90% of illness and disease is related to stress! Sound Healing can provide immediate results for sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, stress and PTSD. Regular sound healing can help the physical body reduce chronic pain and blood pressure, and also help mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
How to incorporate Sound into your self-care routine
You don’t need to be a musician to start your own Sound Healing practice! You can start right away by humming and singing to yourself. Notice how creating Sound with your voice can help calm you down if you feel anxious or upset. If you’re looking for something more spiritual, try a mantra or chant that you repeat throughout the day. A mantra is a short sound, word or a short phrase that you repeat to yourself. The words carry a vibrational frequency that you brain will entrain to when repeated over and over again. Some people feel especially drawn to Sound Healing instruments such as the crystal bowls and gongs. For those who fall in that category: go for it! Go out and buy a bowl and experiment with it. And, of course, you can tune into virtual sound baths online and enjoy the listening experience from the comfort of your own home!
Work with Becca
Becca is the Principal Percussionist with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Energy Healer and Sound Practitioner. To listen to her Sound Baths, book a private event, or learn how to become a Sound Healing practitioner, check out Becca @beccalaurito on IG or learn more about booking a session for your company by emailing [email protected]
