What is therapeutic sound and how does it work?

Sound therapy, also known as sound healing, has gone big! It's out there, it's everywhere. Whether that's gongs, singing bowls, crystal bowls, chimes, flutes, shakers, humming, drumming or chanting, you'll likely find a sound bath available to you in nearby yoga studios, community and village halls, or at festivals and retreats. It's growing and booming and mushrooming.

But using sound for healing is, relatively speaking, still a newly emerging area of health and wellbeing (despite being a super ancient therapeutic tool in real terms), and one that I do find myself explaining to many people I meet. Most have heard of it, some have experienced it, but plenty still aren't quite sure what it means or how it works. I have a few times been asked if lying in an actual bath is involved!

So this feels like a great time to share some more information about the wonders of sound!

First things first, sound therapy/healing is not new at all. In fact it is ancient, more ancient than you can probably wrap your head around. It's wonderful that so many of us are now intentionally re-connecting with the power of vibration and sound, but really all living things have been bathed in and benefitted from healing frequencies since the dawn of time. So much so that according to ancient Sanskrit texts, the universe began with sound - the primordial sound of creation, or 'om'. This sacred sound brought everything into existence, and represents all that was, is and will be, beyond the bounds of time, and is the sound from which all other sound emanates.

The origins of sound and music in humanity are thought to have begun with a 'hm' sound before verbal language developed that then went on became a more musical sound or hum - probably used by mothers with their babies, and anthropological research shows us that most religions and ancient tribes incorporated sound mantra, drumming, humming and chanting as part of their healing practices and history. Sound has a rich and varied history across the world, it is a huge and complex topic that can be learned about in some fascinating and very detailed books, like the Secret Power of Music by David Tame or The Mysticism of Music by Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Fast forwarding to the present day, what do we now mean when we talk about sound healing?

We can think of sound therapy as the intentional use of a range of instruments, including the voice, that produce beneficial frequencies or vibrations that have a positive impact on the physical and energetic bodies of the person they are being played near to, promoting relaxation and bringing a sense of peace and wellbeing. Sound therapy can actually help 'retune' our systems and restore a more harmonious internal state so we are humming or vibrating more 'in tune' again.

But how does it work?

First things first, it's helpful to know that quantum physics teaches us that everything in the universe is made up of vibrating particles or waves, including the cells in our own bodies, and all of these vibrating particles influence and communicate with each other.

One of the ways they do this is called entrainment, a phenomenon that means different things in different fields, but essentially is all about synchronisation. Whether that's our internal body clocks synchronising with environmental cues like light, temperature and even the moon, or actual pendulum clocks oscillating in tandem via mechanical vibrations, as discovered by Dutch physicist Christian Huygens, the principle is the same. And it also happens during sound therapy, when one vibrational body influences another in its field, or in other words, when we sync up with the vibration of healing sounds being played around us.

Increasing clinical evidence is also showing us that when sound is used as a therapeutic tool, it alters the activity of our brainwaves to support enhanced emotional and physical wellbeing, such as increased feelings of calm, peace, safety, wonder, and improved mood and positivity. These enhanced feelings of calm, peace and positivity have a direct influence on many organs and systems in the body, including the nervous system, the stress response system, the immune system, the digestive system, and so much more.  

This is all very exciting – the more we understand why and how therapeutic sound works, the better! Therapeutic sound is a wonderful way to care for yourself and your wellbeing, and its increasing popularity means that it should be readily available to most people in their local area. But the huge increase in popularity, and the fact that sound therapy is an unregulated profession, means that some sound healers have taken very short training courses without the important science, safety and theory built in. Therapeutic sound in the wrong hands can be harmful and stressful – many of my clients have had negative experiences, in particular at very loud and overwhelming gong baths. Working with sound as a therapeutic tool is an art, and safe practice requires skill and proper training. A skilled and well trained practitioner will not only know how to play the instruments well and be able to tailor a session to your needs, but will also understand the more subtle elements of a sound therapy session or sound bath, and how they can make a huge difference to the outcome, such as carefully preparing for a session beforehand, playing the instruments with love and healing intention, creating a trusting client/practitioner relationship, and looking after the sound space so that it is clear and supportive energetically.

I'm always happy to answer questions, so please email me if you want to know more!

And there will be lots more to come on these topics in future blog posts!

With love

Emma

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