Sound Therapy

(There are a number of different forms of Sound Therapy.  Please note that the following description relates specifically to 'Sacred Sound Therapy').

What is Sacred Sound?

Sacred Sound therapy is the use of various sound ‘tools’ to re-balance the body’s energies on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level to promote health and well-being.  The sound tools are generally made by people from indigenous tribes e.g. Native American Indians and Aborigines, basically people who lived by the land and the laws of nature.  This knowledge and understanding was adhered to in the making of the Sacred Sound tools, which, I believe, contain pureness of sound and intention.  People all around the world have used sound in rituals, ceremonies, meditations, and healing, for centuries.  However, it is not only Sacred Sound tools that have been created that are used.  The voice, in toning and the use of mantras can also be incorporated into a therapy session.

‘Tools’ include - crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, Tibetan bell, tingsha, shakers, ocean drum, Native American drum and rattle, didgeridoo, rain stick and thunder shaker.

How does it work?

Water is known to be a fantastic conductor of sound.  Not only are we made up of more than 70% water, we are also, like everything, made up of vibration and Sacred Sound works by bringing a persons’ vibration back into balance i.e. treating ‘like with like’.  The playing of various Sacred Sound tools will affect different areas of the body and the build up of harmonics will also work on various levels bringing an holistic and balancing session to all levels of being.  Sacred Sound is a very powerful and effective healing tool which can get right to the core and can clear and transform blocked energy and also affects brain-wave frequencies.

This is done through:-

Sympathetic resonance - like attracts like.

Entrainment - lower vibration locks into a higher vibration.

Brain synchronisation - two different frequencies create a third synchronising frequency.

Hemi-sync - balancing of right and left hemisphere of the brain.

Sacred Sound also affects brain-wave frequencies and can take us into deeper states of relaxation and healing.  The brain-wave frequencies are:-

Gamma - hyperactivity
Beta - normal waking state
Alpha - deeply relaxed
Theta - deep meditation
Delta - deep sleep
K complex - moments of realisation
Alpha-theta border - optimum healing

A session is usually for an hour and can be done either lying down on a futon, sitting or standing.  Various sound tools will be played by the sound therapist around, over or possibly on the client to identify and clear any energy blockages.  Energy can become ‘blocked’ and produce a symptom, due to a variety of reasons such as lifestyle, external influence eg pollution.  

Sound therapists can work on a one-to-one or group basis.

by Fiona McLaren

Sound Therapy Links:

Soundworks - workshops, talk, products and events relating to Sound Therapy.