Does Sound Therapy Really Work?
In a word…Yes!
Sound healing therapy is an effective and natural way to release stress and anxiety to facilitate and support the body’s own intrinsic healing abilities.
In facilitating sound sessions over the past 5 years, I’ve been in awe and humbled to witness the very profound results of this ancient healing art. Many of my clients have been moved to share their experiences, ranging from the physical to the metaphysical.
Some of the comments include:
I feel profoundly relaxed but more alive.
I feel crystal clear - like a laser.
I saw my (family member) in spirit.
I felt like the sound knew exactly where my pain was.
I’ve never achieved this level of deep meditation before.
My knee pain disappeared after the session.
I started to cry when you were singing, and it cleared away my sadness.
Sound therapy is based on the premise that everything is vibrating at different rates or frequencies - even YOU! Sound is a vibration that travels through air, water, and solids and through our bodies, with the capacity to shift us biologically and energetically.
You are essentially a symphony of frequencies. Every organ, bone, and cell in your body has its own resonant frequency. Sound healing uses audible vibrations to shift those subtle frequencies to restore balance and resonance of the energy field surrounding your body.
Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, Director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine at Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, says sound heals on a physical level because “it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiological functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.” said Dr. Gaynor.
The benefit of sound healing therapy may include:
Increased blood circulation
Lowering heart rate and blood pressure
Facilitating the release of endorphins, melatonin, and nitric oxide
Synchronizing the brain hemispheres, promoting increased cognition, focus, and creativity
Triggering the relaxation response of the parasympathetic nervous system
Improves mental clarity and focus
Reducing stress, anger, depression, and fatigue
Increasing vagal tone for emotional resiliency
Promoting a resting brain state where deep healing takes place
These benefits make sound therapy and healing very effective in helping to ease the symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, depression, and PTSD, among others.
Neuroscientists have found that the more we can access a resting brain state, the more it can help us achieve heart-brain coherence. This is an optimal state associated with increased cognition, emotional stability, and resilience. I always tell my clients that sound therapy is like a nervous system reset — like bringing your body/mind back to its factory settings!
Even though science has just started to study the benefits of sound therapy, there is a wealth of experiential evidence that indicates definite positive physical, mental, and emotional effects on humans and animals.
