In the last couple of years, sound baths have gained great popularity. More and more people show interest in sound healing, and a sound bath can be a great entry point. A sound bath or gong bath, is an excellent way of accessing the benefits of sound waves as therapy for mental, physical and emotions issues you want to work on. It does not require any prior experience, or that you adhere to a set of beliefs. It does not require you to “have faith” or to “believe in” its power to heal. Sound waves are used in conventional medicine in the form of ultrasound and sound vibrations are directed at kidney stones as a non-surgical way of breaking them down.
So what is a Sound Bath?
A sound bath is a sound healing session that you most of the times experience in a group setting. Participants lie on a mat and are bathed and totally immersed in the vibrations and frequencies of different sounds. The exposure in those sounds affects your physical, mental, and emotional bodies and has a great many benefits for most people. Have you ever considered how sounds affect you on a daily basis? You may feel irritated by the city noise or the noises in your own home. Household appliances like tumble driers and dishwashers can have a detrimental effect on your concentration levels and general mood, and usually, you only notice this when the sound ceases. On the other hand, how many times do you feel uplifted by your favorite music or by the gentler sounds of calm waves, trickling water or the breeze in the trees? These 2 simple questions will help you realise how important sound can be for our well-being and overall health.
How Do Sound Baths Work?
To put it simply, sound bath meditation is a way of losing yourself in another world for a time. The frequencies of the various sound healing instruments used in sound bath are tuned in such a way as to affect our chakras and bring our minds into a theta state (Theta brain waves occur when we are in a deeply relaxed state). This is the dream like state we arrive just before falling asleep. Our senses are withdrawn from external influences and the outside world and are focused inwards.
The frequencies produced by the sound healing instruments resonate with similar or identical frequencies of our internal organs, restoring their healthy and harmonious vibration. The sound therapist leading the sound bath may use a wide variety of instruments to address different aspects of healing. Crystal Singing Bowls, Tibetan Singing Bowls and Gongs of differing sizes and types are all popular in both group sound baths and one-to-one sound healing sessions. In addition, they may use drumming, tuning forks, chimes, or their own voice, to produce sounds and vibrations that build up over the course of the sound journey. These resonances are capable of entering our physical bodies and also of altering our consciousness or state of mind.
You may already be familiar with the phenomenon of sound waves which are capable of breaking physical substances such as glass or rock. Similarly, the frequencies used in a sound bath, or other form of sound healing, can break up and disperse energy blockages in the human biofield that may be causing dis-ease, pain, or emotional distress.
Potential Benefits of Sound Bath Meditation
Many people report a feeling of lightness and freedom following a sound bath. Some say that their physical tension melts away with the vibrations of the sound-waves. Others report feelings of euphoria, as though their entire being has been “shaken up and reprogrammed.”
Sound bath healing takes many forms, but the common denominator is the deep and total relaxation it brings to both body and mind. Once this state of relaxation has been achieved, the body’s natural healing mechanisms can begin to realign the energy centers also known as chakras and meridians, stimulate the production of neuropeptides and pave the way for new neural pathways within the physical brain.
According to recent studies some conditions believed to benefit from sound therapy include:
- anxiety
- depression
- lack of self-esteem
- lack of self-confidence
- muddled thinking or “brain fog”
- physical pain arising from tension in the muscles of the body, particularly in the head and neck
- feelings of isolation or detachment from the world around you
How Do I Prepare For a Sound Bath?
As with any new experience, even a positive one, if you know what to expect beforehand this can help to decrease any anxiety or apprehension you may be feeling. Once you have decided to experience a sound bath you will probably want to familiarise yourself with the venue and the sound therapist if you can. This can usually be done online, and if you have any specific questions, you can usually reach your chosen therapist quite easily this way.
Preparing your mind and body for your sound healing experience is always a good idea. Therefore, before attending a sound bath, you may set an intention for the session. Be clear in your mind about what you would like the outcome to be and use positive language as you form this intention in your mind. Keep your thoughts and words in the present tense. An example of a clear intention might be something like:
“My body is cleared of negative energies and my cells are all illuminated with a clear, white, healing light”.
You may also try different forms of meditation in the comfort of your own home to find out how easily you can relax. Guided meditations are ideal for this, and can also be found online, along with examples of healing sounds from gongs, singing bowls, chimes, drums, didgeridoos, and other instruments. Just allow yourself to listen to the sounds, see if you can feel any effects from their vibrations, and, if so, where in your body they are most prominent. Here is a short sound bath example.
You can find more videos on my Soundhealing YouTube channel.You could also try a guided chakra healing meditation, complete with tones attuned to each of the seven main chakras.
More tips on how to best prepare for the sound bath:
- Be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day of the session
- If you can, avoid consuming caffeine and/or alcohol on the day
- Also, attend the sound bath on an empty stomach or simply avoid consuming large meals on the day and allow at least 2-3 hours of digestion prior to the sound bath
- Wear your most comfortable and loose clothes so that you feel at ease
How to Experience a Sound Bath Meditation Yourself
Bear in mind that the way a sound bath works is through relaxation, on a very deep level. The more you allow your mind and body to sink into a trance-like state the greater the healing effects will be. It is important that you do not put yourself under pressure though, as you cannot force relaxation. Simply be patient, lie in a comfortable position and ensure that you are neither too cold nor too warm. Comfort is the key, so allow yourself to move if you need to.
A useful technique you may use in order to achieve deep states of relaxation is visualisation. While the sound bath takes place, visualise the frequencies of the sounds entering your body through the crown of your head, travelling down into your chest and along each arm. See the energies of the sounds swirling all around your hips and abdomen and then flowing down each leg to your feet. As you allow this to happen, breathe regularly and comfortably and feel your whole body becoming extremely heavy, warm, and relaxed.
You many repeat this exercise as many times as you wish. As time goes on you may well find that you sink ever more quickly into the beneficial state of relaxation required for the sound bath to work its magic.
Sound Healing Instruments Used in a Sound Bath
Some of the instruments you may encounter in a sound bath healing session include:
- gongs of different sizes
- drums
- singing bowls, both crystal and Tibetan (metal)
- didgeridoos
- crystal chimes
- metal chimes
- tuning forks
- harps
- voice – through singing and chanting
This list is not exhaustive, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.
Remember that a sound bath meditation, facilitated by a qualified and experienced sound healer, will be many times more powerful than anything you do for yourself at home. Expect to be amazed, uplifted, and empowered by your sound healing experience.
Take a look at the event page to find out all of my upcoming sound bath events in Chania, Crete, and throughout Greece.