Sound therapy used to be something mysterious you only found by word of mouth through someone at a full-moon drum circle who occasionally used “singing bowls” to conduct healing sessions in their basement. We were so intrigued by the reports that sound waves could ease us into a meditative state and clear all the energetic junk from our auras. The excitement at the strangeness of “the healing” was part of the fun; you felt like a kook for even going and having the treatment, figuring if it was total crap at least you’d have a funny story to tell your friends.

Today, however, sound therapy is almost mainstream. I’ve seen a couple big name resorts offering spa treatments with sound therapy components as part of their service menus in an effort to cash in on the alternative seekers who also happen to have fat wallets. I, myself, wouldn’t look for sound therapy at a huge resort, (having worked behind the scenes at big resorts, I would bet my house it lacks authenticity), but the fact that they offer it is evidence that spa goers want a well-rounded experience, affecting not only the physical body but the energetic body as well.

Believers in sound therapy consider it to be an effective way to relax the body and calm the mind so you can move easily from the waking Beta state into the meditative/peaceful Alpha and Theta states. (If you’re not sure you believe and would like a scientific perspective, read Candace Pert’s Molecules of Emotion.) In general, a calm, relaxed body has more energy available to heal itself, versus a body that’s in a chronic state of stress and anxiety. Walking away from a sound therapy treatment feeling calm, centered, happy and well is to be expected. Many also believe it can be an effective approach to pain management. For some people sound vibrations can interrupt the pain signals sent from the site of the pain to the brain. If the brain doesn’t receive the signal, you don’t experience the pain. Though usually temporary, relief from pain is always a blessing.

Quartz crystal bowls, Tibetan (metal) bowls, gongs and tuning forks – these are some of the instruments you’ll run into most often if you dare to try a treatment. The instruments are “activated” in some way to produce sound. Your job is to relax and let the vibrations wash through you. Tuning forks actually touch your body to clear blockages at very specific points along energetic pathways. Tibetan bowls, if small enough, can be placed on the body but are usually situated near by. Crystal bowls and gongs are positioned to fill an entire room with vibration. But different technicians will use the instruments in different ways.

Gandharva: Sound and Massage In One

One sound therapy treatment I’ve had many times that I’ve loved is the Gandharva at the Chopra Center for Well-Being in Carlsbad, California. This is a combination of massage, marma therapy (an ayurvedic energy balancing modality) and sound therapy with quartz crystal bowls. The massage relaxes the body and works out the kinks. The marma therapy clears energetic channels. And the sound vibrations from the crystal bowl put you into a very deep, quiet, still space. Treatments of this type are highly recommended when you need good body work in addition to an energetic rebalancing. You can get more information at www.chopra.com.

Group Experiences in Sound Healing

I’ve also experienced sound therapy in large groups via Tibetan bowls and gongs. One time about twenty of us were laid out on our backs in a large circle with our heads together at the center. The facilitator put metal bowls of all sizes and tones around the room, near and on our fully-clothed bodies. She then conducted a sort of concert, going from bowl to bowl sounding them off. The notes from the bowls rang and vibrated long after she’d moved on to other bowls so there was a chorus of vibration happening all around the room. Occasionally she’d take a small bowl and ring it and put it on someone’s third eye or over their belly button, though everyone would receive a vibrational benefit just from being near it. This would be a great way to treat a bunch of friends to an afternoon of healing all at once.

Yoga with Sound Healing and Gongs

Yoga classes with gong meditations are also a favorite of mine. After doing some physical yoga to release tension and relax the body, everyone lies down in savasana. Instead of the final relaxation being silent, the teacher begins playing a large gong for 10 to 15 minutes. The tones that come from big gongs are the loudest that I’ve experienced, and the most powerful. Even if you’re lying at the far end of the room, you can still feel the sound waves coursing through your body. It almost feels as if you’re made of liquid and the sound waves are a fine strainer which filters out any gunk or debris that’s somehow gotten trapped inside. Look for a Kundalini Yoga studio if you’d like to experience a gong meditation.

Whatever your preference (with or without bodywork, in groups or alone) there seems to be a type of sound therapy available for everyone. Besides the video on this page, you can view others on our Music Videos page. There are even CD’s you can buy to enjoy sound therapy on your own, in private while you meditate. Some sources include:

www.soundenergyhealing.com

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