“You can look at disease as a form of disharmony. And there is no organ system in the body that is not affected by sound and music and vibration.”

— Mitchell Gaynor, M.D.

 

I will never forget my first sound bath. I had recently recovered from an intense pain disorder through Acupuncture. My eyes had been opened to the idea that ‘weird’ therapies must have some merit - because I was pain-free, pharmaceutical-free and enjoying life!

 

I felt awkward as I laid down on a yoga mat, surrounded by strangers. As the vibrations washed over my body, I felt a whole new level of peace, physical calm and relaxation. I knew that it definitely wouldn’t be my last sound bath!

 

I later watched a video demonstrating changes in the flow of red blood cells - moving from still and stagnant to nourishing movement at a beautiful fluidity.

 

If the blood is moving nutrients around more efficiently, maybe there is something scientific to this after all? As it turns out, there is science to show this is true.

 “In post-operative heart patients, vibroacoustic therapy cut their hospital stays in half.”

— Alex Doman, Author of Advanced Brain Technologies

  

From enhancing the development and neurology of a developing fetus to improving labor for moms, music has a place in our lives from the very beginning.

 

As we age, creating and being exposed to musical vibrations improves IQ development, builds emotional stability and strengthens neural connections.

 Later in life, music helps with inflammatory and immune function. In fact, recent studies have shown that the primary benefit of antidepressants parallel placebo results. However, many environmental and lifestyle activities outperform these pharmaceutical solutions in studies - and sound therapy, or vibroacoustic therapy, is at the top of the list.

 

Changes to the body - what to expect?

 Merely listening to pleasant vibrating music causes:

 

●      Blood vessels expand, reducing hypertension processes.

●      Improved breathing patterns measurably triggering relaxation

●      Increased production of endorphins for a more euphoric brain sensation.

●      The immune system produces more immunoglobulins- in some studies as high as a 240% increase!

●      Produces heart protective chemicals-decreasing the risk of heart disease with daily use.

●      And most importantly - singing and experiencing music reduces experienced pain.

 

Specifically, researchers and clinicians have found that drumming and rhythmic vibrations have a profound impact on those with neurological challenges. From drum circles to sound baths, ‘controlled vibrations affect brain wave function’ and are helpful at all stages of aging and cognitive diagnoses.

 

“If I could live my life over again, I would have made a rule to … listen to some music at least once every week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied would thus have been kept active through use.”

— Charles Darwin in his autobiography

 

 

As I look back at that first sound bath, I realize that my awkward feeling was because I did not understand the power and benefit of feeling sound vibration in a group.

 Community gatherings and shared musical experiences are traditional and beneficial. Letting yourself relax and heal in an improved brain state (theta wave state) further amplifies the effects of this exposure.

 We need each other and sharing these experiences improves our cultural enrichment and meets our social needs in a unique and primal way.

Music, especially complex vibrational patterns and pleasant melodies, helps connect the body and the spirit to higher function and thought. The amplification of our spiritual beings is being studied in the realm of science, but our ancestors knew that these powerful changes were important at all levels - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

 Such vibrational support puts our autonomic nervous systems into a relaxed state, allowing the mind to process and heal. This is one of the great benefits of meditation, yoga, qigong and other healing practices. Sound bath relaxation is a passive and enjoyable way to create this wellness response.

 

“Rhythm, tone, melody, vibration, words - every aspect of music and song works not only to make us who we are, but to keep us physically healthy, emotionally balanced and mentally alert as we move through our lives.”

—Don Campbell, Author of “The Mozart Effect”