Sound Therapy Can do Wonders For Your Brain

We all love music so much, right?

I thought I am one of those few who are madly in love with music, for whom music means a lot!

But now I am finding out that so many great legends have attested to the power of music.

Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.
-Khalil Gibran

Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life.
-John Paul Friedrich Richter

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
-Bob Marley

Being a curious person, I am always in search of something new to be known, done, etc. So, recently I stumbled upon an article saying how “Music Therapy” can promote our overall well-being.

Sound healing therapy

Sound healing therapy is a type of music therapy that employs components of music to promote physical and mental health and, hence, overall well-being. The individual being treated participates in the experience with the assistance of a skilled practitioner. Music therapy may entail:

• listening to music
• singing along to music
• moving to the beat of the music
• meditating
• playing an instrument

Sound healing is thought to have originated in ancient Greece when music was employed to treat mental illnesses. Music has been adopted throughout history to improve morale in military soldiers, help people work quicker and more effectively, and even ward off bad spirits through chanting.

More recently, research has connected music to a variety of health advantages, ranging from enhancing the health of preterm newborns to increasing immunological function and decreasing stress levels.

How does it work?

Music therapy employs many components of music to enhance your mental and physical well-being. The majority of music therapy sessions are one-on-one with a professionally trained practitioner.

Sitting or lying down while listening to music or noises from a speaker or instruments, or having vibrations applied using a specific tool, such as a tuning fork, may be part of a session. Depending on the approach, you may be invited to participate by singing, moving, or even playing a musical instrument, or you may be required to stay motionless and silent for the sounds to have an impact.

Instruments Used to Heal

In addition to voice, the following are some of the different instruments used in music therapy:

• singing bowls
• tuning forks
• pan flute
• harp
• Drums

Types of Sound Therapy

There are three most common types of Music or Sound Therapy:

Tuning Fork Therapy:

Tuning fork therapy employs the use of calibrated metal tuning forks to deliver particular vibrations to various areas of the body. This can aid in the release of stress and energy, as well as the promotion of emotional equilibrium. It is said to function similarly to acupuncture, except instead of needles, it uses sound frequencies to stimulate points. According to certain studies, tuning fork treatment may help alleviate muscular and bone discomfort.

Brainwave Entrainment:

This approach, also known as binaural beats, induces a particular condition in the brain by utilizing pulsating sound to urge your brain waves to align with the frequency of the beat. It is said to aid in the induction of increased attention, a trance-like state, relaxation, and sleep. Though, additional study is needed, there is some evidence that auditory brainwave entrainment decreases anxiety, pain, and premenstrual syndrome symptoms, as well as improves behavioral issues in children.

Guided Meditation:

Guided meditation is a type of sound therapy in which you meditate while listening to spoken instructions, either in a session or class or by utilizing a video or app. Chanting or repeating mantras or prayers can be used as a kind of meditation. According to research, meditation provides a variety of health advantages, including:

• stress reduction
• decreased anxiety and depression
• improved memory
• reduced blood pressure
• pain reduction
• lower cholesterol
• decreased risk of heart disease and stroke

Bottom Line

Though evidence for certain approaches is lacking, music therapy has been demonstrated to be beneficial for stress reduction and relaxation, as well as to provide other health advantages.

Listening to music poses no risk. Discover the sounds that work best for you.