Is it wet? Is it loud?
Sound Bath
A Sound Bath is literally a bath of sound. No water, no nudity, rubber duckie optional. But do we call it “wall of sound?” No. Because it’s pleasant sound, musical tones, not at all random or noisy. Like a warm bath as opposed to being soaked with a bucket of cold water.
During a Sound Bath, many different instruments may be used, including singing bowls, gongs, chimes, bells, and flutes. A Sound Bath is frequently a group event, though it is just as effective, or more so, when personalized in an individual setting.
Sound Wave Therapy
This type of therapy is most frequently done using tuning forks or singing bowls. This can be very fine-tuned to an individual and their needs. The bowl or fork may be brought close to your body, or even allowed to come into contact with your body, depending on the instrument used and your needs.
How Does Sound Bath or Sound Wave Therapy Work?
Let’s talk science first, then tradition.
The Science:
First, you’ll need to understand that sound is a form of energy. Sound energy travels through air and other media in a wave pattern. The distance between the waves (frequency), and their height (amplitude), determine what sound you hear.
Your brain also produces energy that can be measured in waves. These waves change as you become anxious, peaceful, angry, loving, or thoughtful. These waves can be translated to sound, using their frequency and amplitude.
Since we know what a peaceful brain “sounds” like, we know what sounds or musical notes match the frequency of those brain waves. We also know that the brain is deeply affected by sound; hearing just a few notes of a song can shift your emotions on a dime!
Your skilled Sound Wave Therapist uses this knowledge to bring your brain away from anxiety, stress, and overwhelm to a place of calm, confidence, and deep peace. For a deeper dive on the science of sound waves and the body, check out this easy-to-read article by a for-real scientist: The Physics and Biophysics of Sound Healing
The Tradition:
In the traditional medical philosophy of some areas, the idea of “chakras” was, and remains, a major part of healing. A person has seven chakras, or centers of life energy, in the body. Each chakra represents specific types of energy. For example, your “root chakra” is at the base of your spine, and when that energy is balanced, you feel more grounded and secure. The study of chakras is much, much deeper than that, but we just need the surface info today.
Each of these chakras was assigned a sound, a musical note that seemed to represent that energy. The sounds are thought to bring balance to the chakras when used in this way.
As so frequently happens as science progresses, many of the traditional thoughts actually jive with it! While some people have broken with tradition when it comes to the order in which the notes are played, the frequency of those notes has not changed. Super fascinating, even if your path doesn’t include that tradition!
Can Sound Baths or Sound Wave Therapy Give Me Specific Thoughts, or Be Used To Make Me Behave a Certain Way?
Absolutely not! No. It is not possible to implant thoughts in someone’s brain via sound wave therapy. You are not hypnotized. There is not a note that makes people feel angry, happy, or free. This therapy functions by helping to modulate physical waves of energy to bring them back to a state of “normal.” While you may experience deep emotion, some of which might be anger or sadness, this comes from within. This is your emotion coming up and out as you process it. And that is excellent! Don’t worry, your practitioner will have tissues handy, and will use their knowledge to focus on the area in question to help you through.
The More you Know…
Now that you know what Sound Baths and Sound Wave Therapy actually are, keep learning!
How to Find a Sound Therapy Practitioner
How to Prepare for Your Sound Therapy Appointment
What to Expect at Your Sound Therapy Appointment
What to Expect After Your Sound Therapy Appointment