Sound Bath
A sound bath also known as gong meditation is a unique type of sound practice that involves using therapeutic gong sounds and vibrations to bring about healing. This practice is also sometimes referred to as a gong bath because participants are bathed in meditation gong sound waves. The goal of gong meditation is usually therapeutic. It may sound new to you but sound therapy has long been used to manage a broad range of health conditions.
Sound therapy has been practiced for thousands of years and today enthusiasts believe that sound baths can help reduce stress and liberate emotional blockages. Scientific evidence suggests that certain forms of sound therapy prompt damaged human DNA strands to repair themselves.
You’re probably wondering what exactly happens in a sound bath. Most people who participate in sound baths are lying down on meditation or yoga mats. Add a pillow and a blanket and all you’ll need to do is rest in a comfortable position, relax and close your eyes. Your instructor will guide you through the session. Initially, the gong is played very softly. As the meditation session progresses, the volume is gradually increased. Since the purpose of the meditation gong sound is healing, the volume is never upped to uncomfortable levels.
The benefits are much like those of meditation, which is not surprising, since many sound therapists consider it a form of meditation.
The experience of a sound bath or sound meditation can be helpful for anyone who wants to access a moment of relaxation or gain the benefits of meditation. In addition to contributing to deep relaxation, sound baths, says Martinez, "can be very helpful with anxiety and stress, which manifest in so many ways, affecting sleep, digestion, and memory. By experiencing a sound bath, you can provide your whole body with a reset. Sound waves can also slow down the heart and respiratory rate, creating a therapeutic effect on the mind and body.
So, what are some sound bath health benefits?
Ditch bad habits: sound baths have been documented as an alternative treatment for addiction. Therapeutic tools can be used to help patients overcome substance abuse. As a sound bath allows a person to reach a deep meditative state, the practice helps you to be truly in touch with your mind and body. This enables you to take control of impulses, and go on to eliminate bad habits that unbalance your whole body.
Boost bodily functions: The healing impact of sound baths is not only evident mentally. It can physically impact your body by stimulating blood flow, improving your breathing and lowering blood pressure. Some sound bath enthusiasts even mention that the therapy can improve certain chronic problems like spinal pains, migraine and other health issues.
Reduce stress and anxiety: the sounds created by the particular instruments used during a sound bath are meant to activate the alpha and theta brain waves which are associated with deep meditative and peaceful states. When one is able to access these brain states it develops a more conducive space for healing the body, heart, and respiratory rate.
Tune in, tune out: the healing sounds and vibrations created by the various instruments helps give you something else to focus on other than your thoughts which enhances and improves your meditation. While there have been multiple scientific studies proving the healing benefits of meditation it can sometimes be very difficult for individuals to completely clear out their mind and concentrate. However, by having the added benefit of different sound frequencies surrounding you during your meditation you can clear out your thoughts and focus your mind on the sounds and vibrations, making it easier for you to clear and reset your mind.
NOTE: Personally I used Qur'an as my sound with patients regardless of background and talk them through the healing using a book by Asif Baba called Meditation and the Qur'an.
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