Sound bathing immerses the body in vibrating sound waves which help create a state of deep relaxation and meditation. This ancient practice is experiencing a renaissance, as people re-discover the power of healing sound to relax tension, bring the body into balance, and release suppressed emotions. Apex Recovery San Diego is proud to offer a sound bath therapy program.
Having a sound bath doesn’t require any special skills or beliefs on your part. Anyone who is open to the experience can benefit from the healing frequencies used in this type of therapy. As part of a holistic approach to our addiction therapy programs, sound bathing can help you feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. To learn more, call us today at 619.458.3435.
When Did Sound Bathing Begin?
Sound bathing has its origins with the ancient Greeks. However, many cultures have used sound as part of healing since the beginning of recorded history. In fact, Aristotle wrote about the power of music to purify the soul. Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that sound bathing was in use in ancient Greece to treat indigestion, mental disturbances, and insomnia.
What Are the Benefits of a Sound Bath?
Many of the traditional healing arts use instruments like the human voice, Tibetan singing bowls, and Aboriginal didgeridoos to balance the chakras, expand consciousness, and promote healing. In more recent years, researchers have found that music causes measurable physical responses in the body, including:
- Reducing blood pressure
- Lowering heart rate
- Improving metabolic processes
- Lowering stress hormones including cortisol
- Treating anxiety and depression
- Improving markers of a healthy immune system
- Reducing pain responses and enhancing relaxation
- Improving cognition and memory
- Increasing theta brain wave activity
- Providing supportive therapy for substance use disorders
How Does Sound Bathing Work?
Sound healing practitioners create waves of harmonic sound which surround the body of the participants. In fact, these ancient practices are based on vibrations and frequencies which may influence cells down to the quantum level, where all particles of matter vibrate or resonate. These therapeutic frequencies can be created using many tools designed to have different effects, most often:
Tibetan Singing Bowls
This sound tool has its origin in ancient Tibetan Buddhism and is made using different metals. Practitioners strike the bowl with a mallet to create a vibration. This then resonates with your body to bring mental cleansing and body balance, and promote resiliency.
Crystal Singing Bowls
These bowls are made of quartz crystals. They are designed to produce a unique tone to align with a specific energy center or chakra. Crystal singing bowls are often used in sound baths in conjunction with Tibetan singing bowls.
Crystal Pyramid
Quartz can also be cut in the shape of a pyramid. The practitioner strikes it with a mallet to produce different tones from different angles. These specific vibrations from crystal pyramids help bring the body into balance and clear toxic feelings.
Tuning Forks
These are made of steel and produce a single precise tone. The practitioner will often tap the fork and then hold it near a problem area on the body, or near known pressure points.
Chimes
Wind chimes and other tonal chimes may calm and cleanse the aura, which is the energy field that extends outside the physical body. They are most often in use by practitioners in feng shui.
Gongs
A metal gong plays soft music by being struck in a geometric pattern. Many practitioners believe that a loud sound shock from a gong can release energy blockages in the body and obsessive thoughts from the mind.
Drums
Drums are used in many sacred rituals and provide focus for deep meditation, relaxation, or energizing therapy. They can help recovering individuals to heal by improving focus and stimulating the body and mind.
Digital Sounds
You can obtain some of the benefits, or get an idea of what a sound bath is like, by listening to digital recordings. This method isn’t as effective as vibrations that occur in your physical presence. However, these sounds can still help you to relax, meditate, and revive the experience of a live sound bath session.
What to Expect After a Sound Bath
The deep relaxation and release the harmonic vibrations create in your body are intended to stimulate alpha and theta brain waves. In fact, it literally changes how you think and feel. While one session can be transformative, regular sound bathing sessions have even greater effects by returning the body and mind to this natural state of balance and healing.
After a sound bath you should expect to:
- Feel less physical pain and mental stress. The waves of healing sound reset your mind and spirit, bringing them in harmony with the healing vibrations around you.
- Observe physical effects including lower levels of stress hormones, blood pressure, and heart rate – a reset of the physical body which, with regular treatment, can become your new normal.
- Feel more able to focus and think clearly about where you are on the path to recovery, and what hidden feelings or past trauma may be holding you back.
- Experience increased energy and confidence in your ability to feel well again without drugs or alcohol.
- Find a sense of inner peace by reconnecting with yourself and releasing pent-up or long-hidden emotions that may have fueled your addiction and prevented you from enjoying life.
Sound Bathing as Part of Addiction Recovery
When a recovery center brings the best of all worlds to your treatment program, you can then heal your life more effectively. No single treatment can help you overcome addiction. However, a combination of counseling, medication, compassion, understanding, and healing therapies can help restore the body from the damage of substance abuse.
True rehabilitation is life changing. It’s an empowering choice to move beyond what you have experienced in the past. Furthermore, it’s invigorating to embrace a new way of thinking about yourself and the world around you. Of course, this path is different for everyone. However, you or your loved one can find the right combination of therapies to not only restore but also move beyond the obstacles and past trauma that may have played into your substance use.
Sound bathing is part of an integrated and comprehensive program designed around the individual facing the challenge of addiction. Incorporating nutrition, medication, exercise, and a broad range of holistic and experiential therapies, our inpatient and outpatient programs will provide the healing environment that leads to a better life than you ever thought possible. Reach out online or call us at Apex Recovery San Diego today at 619.458.3435 to talk about the right treatment plan for you or your loved one.