Research in sound therapy supports its effectiveness in six areas: psychological, emotional, physical, spiritual, cognitive and social, and emotional. Music can call up repressed (bottled-up) emotions that may be released. Music can lessen feelings of isolation.
Healing with sound is believed to date back to ancient Greece, when music was used to cure mental disorders. Throughout history, music has been used to boost morale in military troops, help people work faster and more productively, and even ward off evil spirits by chanting.
“Sound Therapy uses sound, music and specialist instruments played in therapeutic ways, combined with deep self-reflection techniques to improve health and wellbeing,” says Anjali Mathur, founder of Arhat Yoga, Sound and Wellness studio. She specialises in cancer therapies through Yoga and is a level three sound healer and a certified music therapist from the Chennai School of Music Therapy. But she is much more than her certifications. “The inner quest of a seeker led me from one step to the other; finding the purpose of my being was the most important thing for me. The progress was gradual but rewarding. I travelled slowly but surely from the back of the class to the front, gaining confidence & overcoming body image inhibitions and much more.” She is a Shiva devote, a student for life who believes in being always curious and is a big advocate of self-reflection.
At her sound and yoga studio, Anjali gets a mix of clients looking for deep relaxation and connection with self and for specific results related to conditions like PCOD, PCOS, Thyroid, cancer, blood pressure and more. Apart from a physical condition, it is equally or more important to treat the emotional and mental state of the person. There is an uncanny connection between mind and body. Hence both need to be treated at the same time.
Sound healing
Sound Therapy uses sound, music and specialist instruments played in therapeutic ways, combined with deep self-reflection techniques to improve health and well-being. At the studio, the sound therapist has handmade tools- A brain bowl, thyroid bowl, reproductive system bowl, digestive system bowl, cardiovascular bowl, circulatory system bowl, and Nidrantar therapy bed (which has 50 strings that are played while the client is lying on it during therapy) gong plates (Shruti thali) wind gong, glass-o-phone(crystal Veena) to name a few. “Every instrument has a specific sound and purpose, and I feel the universe guides me to what needs to be played for the individual or the group healing. She firmly believes that when the student is ready, the teacher appears.
More recently, research has linked music to several health benefits, from boosting immune function and lowering stress levels to improving the health of premature babies. If relaxation is the goal, the most beneficial sounds include ones with depth and slow melodies, as well as songs with lower frequencies and slow transitions. Nature sounds, such as rain, offer consistent white noise, which calms the nervous system and can help alleviate physical pain. On the other hand, steady, upbeat, positive-sounding music can increase energy and enhance focus.
Story inputs from Shruti Bansal.
