Sound Healing

by Cindy VanDyke

In today’s blog post, I want to share a little bit about sound healing and introduce you all to gong baths, as they are known in the yoga world. Music is a wonderful therapy for the brain and nervous system. Some music sweeps between the left and right brain hemispheres and balances the IQ and EQ, thus balancing intelligence with emotion. Mozart is the best example of this. Studies show when Mozart’s music is played during a task or test, people’s focus and test results are greatly increased. This phenomenon is known as the Mozart effect.

All sound has a frequency, and frequency is measured in units known as hertz, named after Heinrich Hertz, the first person to prove the existence of electromagnetic waves. So, sound comes in waves. Did you know that an ultrasound is sound waves at such a high frequency a technician can place a wand on the patient and transform the sound waves into a picture for viewing? Did you also know that the ultrasounds used in physiotherapy and massages are sound waves that create heat and vibration that soften the tissue the therapist is working on to get effective results?

And did you know the ear is the first sensory organ to develop in the womb, and the fetus can hear the sounds around itself? Such as their mother’s heartbeat, her voice, and the sound of movement and voices nearby.

I have included a picture of our ear and if you look at it, it is the same as an ultrasound of a fetus in the womb. I find the interconnection of everything in the universe so fascinating!

All of these sound waves at different frequencies affect our physical, mental, and emotional bodies in various ways. Sound healing is an ancient technique that has been used for thousands of years by the Egyptians, the Greeks, and many other native cultures around the world. Whether it is by voice like singing or chanting or by instrument like playing the drums or didgeridoo, the intention of the sound is always to heal.

In modern sound healing sessions, instruments are still the primary modalities of sound delivery used to support healing. These instruments can be anything from crystal bowls, chimes, tuning forks, drums, and my favourite, the gong. When the gong is played, it is known as a gong bath as you are immersed in the waves that wash over you, and the vibrations break down blockages held in your body by emotions, or stuck energy that can cause discomfort, stress, anxiety, and poor sleep.

These sound waves and vibrations bring our brain from an alpha state of consciousness to a meditative delta state of consciousness allowing the para sympathetic system to kick in. This is our rest and digest state. However, it is not only food we digest. We also have to process and digest life which can sometimes be challenging and cause disharmony in our system that can lead to disease.

When attending a sound healing or, as I like to call my sessions, a sound spa, because they are such a beautiful way to nurture yourself and bring your body and mind back into a state of harmony, you will leave with a feeling of restoration and awareness of clarity and calmness.

References from:

Sacred Sounds by Ted Andrews

The Complete Guide to Sound Healing by David Gibson

7 Secrets of Sound Healing by Jonathan Goldman

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in blog entries are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Heart Niagara.