50 Minute Sound Bath

Sound Healing

It is well documented that humans have used sound to heal and expand consciousness for thousands of years: ancient chanting and drums from many of the worlds’ ancient cultures; to flutes, bells and gongs in ancient China, Tibetan bowls, bells and tingsha by Himalayan monks and healers, and didgeridoos from the Aboriginal people of Northern Australia, among many examples. So while soundbaths have only been popularized in the West for the last 25 -30 years, participants benefit from a tradition as old as humankind itself: vibrational healing. Sound Healing has become a mainstream, therapeutic adjunct offered in traditional and alternative healthcare settings, corporations and community events all over the world.

What is a Sound Bath?

A sound bath is the deeply relaxing experience of being immersed in a harmonic field created by an array of instruments, primarily singing bowls and gongs. In our sound baths, you are invited to sit or lie down comfortably, as the vibrations of 20 -25 antique, master-quality singing bowls, gongs, and chimes envelop you in a soothing soundscape and create a safe and supportive space for healing. As the sound massages your body on a cellular level, the vibration goes where it’s most needed: calming your mind, releasing blocked energy, and gently dissolving tension, leaving you restored, recalibrated, and connecting you with a sense of inner peace and wellbeing.

The Science of Resonance

We are oscillating systems. An oscillator is an object that moves in a regular, periodic manner. We are vibrating to the rhythm of our heartbeat, as well as the vibrational fields produced by our pulse, fluids, electrical fields and so on. Each organ and bone within us vibrates at different rates, creating a composite vibratory field that is uniquely our own. Our vibratory field can change depending on our state.

Sympathetic resonance happens when two oscillating systems mesh, or phase together. There are classic examples, such as when two mechanical clocks on the same wall begin to keep time in unison, or when co-workers find their menstrual cycles synchronize. So when the oscillation of our bio-system and the oscillatory system of singing bowls meet, the stronger frequencies of the singing bowls will entrain our weaker fields.

The Benefits of Singing Bowls

Anxiety and stress have been linked to an increased risk of developing a range of diseases such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, and a range of psychological disorders including Depression and PTSD. Although the science behind the effects of singing bowls is in its infancy, there's already a lot of scientific research demonstrating their physiological and psychological healing properties. Some of them include:

1. Enhanced Meditation: When the brainwaves are entrained by the binaural beats of Tibetan singing bowls, our brain’s electro-chemical activity has a positive, cascading effect on our bio-systems such as our breath, pulse, energy field, and brainwave frequency, dropping us into the Alpha State (8 -12 Hz.)of deep relaxation experienced in meditation. It is common for listeners to fall into Theta (4 - 7 Hz.), the meditative state of monks. Often, it is experienced as the twilight state just before sleep.

2. Deep Relaxation: Brainwave entrainment to the Alpha and Theta states produces a "relaxation response" in the body - the opposite of the "fight or flight" response. The relaxation response slows the breath, lowers the heart rate and blood pressure, easing tension, anxiety, and fatigue. 2 This response triggers a positive feedback loop in the body, reducing cortisol levels in the blood and allowing the levels of "feel good" hormones to build up, thus creating a sense of well-being.

3. Anti-Aging: Telomeres are little caps on each strand of our DNA that protect our cells from damage, the way those little plastic caps on shoelaces keep them from unraveling. Stress and anxiety degrade our Telomeres, exposing our cells to wear and tear as we age. Singing bowls massage us at a cellular level, and meditation has been shown to positively affect our Telomeres, slowing down the aging process of our cells.1

4. Concentration:  A core function of Tibetan bowls is to improve concentration. Through their binaural beat effect, singing bowls create a “frequency following response” that creates new neural pathways in the brain. Brain function has been shown to be enhanced through the increase of cross-collosal communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.4

5. Mood: Depression has been linked to a hyperactive right brain (RH), the hemisphere that is involved in processing negative emotions and pessimistic thoughts, all of which contribute to its resulting anxiety, stress, and emotional pain.5 EEG experiments have also shown that the binaural beats of Tibetan singing bowls balance the hemispheres of the brain, helping to improve emotional stability. Hemisphere balancing also reduces stress levels, regulates harmful hormones such as cortisol, and promotes relaxation throughout the body. The hemisphere-balancing effect of singing bowls may also contribute to the widely reported feeling of well-being after a sound treatment, which some report can last for days after.

6. Sleep: Additionally, the RH controls our impulses for vigilance and arousal, which may explain why depression is often accompanied by sleep disturbances.5 Tibetan bowls have widely been shown to aid sleep by calming the nervous system, creating a positive feedback loop of benefits from getting enough sleep that enhances our health and quality of life.

7. Chronic Pain Management: Tibetan singing bowls have been shown to reduce the emotional suffering that accompanies chronic pain.

Intention

Just as our brainwaves vibrate at certain frequencies, so too, our intention has vibration. You may want to reflect if you have intentions for the session: are they physical, emotional, or spiritual, or a combination? In your confirmation email, we will include a notes field in which you can let me know your goals for the session as well as anything else you’d like me to know about you. If you are booking an inperson session, please make a note of any allergies or sensitivities, such as to cats, incense, or essential oils.

What to Expect

Once you book your session, you will receive an email with your receipt and confirmation of the date, time, and Zoom Sound Room address. When we meet online, we’ll have a 2-3 minute conversation reviewing any notes you left in the booking process, and setting our mutual intentions.

During the Session

After our intention setting, you will be invited to take a comfortable posture and we will do some breathing exercises to settle the body and calm the nervous system. You will be guided along our sound journey, allowing the frequencies to deeply relax your body and mind. It is best that you listen from a neutral state, without judgement. You will be guided to let whatever you hear become a part of the meditation. As you allow the vibration to wash over you, expect that you may find thoughts falling away or becoming less frequent, or having less of a pull than in your normal waking state. You may experience phenomena such as colored lights and moving patterns and perhaps flashes of insight. But ultimately, the goal is to immerse yourself in the deep peace that is inherent in all of us once the distractions and emotions of daily life are removed. As the frequencies entrain your brainwaves from the Beta to the Alpha or Theta states, you can expect to drop into a quiet, somatic state. It is also OK to fall asleep if that is what your body needs.

Ending the Session

Towards the close of the session, we will have a few minutes of quiet meditation which will conclude with a tingsha chime. You will be invited to come back to your body and the room, open your eyes, and end your meditation. If you wish, we can talk briefly about your experience and feedback, and I can answer your questions. At the appointed time, we’ll close our Zoom Sound Room or chat about a follow-up session if desired.