The Power of Sound

Sound is made up of “vibrations that travel through the air or another medium” (Oxford online dictionary) and are picked up as sensory information through the inner ear.  Because they are vibrations, sounds can also be felt through our touch receptors on our skin.  Sound is heard and felt.  Our ability to process sound is one of the earliest to develop.  Due to this, sound can have a great impact.

Sound therapy is something that has been around for thousands of years and has been utilized in many cultures around the world.  Music therapy is one off-shoot amongst many others including humming, drumming, chanting, and the use of varied vibrations in a field called neuroacoustics.  Tuning into the sounds arounds us can help ground us in the moment.  Listening to sounds that we find soothing on purpose can be calming while listening to music with a faster beat can be uplifting.  Sounds have a great impact on mood.  Think of your five favorite songs.  Or better yet, write them down.  Now, what do they have in common?  What is different about them?  If I change the direction in this paragraph to write down your top five songs that conjure the best memories for you, does that change the list- or is that the list?  Now, think of your top five soothing sounds.  These can be anything, but try to think of non-music ones.  For example: bird song, whale calls, the human heartbeat, or a clock ticking.  Put yourself in a moment where you are just focusing on these sounds and what happens?  Don’t think about it, just notice it.

There is a growing body of research that indicates that the vibrational patterns of sounds can be healing in many ways.  These patterns cause a reduction in heart-rate variability, relaxed brain wave patterns, and decreased respiratory rates which are all physiological responses associated with a decreased stress response (decreased stress response= calm).  In a world that is full of comings and goings, fast-paced often to the point of hyperfocus on completion of one task before immediately moving onto the next one, reconnecting with the powerful impacts of sound can be a very healing experience!  If you’ve thought of the list of songs and sounds mentioned in the previous paragraph, take a moment now to reflect on how you can incorporate these into your self-care routine.  Stress management is a key element of healthy and well lifestyle!