If you enjoy kicking back after a long day and listening to music, sound therapy may be the self-care you didn’t know you needed.
Regardless of your lifestyle or background, chances are you could benefit from a sound healing session. Lisa Patterson, owner and operator of Trail To Serenity Massage and Bodywork in Clarion, shared with a group of curious minds in early March the benefits.
A sound healing session is much like guided meditation, but instead of speaking a person through a session, sounds are used at certain frequencies to elicit healing. While this technique might seem new, it is an ancient and much-studied health practice.
According to a 2016 study by Tamara L. Goldsby, PhD and Michael E. Goldsby, PhD:
“Compared with pre-meditation, following the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood. Additionally, participants who were previously naïve to this type of meditation experienced a significantly greater reduction in tension compared with participants experienced in this meditation.”
Ancient Greeks used sound to help digestion, sleep aid, and treat various mental illnesses. The famous philosopher Aristotle believed flute music to be cleansing to the soul. Australian Aboriginals thought sound to be powerful as well, considering their sacred use of the “didgeridoo”. Tibetan singing bowls are an ancient way to conjure healing sounds and are most similar to what Patterson uses in her sessions.
Patterson uses a few different techniques, such as bowls, drums, and tuning forks to get just the right frequency. Biologically, our bodies react to sounds around us, with fast or high noises bringing about anxiety. Consider the latest thrilling movie you watched, it was probably paired with background music to bring a certain feeling from you. Deep, slow sounds can bring a calming feeling to us. This makes sense when we consider the lullabies we sing to infants to lull them into a sleepy state.
Group sound healing sessions are a great introduction to meditation. During a sound session, Patterson will ask guests to relax in a seated or lying position and close their eyes. She shared with a crowd in Clear Lake that it is normal for a few tears to be shed during a session. For more information, contact Lisa Patterson at Trail To Serenity Massage and Bodywork in Clarion.
