HYDERABAD: Walking on dry leaves, the sound of rainfall, wind cruising through leaves on a quiet summer day — the rhythmic sounds of nature are undeniably soothing. Did you know sounds can create physiological reactions and heal parts of you? Sound engineers, musicians and singing bowl therapy practitioners from the city share a better understanding of the healing properties of sounds.
“Our body’s cells have electric potential to resonate at specific frequencies and can be worked or changed by another frequency to bring the body into a vibrational balance and harmony. Sound is a vibration, and stimulating cells with sound can reduce the risk of common health problems and promote mental wellbeing,” says Nada Yogi, a yoga practitioner who practises sound therapy at Singing Bowl Therapy in Kondapur.
These vibrations are more than just a meditative or relaxing process. Sound baths also help you soothe and centre your mind as you listen, relax, and heal, he says. In sound therapy, the person immerses himself in these soothing vibrations, created with the help of age-old instruments such as Tibetan bowls, gongs and drums that help release any occlusions in the body and relax the nervous system.
Yogi adds, citing an example of how sound therapy works, “If you have been to a party, you know that music, even when it is playing without vocals, can raise your heartbeat. Sounds can take us into a transcendent state where mind and body meet, and it can have magical effects if positive sounds reverberate.”
Rohan Jacob, a city-based sound engineer, adds, “Sounds effect both positively and negatively — it produces white noise. We have adapted to grey sounds which do not have much effect on us but can help put us to sleep. There are applications and smart devices sold in the name of promoting sleep.”