As Dr Nicholas Peters and I collaborate in delivering wellbeing sessions including Laughter Yoga, Yoga Nidra and Sound Baths, it seems perfect that I should invite him to write this article:
What is a Sound Bath and how can a Sound Bath help you?
As a sound practitioner, I am often asked questions about sound baths and how sound can help to improve your health and wellbeing. So here are some answers:
What is a sound bath? And do I need to wear a swimsuit?
During a sound bath, you sit or lie down in a comfortable position on a yoga mat fully clothed and with your eyes closed.
I advise my clients to bring a pillow and a blanket so that they can feel fully relaxed in the session, and a bottle of water to keep fully hydrated.
I begin my sound baths with a short guided meditation to help to calm the mind and relax the body, before playing different sounds in succession on a variety of instruments, such as Himalayan singing bowls, frame drums, rattles, rainsticks, and wind chimes. The sounds of these instruments stimulate a hypnotic effect on the brain, slowing down brainwaves and inducing a deeper state of relaxation, ideal for meditation and healing.
At the end of the sound bath, I bring you gently out of your meditative state and back into the room, so that you will feel refreshed, revitalised, restored, and full of positive energy!
And in answer to the second question, you’ll stay perfectly dry and there is no need to remove any clothing (except footwear)!
How can a sound bath help me?
Sound healing can have many health benefits for those who attend group sound baths or have individual treatments. These include:
- Relaxing the mind and body, ideal for reducing anxiety, stress, and depression.
- Improving sleep patterns following a sound bath session, great for those with insomnia.
- Stimulating the body’s production of nitric oxide, which helps oxygen, blood and nutrients to travel to every part of the body.
- Strengthening the immune system.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Removing negative toxins from the body.
- Relief from physical pains such as aching muscles.
- Sound baths also give clients time to just be present with the sounds and to let go of any negative energies that no longer serve. This is great downtime for the brain to allow the body to self-regenerate and heal.
- Chanting mantras and affirmations also has many health benefits associated with improved respiration (more oxygen in the body), as well as improving the overall sense of wellbeing.
What will I experience attending a sound bath?
Everyone will experience something different in every sound bath they attend. This can be affected by a number of things, including your mood on arriving at the sound bath, the events happening in your life at the time, your levels of stress/anxiety/depression, etc. Sometimes you may attend a sound bath and simply hear and feel the sound vibrations and nothing more, and that is absolutely fine. Here is a list of some of the things that my clients have regularly told me they have experienced from attending my sound baths:
- Tingling sensations throughout their whole body
- Seeing flashes of colours triggered by different sounds
- A deep sense of relaxation (some clients even fall asleep during the sound bath!)
- A drop in body temperature (owing to the relaxed state)
- Clearing of energy blocks and emotional releases
- Journeying to other worlds and times, and seeing images triggered by the sounds
- Meeting the spirits of departed loved ones
After a sound bath, I recommend that you drink plenty of water to flush out any toxins that have been released through the sounds.
Sounds great, where can I read more about sound therapy and sound baths?
You can read more on my website page: < http://nicholaspeters.co.uk/sound-mantra-therapy/ >
Dr Nicholas Peters
April 2023
Sound & Mantra Therapist and Composer
