Current:Home > StocksWhat are sound baths and why do some people swear by them?-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
What are sound baths and why do some people swear by them?
View Date:2024-12-23 16:04:51
With rates of anxiety, depression and substance abuse increasing significantly since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. National Institutes of Health has declared the current mental health crisis to be "an urgent issue."
While many people who struggle with mental health have pursued a variety of remedies including talk therapy, behavioral therapy and medication, others have worked to improve close relationships, spend more time in nature, and have tried a number of relaxation techniques to reduce daily stress or separate themselves from overwhelming situations.
Sound baths are one of the most popular emerging relaxation techniques that many people are participating in.
What is a sound bath?
Sound baths don't use water but instead utilize music and sound to induce feelings of relaxation. During one, "participants typically lay down on a yoga mat and listen to musical instruments such as Tibetan singing bowls, crystal singing bowls, gongs, bells, and other vibrational instruments," says Tamara Goldsby, a public health research psychologist at the University of California, San Diego who has led sound bath-related research.
Often confused with music therapy as both sound baths and music therapy utilize different forms of music, sound baths are more meditative in nature and focus on feeling the vibrations from each sound throughout the body. In addition to the use of instruments, sound bath sounds and directions "may come from an instructor chanting a repetitive, rhythmic phrase, such as a mantra," says Kulreet Chaudhary, an integrative neurologist and author of "Sound Medicine."
While one doesn't need specific certifications or qualifications to administer a sound bath, many sound bath practitioners also have a background in meditation or yoga. In fact, "variations in sound bath may include meditations or yoga before or during the sound bath, depending upon the sound bath practitioner," says Goldsby.
Dog sound baths have also emerged as a way of reducing anxiety in pets and some owners and their pets engage in the practice together.
What happens during a sound bath?
There are multiple ways to experience a sound bath including in a one-on-one session, at home, through a virtual classroom, or at sound bath event where multiple people are present - think a group yoga class. Because much of the focus of a sound bath is on the vibrations experienced by each instrument, virtual or at-home sound bath experiences may not provide the same benefits as in-person sessions where a skilled instructor can utilize a variety of instruments and customized meditative techniques.
Sound bath participants wear comfortable clothes and lay across yoga mats, pillows, blankets or furniture to ensure they remain comfortable throughout the session. Some sessions last as little as 30 minutes while others last 90 minutes.
Are there health benefits of a sound bath?
While sound baths are considered more of a spiritual practice than medical therapy, they can be a useful tool to minimize stress and promote relaxation. "In our research, we found that sound baths significantly reduced tension, anxiety, depression, and anger among other negative mood states," says Goldsby. "Additionally, it increased spiritual well-being as well as providing other benefits, such as potential reduction in physical pain."
Other studies have similarly found that experiencing a sound bath for at least 15 minutes can decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and promote deep states of relaxation. "Generally, participants of sound baths can feel calmer, experience improved mood, notice an increase in energy, have improved sleep and experience an overall reduction in stress," says Chaudhary.
But they may not be for everyone. "If an individual has an extreme sensitivity to sound," says Goldsby, "they may want to decide if sound bath is right for them."
Feeling stressed?Tips for how to reduce stress in your daily life
veryGood! (35122)
Related
- ‘COP Fatigue’: Experts Warn That Size and Spectacle of Global Climate Summit Is Hindering Progress
- District Attorney: Officers justified in shooting armed 17-year-old burglary suspect in Lancaster
- Pet daycare flooding kills several dogs in Washington DC; Firefighter calls staff heroes
- See the Surprising Below Deck Alum Causing Drama as Luke's Replacement on Down Under
- Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
- FBI offers $20,000 reward in unsolved 2003 kidnapping of American boy in Mexico
- 13 injured when two airboats crash in central Florida, officials say
- Mother of 6-year-old who shot Newport News teacher pleads guilty to Virginia charge
- Horoscopes Today, November 9, 2024
- This 'Evergreen' LA noir novel imagines the post-WWII reality of Japanese Americans
Ranking
- What that 'Disclaimer' twist says about the misogyny in all of us
- Turn Your Office Into a Sanctuary With These Interior Design Tips From Whitney Port
- Small Minnesota town will be without police after chief and officers resign, citing low pay
- Going to college? Here’s what you should know about student loans
- Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team
- Blind Side Subject Michael Oher Addresses Difficult Situation Amid Lawsuit Against Tuohy Family
- Get $140 Worth of Tarte Cosmetics Products for Just $25
- 15 Things You Should Pack To Avoid Checking a Bag at the Airport
Recommendation
-
Jax Taylor Breaks Silence on Brittany Cartwright Dating His Friend Amid Their Divorce
-
Orange Is the New Black's Taryn Manning Admits to Affair With Married Man
-
Wisconsin man missing 9 months since attempted traffic stop found dead in abandoned home
-
Georgia indicts Trump, 18 allies on RICO charges in election interference case. Here are the details.
-
BITFII Introduce
-
Halle Berry's Mini Me Daughter Nahla Is All Grown-Up in Rare Barbie-Themed Photos
-
Mother of 6-year-old who shot Newport News teacher pleads guilty to Virginia charge
-
Maui resident says we need money in people's hands amid wildfire devastation