The history of sound healing: 

One of the oldest records of people using sound to heal comes from Australia. Forty thousand years ago Aboriginal Australians used what we now know as the didgeridoo to heal all kinds of illnesses including broken bones!! A recent study by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology backed this up when they discovered that sound waves can turn stem cells into bone cells.

The history of sound doesn’t stop there, we have records of sound being used by different cultures all around the globe. In Egypt it is believed that the power of sound was used to drill into and cut through stones. Chanting and the power of vocal sound is also prominent in Chinese and Indian cultures, gongs also made their way into Chinese culture about 4,000 years ago and they have been used in many ways since.

Today we use many different instruments in ‘sound healing’ sessions, these instruments will tend to differ from person to person. I use mainly crystal bowls and chimes but I also love to attend gong baths!

 

My love of sound:

It all began for me when I was attending a yoga retreat in India! I had been to sound baths before but I had never truly dived into the meaning of sound. Whilst walking through the local town one day with my friends we came across a shop selling all kinds of sound healing instruments and we couldn’t help ourselves. The lovely gentleman who owned the shop told us all about his experience with sound and how he incorporates it into his daily routine. We all had so much fun playing with the bowls and we were even offered a free sound bath whilst we were there. We were sold on sound and we all came away with our first sound bowls, you’ll still see mine in the window at the studio.  On returning from my trip I couldn’t stop reading all about sound and its benefits and I knew I had to share sound with my yoga students.

 

So what is sound healing? 

It’s all about the vibes and by vibes I mean vibrations. Everything around us is vibrating at different frequencies. Sound healing works by using sound frequencies to help balance the frequencies in our body. Similar to when people use the term ‘matching my vibe’, the frequencies in your body can match the vibrations of the sound. It sounds great and it is but its also important to remember that sound healing can also bring up a lot of other emotions that may have been pushed down or suppressed. It’s very normal to feel upset or to get emotional during a sound bath, this is just your body clearing out anything that is no longer needed.

 

What is a sound bath?

First of all, although it's called a bath no water is involved! As I mentioned before different sound practitioners may use different instruments and this is usually due to personal preference. In my sound sessions I mainly play crystal bowls with addition of some extra chimes, drums and Tibetan bowls. The instruments may differ but the premise of a sound bath stays the same. As someone attending a sound bath nothing is expected of you, all you have to do is make yourself comfy under all the blankets you wish and let yourself relax into it. My sound baths usually start with a short guided meditation to help you relax into the space and prepare you to experience the sound. I will then play the bowls for about 45 mins before slowly waking everyone back up. I know what you’ll all be wanting to ask, yes it’s okay to fall asleep!

 

Sound healing is all around us:

You don’t need to attend a sound bath to experience the powers of sound healing, the more you look out for it the more you’ll notice that sound is all around us. From the tweeting of the birds in the morning to the music you use to motivate yourself in the gym. An amazing form of sound we can all do at home is humming, it really is that simple. When you hum you can physically feel the vibrations in your body! Sound really is all around us.

So there is my very brief introduction to sound healing, I hope it has answered some questions for you!

 

If you are now feeling ready to join me in my next sound bath I would love to see you there! See upcoming sound bath dates HERE.

 

Alternatively if you would like to enjoy some sound in the comfort of your own home you can listen to a recording of one of my sound baths HERE.