The Rise of Sound Healing: Beyond Traditional Meditation

It’s pretty well understood that poor mood and elevated anxiety wreak havoc on our health, generally leading to more illness and disease.

In fact, research conducted by Aquin, J. P., El-Gabalawy, R., Sala, T., & Sareen, J. (2019) analyzed World Mental Health surveys in 2015, revealing that the presence of ANY major anxiety disorder increased the risk of chronic general medical conditions.

This includes arthritis,

chronic pain,

heart disease,

stroke,

hypertension,

asthma,

and peptic ulcers.

The publication also reviewed the literature regarding anxiety’s prevalence, worldwide, confirming that anxiety is the most prevalent form of mental disorder with a 3.8% to 25% occurrence across the global population. Aquin, J. Et al. (2019)
And in 2019, 15.8% of US adults took prescription medication for mental health…anxiety being a primary reason.
But did you know there is emerging evidence that suggests meditating is an effective route to quell the boiling turmoil some of us experience?

And I’m not talking about the traditional transcendental meditation we’re all familiar with; stuck in a quiet room, fighting with interrupting thoughts to find quiescence.
I’m talking about sound healing meditations — intentional presence ushered in with the help of a droning sound.

Sound healing isn't new - it's actually ancient.

From Tibetan singing bowls to Aboriginal didgeridoos, cultures worldwide have used sound for healing for millennia.

What's new is the scientific validation of these practices...

PROOF: Sound Healing Reduces Negative Emotions

Research at the University of California found that sound meditation can reduce tension, anger, fatigue, and depression while increasing spiritual well-being (Goldsby et al., 2017).

In fact, the study titled, “Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being,” surveyed 62 women and men pre and post meditation regarding their tension, anger, fatigue, anxiety, depression and spirituality levels.
Effect Sizes were segmented by each participant’s scoring for each category pre and post meditation: small (.01), medium (.06), and large (.14)

The average effect size across all negative emotions was significant, with an average reported change of .485.

In other words, there was a SIGNIFICANT change toward overall well-being just by incorporating a Tibetan singing bowl into meditation practice.

Think about it: we experience the world through sound before we're even born.

In the womb, our mother's heartbeat is our first meditation, our first experience of rhythm and safety.

We're literally wired to respond to sound.

This isn't just about feeling good - it's about measurable changes in our bodies and brains.
So let's talk about that...

Feeling Good: How Neurons Synchronize with Sound

When we experience specific sounds, our neuron's sync to match their rhythm and osciallation.

This process, called entrainment, synchronizes our neurons to rhythmic, repetitive sounds and can modulate our brainwave state from alertness to deep rest and vice versa.

And in an amazing study using EEG machines, scientists have been able to measure different frequencies our neurons oscillate at which we can use to guide our brains into different states with tools like singing bowls and binaural beats:

Delta waves (0.5-4 Hz) for deep sleep and healing

Theta waves (4-8 Hz) for meditation and creativity

Alpha waves (8-13 Hz) for relaxation and stress reduction

Beta waves (13-32 Hz) for focus and alertness

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, a renowned sound healing scientist has dedicated his life to understanding the process of entrainment and applying it to the human body for maximum effect.

And has been able to properly synchronize the left and right hemispheres to powerfully evoke these states.

But why is sound such an effective meditation aid?

The Problem With Traditional Meditation

Traditional meditation often asks us to silence our thoughts - an instruction that can feel like being told "don't think about pink elephants."

Sound healing takes a different approach. 

Instead of fighting your thoughts, it gives your mind something to focus on naturally. And that act of focusing on the sound is what engages the entrainment process, enabling a brainwave state modulation.

So, attending a sound healing is like having a tour guide for your meditation instead of being dropped off in the wilderness alone.

In a world where we're all short on time, sound healing offers immediate, tangible effects, with its benefits going much deeper. Regular sound healing sessions may:

Improve immune system function from stress reduction...

Enhance creativity and problem-solving abilities by soothing a restless mind...

Better sleep quality

Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression

* Increased emotional awareness and processing

The British Academy of Sound Therapy suggests that as little as 12 minutes of guided sound meditation can have measurable effects on mood and well-being.

The beauty of sound healing is that you don't need any special skills or years of practice to benefit.

Your body naturally knows how to respond to sound - you just need to give it the opportunity.

As our understanding of sound's effects on the body and brain deepens, we're likely to see sound healing become increasingly mainstream. 

And in my experience...I'd say that's happening now!

We're standing at the edge of a sonic revolution in wellness.

In a world that often feels too noisy, we're learning to use sound intentionally, not just as an escape from stress, but as a pathway to deeper healing and consciousness.

And on that note...

Bundle and Save: Experience Sound Healing for Yourself

I'm offering sound healing packages to help you on your journey.
I usually charge $37 dollars per seat. But by booking below I've got a special treat for you...
Come to Goddess Rising Studio to unwind and find inner peace on any 3 upcoming Sundays and get a 4th visit for free!

Just select any 4 Sundays that works best for your schedule, choose the 1 pm time slot, and you're ready to check out.

I look forward to working with you!

References:

Goldsby et al. (2017) - "Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-being”

Thompson (2016) - "Neural Correlates of Sound Frequency in Human Consciousness"British

Academy of Sound Therapy (2020) - "Music as Medicine Study”

Aquin, J. P., El-Gabalawy, R., Sala, T., & Sareen, J. (2019). Anxiety disorders and general medical conditions: Current research and future directions. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 17(2), 173-181. PMC6526963Cooper, L. (n.d.). Sound affects: Sound therapy, altered states of consciousness and improved health and wellbeing. The British Academy of Sound Therapy.