What is a Sound Bath?

A SOUND BATH IS A DEEPLY-IMMERSIVE, FULL-BODY LISTENING EXPERIENCE THAT INTENTIONALLY USES SOUND TO INVITE GENTLE YET POWERFUL THERAPEUTIC AND RESTORATIVE PROCESSES TO NURTURE THE MIND AND BODY.

To register for a Group Sound Bath at EmBodied Physical Therapy Click Here.

To schedule an individual Sound Therapy Healing Session Click Here.

This experience can be helpful for anyone who wants to access the benefits from meditation or a moment of relaxation.  A sound bath is an opportunity to explore what a meditative state is and how it feels.  For this reason, it can be beneficial for  both beginners of meditation and experienced meditators as well.  The goal of the experience is to invite deep rest and relaxation, and explore self-inquiry and self-discovery.  A Sound Bath experience is both uniquely personal and collaborative.  

Sound can bring balance, relaxation and a sense of wholeness to the body.  The sound of harmonic vibrations created by singing bowls, gongs and other overtone-emitting instruments are intended to stimulate the alpha and theta brain waves.  These waves are associated with deep meditative and peaceful states that are highly conducive to healing.  Sound can also slow down the heart and respiratory rate, creating a therapeutic effect on the mind and body. 

A sound bath provides the participants with a meditative experience without having to know how to meditate. The sounds and methods are used help to influence our brainwaves so they are able to shift from more active states into more introspective, relaxed states. This is called 'entrainment' and the result is that our active mind often overloaded these days with technology and information can begin to unwind; it temporarily presses pause on our current life and also events in the world that contribute to our stress levels. And the vibrations affect our physical body as well, literally moving through our body. This complete immersion in sound can provide us with much-needed perspective and give our body and mind an opportunity to process

Researchers have also found that sound waves can reduce blood pressure as well as enhance sleep and memory. Binaural beats, tones played simultaneously that are close in pitch but not identical, can be found in a sound bath session. Studies show these sounds can reduce anxiety and enhance mood states. 

Studies have shown meditation can lead to all kinds of benefits, such as increasing immune system function, decreasing depression, and improving your ability to regulate your emotions, to name a few. Meditation has also been found to have positive effects on productivity by increasing focus and attention and improving your ability to multitask. 

What to expect?

A sound bath curated by Shannon Hawley is custom and unique to individuals and groups. . You can expect compassionate listening, intention setting, and a focus on breath before laying down in shavasana or a comfortable position while the intentional sounds will help with the release of tension and allow for deep relaxation. Shannon uses tuning forks either placed on the body (weighted) or above around the body (unweighted) to help with chakra balancing. Shannon also uses the ancient power of the gong and the unique overtones of the crystal singing bowls, as well as chimes and other instruments to assist in a deep listening and meditative state.

Benefits of a Sound Bath

Emotional

*Improved mood and emotional intelligence

*Increased optimism, relaxation, and awareness

*Reduced worry, anxiety, and impulsivity

*Enhanced self-esteem and self-acceptance

*Improved resilience against pain and adversity

Physical

*Improved immune system and energy level

*Improved breaking and heart rate

*Lower blood pressure

*Reduced inflammatory disorders and asthma

Mental

*Increased mental strength, focus, and productivity

*Increased memory retention and recall

*Improved cognitive skills and creative thinking