Symphony for the Soul
Sound Healing
We all have soundtracks for our lives. Songs that bring back memories to make us smile, voices we love to hear, sounds from nature that relax us and music that touches our soul. We have an innate understanding of the ways in which we can use music to influence the way we feel but there is so much more to music and sound. Scientific research has confirmed that sound has measurable effects on physical, emotional and intellectual well-being.
Researchers have shown that listening to classical music can improve concentration and even raise IQ. It's called the "Mozart Effect". Other studies indicate that sound can be used to lower blood pressure and heart rates and induce the body to produce its own natural painkillers. Sound healing assists in calming the mind, reducing pain and stress, and restoring harmony, energy and balance. Eastern cultures have understood this for centuries and have used singing bowls and sacred gongs during meditation to promote wellness.
History
Himalayan singing bowls, often called Tibetan singing bowls were made in the Himalayan regions of Bhutan, Nepal, India and Tibet. The ancient bowls were created from a consecrated metal alloy with the intention of altering consciousness into a healing state.
Singing bowls produce multiple harmonic overtones that are famed for their ability to induce a deep sense of peace, tranquility and well-being. The overtones are a result of ancient craftsmanship, high quality alloys and the passage of time. Ancient bowls are a minimum of 100 years old and many date back several hundred years.
Craftsmen combined a range of metals to produce individual bowls that had their own unique sound and as the bowls age, the tones become richer and warmer. Newer bowls cannot reproduce the same depth and quality of sound as the old traditions have been lost and they lack the benefits of the aging process.
What sound healing can do for you
Induce a deep state of relaxation
Calm the mind and body
Reduce stress
Restore balance and harmony
Assist in reducing pain
How it works
The healing power of Himalayan singing bowls derives from a natural phenomenon known as entrainment - entraining or synchronizing the body to a certain sound. When the bowls are sounded, they produce powerful rhythmic vibrations that resonate throughout the body. The sound of these harmonic vibrations stimulates the alpha and theta brain waves associated with deep meditative and peaceful states that are highly conducive to healing. When the brain waves and body are synchronized, balance can be restored and stress released.
Studies suggest that more than 80 percent of patients visit their doctors to deal with stress-related issues. When we are stressed, our bodies release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which make our hearts race and our breathing rate faster and shallower. These hormones can leave us feeling anxious and unsettled.
Long-term stress causes a range of ailments including high blood pressure, insomnia, heart disease and digestive problems. Not only does stress damage the quality of our lives, it reduces the body's ability to heal and fight disease. The soothing effect of being 'bathed in sound' creates a profound relaxation and is helpful in reducing the stress that is so harmful to healthy living.
The sound-healing properties of Himalayan singing bowls and gongs are recognized around the world and they are used in yoga and private practice, meditation, palliative care and cancer treatment centers.
Dr Mitchell Gaynor, a New York-based oncologist has been using sound healing techniques as part of his cancer treatments since the early 1990s. Dr Gaynor, who is the Clinical Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University is a firm believer in complementary therapies including meditation, breathing and sound healing. He says: "One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder."
Sessions
We begin with a consultation to address health concerns and the focus and aims of the session. The client then lies relaxed on a massage table while bowls are placed around and on a few specific areas of the body. As the singing bowls and other sacred sound instruments are 'struck and sung' in rhythmic patterns, clients feel the waves of sound deep within mind, body and soul and often fall into a deeply restful state.
The singing bowls and gongs affect people in different ways - many clients have spoken of feeling a new inner calm that lasts long after the session is over.
Once the sound healing is complete, there is time for feedback and reflection which will help guide future sessions.
Sound healing is often combined with some healing touch. Both of these nurturing therapies are relaxing and promote health and well-being.