My journey with sound therapy began several years prior when I experienced a profound emotional release during a sound bath session in 2017 while grieving the passing of my mother. The deep resonance of the instruments unlocked years of stored pain; offering a gentle yet powerful release. On 23 February, 2024, my mother's birthday; I felt called to deepen my connection to this modality. I travelled to Grenoble to train as a sound therapist under the guidance of the authentic and inspiring Othman Haddad. This decision marked a turning point in my healing and my purpose.
Sound therapy and sound baths are ancient healing practices that are experiencing a modern resurgence. These techniques offer a gentle, non-invasive way to support the body and mind. Helping to reduce stress; enhance mental clarity and even promote physical healing. Rooted in the understanding that everything is vibration—including our bodies—sound therapy works by using specific frequencies and tones to bring our systems into balance.
Sound therapy involves tools such as: tuning forks, singing bowls, gongs and chimes; all of which emit vibrational frequencies that interact with our own energy fields. A sound bath, meanwhile, is a deeply immersive experience in which participants lie down and are "bathed" in harmonious layers of sound. Unlike targeted treatments; sound baths are holistic—they soothe the nervous system, quiet the mind, and invite a meditative state that can support deep healing.
Scientifically, sound influences the brain through a process known as entrainment, where the brain’s electrical activity aligns with external rhythms. This is also the basis of binaural beats, where slightly different frequencies are played in each ear, and the brain synchronizes to a third perceived frequency. These shifts can induce various states, from deep relaxation (theta waves) to meditative awareness (alpha waves) or alert focus (beta waves).
In 2016, a study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine revealed that sound meditation with Tibetan singing bowls significantly reduced participants’ levels of tension, anger, fatigue, and depression. Their heart rates and blood pressure also lowered, indicating activation of the parasympathetic nervous system—the state responsible for rest, digestion and repair.
Beyond emotional wellness, sound has tangible effects on the physical body. Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, a pioneer in integrative oncology, incorporated sound therapy into cancer treatments to ease pain and anxiety. Vibrations from sound can stimulate circulation, enhance lymphatic flow, and trigger the release of nitric oxide—a molecule vital to immune and cardiovascular health.
While more research is needed to fully explore its potential; sound therapy is already proving itself as a powerful ally in holistic healing. What makes it particularly accessible is that no prior experience or belief system is needed—just an openness to receive.
In essence, sound therapy and sound baths reconnect us to our innate rhythms and remind us that healing can come through stillness, presence, and vibration. Whether for stress relief, emotional release, or spiritual alignment; the healing power of sound is profound, timeless, and increasingly recognised in both alternative and clinical setting.