Admittedly, individual studies often have small sample sizes. And, analyzing 400 studies, scientists from McGill University linked playing and listening to music with improved overall mental and physical health. Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany found evidence among 30 separate studies to support the use of binaural beats as a way to reduce anxiety. Meta-analyses also support the benefits of sound on health. Another, focusing on patients with fibromyalgia, noted that low-frequency sound stimulation significantly increased the amount of time participants could both sit and stand without pain. One study by researchers from the University of California found that meditation aided by Tibetan bowls noticeably decreased stress and anger-especially among people who were new to this kind of practice. Plenty of compelling research supports sound therapy for relief of both physical and psychological pain, Milosavljevic notes. 'We have seen emotional release of all kinds, such as crying, euphoria, laughter, and even anger.' What benefits does sound therapy have? 'You are the catalyst for your own change, and it’s you who creates the magic of the experience.' 'Much of the healing you experience in a sound bath is of your own making,' Auster says. 'In contrast to a traditional massage, which manipulates the surface tissue of the body, this treatment works all the way through your skin, muscle, tissue, and organs.'Īuster sees the experience as a personal journey.

'The vibrations work by ' massaging' every cell in the body,' says Hofmann, who notes that it's about more than just the meditative, relaxing effects of sound.

There is no definitive answer to why sound therapy can be so soothing (or sad, or euphoric, or angering). 'This treatment brings emotions to the surface, so oftentimes feelings that you are harboring will arise shortly after a session-or it could take up to a day for you to feel this emotional impact.' How does it work? The goal of sound therapy 'is ultimately balance and restoration, though we have seen emotional release of all kinds, such as crying, euphoria, laughter, and even anger,' says Derek Hofmann, senior director of spa at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando. $49 at Amazon How does sound therapy feel? Each session can last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, or even longer, Auster says. In one-on-one sessions, sound therapists are more likely to adjust their treatment through feedback, both verbal and nonverbal, focusing the sound on areas of the body that need more help relaxing. Other experiences are more active, and may include yoga or tai chi. Often, bowls are placed on the body and around the head. For sessions like sound baths and vibrational therapy, participants sit or lie down in a comfortable position, sometimes with an eye mask or blanket. Many begin with simple breathing exercises, which help slow the mind and shift focus to hearing. Other forms of sound therapy work much in the same way-sound eases, energizes, and empowers us.ĭepending on the practitioner and the goal, sessions vary widely. Binaural beats, yet another form, involves playing two separate tones in each ear, which are perceived as a single, almost euphoric tone by the brain. Sound baths are one of the most common according to Sara Auster, sound therapist and author of Sound Bath: Meditate, Heal and Connect Through Listening, sound baths use instruments like bowls to initiate 'a deeply immersive, full-body listening experience.' There's music therapy, which uses therapist-guided sounds to enhance memory and alleviate stress. Various flavors of sound healing differ much like other forms of therapy. Essentially, sound and music are noninvasive, simple, and cost-effective therapeutic tools. is music therapy, but the use of individual sounds and frequencies has been growing. The most prominent form practiced in the U.S. Like massage therapy, which delivers healing through touch, it’s a form of sensory therapy, and it has been used by various cultural groups for centuries.

Sound therapy covers a range of treatments, from music therapy to sound baths, according to Nada Milosavljevic, M.D., founder of the Integrative Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play So, what is sound therapy?

Binaural sound making someone angry