by Daria Medvesk: The body can attain a balance and be free from various problems using sound treatment therapy…
Sound can move energy blockages to relax the body. And there’s a lot more to it. Keep reading.
What you should know about sound healing
Many cultures in history have harnessed the potential of sound in restoring the body to health. The Hindus are known to use the “mantras”, and several Central and South America cultural groups use the “icaros”. Whatever the instrument or technique used, the intent doesn’t change – it aims to establish balance.
How it works
The state of the human brainwave can be controlled by using sound following the principle of entrainment. What entrainment does is to find a stable frequency that the brainwave can harmonise with. The components of sound, rhythm and frequency play a role in entraining the brainwaves so that it is possible to work the body through the normal conscious state (beta state), to comfortable state (alpha state), down to the state of meditation (theta state) and even the sleep state (delta state) where healing can take place.
Breathing techniques used in meditation employ this same concept, but in sound healing, it is the frequency that affects the change.
What does it involve?
Treatment using sound is a dual experience: passive and participatory. In the passive phase, you get ready to receive the sound and attain relaxation by laying down and maintaining a low breath. In this motionless phase, you begin to participate by being conscious and receptive to each sound that filters in. The same way a mantra will help you achieve tranquillity in meditation is the same way sound will trigger quietness.
Some therapists use tools like tuning forks, drumming, Himalayan singing bowls, and voice. Bear in mind that in healing, awareness is very relevant. It is known that vocal toning is highly functional in charging the human body – the greatest vibrational instrument. Some therapists recommend that clients practice vocal toning and breathing exercises to attain a higher balance during their daily routine.
Understanding the human body as an energy carrier
Our ability to change our focus can help us change how we relate to the problems that may stop us from reaching the highest dynamic equilibrium.
Apart from aiding relaxation, sound in a manner can penetrate blocked areas. Interestingly, these blocked energy areas can be found in the physical body, subtle body, or both.
In the physical body, you can experience specific pain and discomfort. With the help of osteophonic tuning forks, which have a low frequency of vibration, nitric oxide can be released. Studies have shown that nitric oxide is a free radical molecule that positively impacts the transmission and control of pain. This implies that the frequencies establish a physiological reaction, whereas the sound on its own helps control the sense of hearing so that we can adjust the way we respond to the pain.
The subtle body is the body full of energy. This is the core of our life force energy. It is commonly called “Qi”, “Chi”, or “Prana”. Chinese medical practice uses meridian points to identify areas that have disallowed the flow of energy to both the subtle and physical body. It has been established that the body has thousands of mapped out meridian lines just as the longitude and latitude of the earth have been mapped out.
Inside the subtle body are imbalances and negative energies that can be transmitted and exposed via the physical body with time. Thus, it is crucial to consider balance and healing from the physical aspect and as an entirely holistic experience involving the spirit, mind, and body.
Sound has a positive influence on our entire body system. An expert in the human biosphere study suggests that the subtle body fills out and stores experiences of life just like a tree grows to have rings that protrude externally. Should we put in frequency with tuning forks, it can shift blocked energy from past experience towards the energy-filled filtration system of each sound device in a way that the trapped energy is re-channelled into the life force.
What sound heals
Sound healing therapy can work for a number of problems like:
- Anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Pain management
- Stress management
The environment and sound
Sounds in our environment surround us, and it’s imperative to note what kind we allow in. Loud sounds can raise stress levels, cause the nervous system to be unbalanced, reduce immunity, and worse still, inflict hearing loss.
While in the state of stress, the way you relate to sound will change entirely, and hearing these sounds every day can add to the stress feedback cycle – making it worse. With the use of sound therapy techniques, the listening ability will improve, and awareness of received sound will increase.
Healthy sounds have got great benefits. Chanting and vocal toning in mindfulness practice can help establish a core where one feels grounded. The advantage of this is that when faced with stress, you will be in a good position to appreciate and understand sound as something that can be managed effectively instead of getting lost in the hullabaloo.
The spirit, body, and mind are always tending towards a path to achieve balance, but we are sometimes distracted by external factors and noise and have less time to ourselves. This can pose a problem to attaining a state of balance. The source of innate peace which we all crave can be reached via sound healing techniques.
In Summary
If you’ve never believed that sound has the power to heal, then you may be having a change of mind right now. This therapy has been in existence for thousands of years as cultural practices.
Today, sound has been effective in correcting health issues, aid relaxation and inner peace.
About the author
The author, Daria Medvesk, is a nursing student at the University of Hertfordshire and spends most of her time researching abstract topics. Outside her nursing job by the day, she dedicates most of her other time to traveling and writing. “She began her study in Holistic Therapies at Obus school of Healing Therapies.”
