Sound Baths
The Magic of Sound

Sound is one of the most magical and influencing experiences in our lives. I grew up in a house where music played a huge part in our lives, as my father was a square dance caller. When he wasn’t practicing or teaching classes, we often had music playing and all of us kids either sang in choirs and/or played musical instruments.

Whether it is the music that touches our souls, the voice of a parent or grandparent that soothes us, the laughter of a child that warms our hearts or the cry of a child that tugs on our heart strings. The sound of a drum beating might send a memory of connection and grounds us to the earth, the sound of a windchime blowing in the wind can cause us to pause and just enjoy, or the noise of a loud group of people might cause anxiety or fear.

 Sounds permeate our life, from the alarm clock in the morning, the sound of traffic as we drive, the music playing in the elevator, the sounds of machines, voices and equipment in our work places, voices talking, television or radios, the sound of airplanes over head, the sirens of an ambulance. We each hear hundreds of sounds each day. Each sound creates a reaction and often changes our mood.

Each sound we hear touches us on some level and effects our mood, thoughts and feelings at the time and that reaction can be either positive or negative. Sound can calm us down or rev us up, create peace and joy or make us uncomfortable or agitated. It can soothe our emotions and make us feel better.

The Ancients knew this thousands of years ago, which is why instruments like Tibetan bowls, drums, cymbals, gongs and bells have remained a part of cultural ceremonies and meditation practices. Though the types of music and the instruments it is played on have changed since then, sound, especially music, has remained a major influence on life over the millenniums and now science is verifying what humanity has always intuitively known.

Sound creates an energetic vibration, which means that not only do we hear the sound with our ears, but we also  feel it with our bodies. And that energetic vibration elevates our natural ability for emotional, physical, mental, and energetic healing. It allows us to connect with who and what we are on all levels.

Music and/or sound are also often used in meditation, especially in guided meditations that helps us change a mental belief, remove blocks or to help us heal ourselves. Music when played in certain sequences can help us shift our brain waves to Theta which is the level where we can easily reduce stress, manage pain and go into rest and repair mode.

And science is now proving that music can and does heal, not only our emotional and mental states, but also our physical being.  The spiritual worlds of many cultures and religions believe that it actually alters the cells, returning them to their original perfect state, and science is beginning to see that sound acts as influence on many of the biological and physiological processes that contribute to our well-being. There are an increasing number of hospitals that are using calming music to help lessen pain and decrease healing time.

When doing research on sound and how it effects our being, I found that the list of benefits that music creates in our lives was long and varied. It also showed how interrelated our systems are, for by improving our mental and emotional being, we can also improve our physical being. The list below includes things I believe sound does for us, many of which have been scientifically proven.