5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TRY A SOUND BATH THIS WEEK
Enjoy this refreshing musical session fully clothed sans bubble bath.
What is a Sound Bath you may ask? Well, for starters, no water is involved, as this is not your traditional strip-and-soak bathtub session. Well, technically water IS involved, but only that which comprises up to 60% of your physical body composition. It’s a simple alternative to restoration sessions like massages, yoga, or acupuncture. And in its most basic form, its meditation.
1. Quality of Life
A Sound Bath is a musical concert of rhythms and harmonies performed with the intention of creating an improved state of quality of life. During a Sound Bath meditation, the sounds from sacred instruments - Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls, Planetary Gongs and Tuning Forks - wash over you, diminishing mind chatter and allowing your body to fully and deeply relax. When we are in a relaxed state, our emotional, mental, and physical bodies have a chance to catch up with our innate yearning to be happy, healthy, and whole.
2. It relieves stress
In a recent New York Times article on Sound Baths, writer Sophia Kercher remarks that “Sound healers, sometimes called ‘sounders,’ say the vibrations can relax brain-wave patterns, lower heart rate, reduce stress and pain, relieve anxiety, and sometimes help with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.” A Sound Bath meditation session is believed to open up the energetic pathways in the subtle energetic body. Whether we refer to this energy anatomy as Dan Tiens, Nadis, or Meridians, the core principle of working with the subtle energetic body, in this case through music and meditation, remains the same: allow the meditative music to stimulate the body’s own natural mood enhancers (endorphins and GABA) and guide you to a deep state of relaxation and bliss.
3. We can heal from music
Now, if you’re thinking “where is the proof that sound actually heals?”, LA Times writer, Mary MacVean, recommends you, “think about the power of music – and other sounds such as breaking waves – to bring joy, inspiration, energy, or even anger.” Take a moment and think about the last time music helped you study, work out, zone out, or even cry. I believe music opens up a pathway for us to dive deeper into our emotions, which helps us break down walls and open up to improved ways of living life. Nowadays we have sound therapy pioneers, like Dr. Peter Guy Manners and Dr. John Beaulieu, studying the therapeutic applications of sound. Soon the hard science will follow to prove what ancient traditions like Shamanism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurveda have known for ages: sound vibrations can heal.
4. It’s easy to do
For your next Sound Bath session, all you’ll need is a yoga mat and a blanket, and you’re ready to bathe in glorious sound. You’ll be asked to lie down on your yoga mat, use the blanket to prop up your head and knees, and then listen to the music. During the Sound Bath your mind may begin to wander, but because the musical vibrations penetrate you to your core, choose a sound to focus on and you’ll quickly slip back into a meditative state of surrender and peace. It’s that easy. Just listen.
5. Unplug from the noisy world
Imagine a full hour with absolutely zero distractions. I find a Sound Bath to be unique among other therapeutic treatments such as massage, acupuncture, or the trendy float spas. Because the music at a Sound Bath is so beautifully consuming, it’s difficult to think about anything else but the music, let alone my to-do list for the day. Take a chance to truly unplug and unwind in this melodic soundscape and give yourself a mental break before coming back to the real world.
// peace and light
JA
