You’ve already experienced the power of sound. You hear a song, and your eyes fill with tears, another makes you laugh. For some, the sound of waves breaching on a beach stimulates an immediate sensation of calm. The sound has long been known to have healing properties, as it was used in ancient Greece, India, and Egypt.
Sound and the Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system reacts to the environment you’re in without your control or direction. It is this system that keeps your heart beating, keeps you breathing, and is responsible for the release of many hormones, depending on the situation. When you hear a loud bang, your autonomic nervous system reacts by dilating your pupils, releasing adrenaline and prepares your body for flight or fight. Conversely, when you hear a sound you consider soothing, the autonomic system slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure and creates within you a sense of wellbeing. The latter is the goal at Sound Bath Chicago IL.
The Many Facets of Sound Healing
Sound as a healing mechanism can be delivered in many ways and in many environments. Imagine yourself in a private room, surrounded by the ethereal sounds of gongs and singing bowls. Or perhaps you see yourself surrounded by like-minded others, laying back and letting the sounds emanated by quartz crystal bowls wash over you.
Sound can also be used as a form of acoustic acupressure. Utilizing tuning forks of specific frequencies, contact points on your body are chosen for placement of the tuning forks based on your particular needs at the time.
Sound can also be combined with meditation to create a mesmerizing acoustical environment. At Sound Bath Chicago IL, often used is an Australian instrument known to be the oldest wind instrument of record, the didjeridu. Close your eyes, and you can almost feel the baritone waves wash across your body in a sort of acoustic massage.
