The Benefits of Sound Healing

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 our 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. Some listeners 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 is enhanced through the increase of cross-callosum 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 wellbeing 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.

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