Melody's Musings

Everything You Want to Know About Sound Healing

Where does Sound Healing Come From?

Sound healing can be traced back to the ancient cultures of Tibet, China, India, Latin America, Africa, and even Europe in ancient Greece. In these cultures, the sound was used for ceremonies and as a way to heal various physical, mental, and emotional ailments. Australian aboriginal tribes used the didgeridoo as a sound healing instrument for over 40,000 years. In Tibet, the singing bowl has been used for centuries in spiritual ceremonies.

Sound meditation is a form of focused awareness type of meditation. One kind that has become more popular is called “sound baths,” which uses Tibetan singing bowls, quartz bowls, and bells to guide the listener. These practices highlight themes of how the experience of sound manifests not only through hearing but through tactile physical vibrations and frequencies.

Does it Work?

Science is still catching up to understanding how sound heals, but the current research is promising. A review of 400 published scientific articles on music as medicine found strong evidence that music has mental and physical health benefits in improving mood and reducing stress. In fact, rhythm in particular (over melody) can provide physical pain relief.

One study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found that an hourlong sound meditation helped people reduce tension, anger, fatigue, anxiety, and depression while increasing a sense of spiritual well-being. People who had never done sound meditation experienced significantly less tension and anxiety afterward, as well as those who had done it before.

One study of people with fibromyalgia found that ten treatments (twice per week for five weeks) of low-frequency sound stimulation improved sleep and decreased pain, allowing nearly three-fourths of participants to reduce pain medication.

How Does It Work?

There are many different theories that attempt to explain why sound experiences can be linked with deep relaxation and physical pain relief:

One theory is that sound works through the vibrational tactile effects on the whole body. Sound could stimulate touch fibers that affect pain perception.

Another theory on the benefits of sound rests on the concept of “binaural beats” or “brain entrainment” which hypothesizes that listening to certain frequencies can synchronize and change one's brainwaves. Electrical activity in the brain is displayed in the form of brainwaves, or rhythmic, repetitive frequencies. These rhythms can be measured using a device called electroencephalogram (EEG).

There are four categories of brainwaves, which range from frequencies that occur during the most activity (beta) to the least activity (delta). Different states of alertness and consciousness in different parts of the brain generate varying frequencies of brainwaves.

What to expect during a Reiki and Sound Healing Session

I begin my sessions by introducing myself and answering any questions you might have. I will ask some questions about any conditions you want me to provide healing energy towards.

I will ask you to lay down on a massage table and ask you if your would prefer my hands placed on or above your body in specific locations to receive reiki energy.

I will then proceed to use tuning forks corresponding to each chakra to attune each chakra to the proper frequency. After that, I will use either a crystal singing bowl or a combination of chimes as is appropriate to your individual condition.

After that I will close the session and we can unpack anything you may have experienced.

What might I experience during a Session?