Sound Healing Instruments To Own At Home

Sound baths: don’t worry, you don’t need to get naked or wet. It’s all about harnessing the good vibrations that occur during this musical session with meditation instruments or online – and from as little as ten minutes you can be invigorated or relaxed as the tones shimmy through your body. Sound good? Read on.

How Sound Therapy Can Help You

If you think about it – there’s no doubt that your regular Spotify playlist can be a sound healing instrument in its own right and the instigator of emotions – whether that’s opera to Abba, rap, or jazz – so it makes perfect sense that sound frequencies impact how we feel.

You get caught up in the momentum of the beats and melodies and this is precisely what sound healing instruments can do for you – but on another wellbeing level. They produce specific vibrations that, when traveling through the body, promote energy flow, boost circulation, and allow neurological pleasure, stimulating alpha and theta brain waves.

Farzana Ali, is a practitioner level sound therapist trained in crystal singing bowls, Himalayan singing bowls, gongs and drums. She specialises in dream-like states and deep meditation sessions and says, “Sound and music can have a huge impact on our mood and mental health. When we listen to non-threatening, lower frequency sounds, we feel calmer. This can already be seen in nature too – ie the gentle rustling of the leaves or the crashing of waves by the ocean. But it also applies to sound created by therapeutic-grade instruments such as singing bowls too or meditation music. When we listen to these relaxing sounds, our heart rate and breathing rate slow down because we’re not perceived to be in any threat. This in turn makes us feel more grounded and centred.”

A small study by the American Journal of Health Promotion has also shown 12 minutes of sound healing found a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure. Another study by The Department of Psychology, at McGill University found music is among those lifestyle choices that may reduce stress, protect against disease, and manage pain.

So, drum roll…Or should that be gong dong? Here’s all you need to start your very own sound healing journey.

 

Instruments Used for Sound Healing

Each meditation instrument provides a different kind of therapy and serves a distinct purpose. When it comes to singing bowls, you should look for the highest quality that the budget will allow, as these will be able to keep its vibration and produce several tones, harmonics, and overtones. It’s also a good idea to test them out – as anything too heavy and you won’t be able to hold or manage for longer than a few minutes. While too light – it may not produce a great sound.

 

Tibetan singing bowls

Try this: Yoga Matters Tibetan Singing Bowl

Singing bowls, also called Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowls, go back to the 16th century and were used in the Tibetan monk’s meditation practice and are gaining popularity here and now. There are plenty of classes popping up near you, but if you want to use it at home, this one is traditionally handmade in India out of copper, tin, iron, and silver and provides a lovely humming sound.

You can play them with the mallet or striker like you are stirring soup and they produce a rich deep sound, differing according to the pressure and speed applied. They help train the mind into a more meditative slow state to offer peace and tranquillity. Use them for breathing, meditation, – or play – and then rest on a tense muscle to soothe the soreness.

The gong

Try this: Chau Gong

The gong may be one of the most ancient instruments – but its ‘bigger sound’ helps with our modern sensory overload. You can use gongs to promote vitality and healing and help shift stagnant energies. Your brainwaves can synchronise and slow; you tend to reach this kind of state when daydreaming or in a deep sleep – so the power of the gong is incredible. This Chau Gong is made from 80% copper and handmade in a traditional Chinese gong forge. Depending on the way of striking the instrument, you can produce a wide variety of different sound results. When struck powerfully, the result is a rumbling bass; when struck lightly, you can produce buzzing overtones.

 

Sound Healing in Spas

When booking into a spa, don’t forget to think about the power of music. A professional spa-set-up should have a music menu for you to enhance the rhythmic motions of your treatment. Lucy Mcclure, Clarins Treatment Development Manager, says, “We use specific music across all three of our wellness treatments: Ultra Relaxing Facial, Energy Booster, and Beauty Sleep.

During the beauty sleep treatment, we ask the client where they feel most at peace: on top of the mountain, by the sea, or in a forest. The answer will then determine the sound of those specific destinations. The client also has the option to be in a quiet environment with no music if that makes them feel more peaceful.”

No room for instruments? Digital works too!

2020 was undoubtedly the year of Covid-19, it was also the year when major beauty brands and wellness hubs went online. So, thankfully we don’t need to live in a big city to attend these modern wellbeing sessions.

There are plenty of apps, video link-ups and online offerings to take your sound healing experience to a whole new level. Whether that’s in the comfort of your own home, the surround system in your car, or when you’re on a commute – literally anywhere you can plug in some earphones or listen via a speaker.

 

Online sound healing

1. Sara Auster: Sound therapist, meditation teacher and author.

Practicing for ten years, Auster has been one of the leading voices in this wellness category and has a loyal following. In addition, she has a sound bath library – to pick and choose for your mood. Are you feeling anxious right now? Then skip straight to this free Sara Auster Sound Bath for Immediate Stress Relief.

 

2. Farzana Ali: The Sound Therapist

Follow Ali on Instagram for her quick tips and 2-minute reels of melodic meditation harmonies that can be played on repeat or book in for group or one-to-one sessions via live video link.

 

3. Re:Mind: London Studio and online portal

The super-stylish wellness hub can come to you for anyone not near the capital. With their ‘find your calm’ mantra, there are unlimited meditation, breathwork and sound healing practises on offer – all delivered in a modern Re:Mind way.

 

4. Jasmine Hemsley: Sound Bath Sessions

The three-time best-selling author, Founder of Hemsley + Hemsley and East by West, TV presenter, chef, writer, restaurateur, nutrition and wellness expert, and sound therapist has launched 6 meditation sessions for download. She says, “They are designed to cover all bases — from the moment you wake up and design your day, to supporting your energy while you work, to helping you unwind in the evening and get your zzz’s – click here to download.

Last word: Take time to strum your beat and feel the music – it does take a while to practice with both the sounds you create and what works for you. It might just be the ohm improvement you need right now, and isn’t that music to your ears…and central nervous system too?