Sound Healing Baths
What is a Sound Healing Bath and what are the benefits?
Sound healing baths are a meditative practice involving the use of resonant music. This creates an immersive sound that fills the room and the body, aiming to help people relax and let go of stress, anxiety, or other worries and concerns.
People report feeling deeply relaxed after sound baths, which may have health benefits
A sound bath usually involves lying down on a mat and listening to highly resonant, immersive music, so they feel enveloped in it. Sound baths usually happen in a group setting, but a person can also do a sound bath alone at home.
In most cases, the bath involves singing bowls, which are small bell-like instruments that create a resonant tone when a person strikes them.
Who are sound baths suitable for?
A person might be a good candidate for sound baths if:
they feel comfortable meditating or would like to try meditating
they are interested in group meditation
they are realistic about what sound baths can and cannot do
Sound baths however, are not suitable for everyone. This includes those who:
find intense sounds stressful or overstimulating
have migraine with noise triggers
have hearing aids, as the sounds may be uncomfortable
People who have a mental health condition may want to speak with a doctor before trying a sound bath, as they can be intense experiences that bring up both pleasant and unpleasant feelings
Benefits of sound baths
Most of the evidence about the benefits of sound bathing is anecdotal. Proponents of this practice claim it is relaxing, meditative and may promote spiritual well-being.
Only a few studies have explored sound baths or the use of singing bowls, but what does exist suggests that the practice may offer some health benefits
In one 2020 study, 105 participants took part in a single 40-minute long sound bath. Following the sound bath, all participants showed reductions in negative mood and increases in positive mood based on a positive and negative affect (PANAS) rating scale.
The 20 participants who agreed to heart rate monitoring saw a decrease in their heart rate.