Soothing sounds for the soul

A minor inconvenience during the day and chances are, you will find yourself at a quiet spot, plugging in your earphones so you can listen to a song that has the ability to relieve stress. A number of studies show that music not only boosts one’s mood, it can also help one achieve a (temporary) state of Zen. However, the healing qualities of music—particularly sound—are limitless.

In fact, sound has been used as a therapeutic medium in a practice that is centuries-old—sound healing therapy is believed to have originated in the Tibetan and Himalayan regions. Over the course of the last few years, this traditional practice has gained popularity among citizens for its many benefits. It is not uncommon for Delhiites to come across sound healing sessions happening in and around the city. We speak to two sound healers and try to gain an understanding of what makes this form of therapy so alluring. 

The power of sound

Meher Munjal, a Yoga practitioner and sound healer—completed her teacher’s training course in sound healing from the Himalayan Academy of Sound Healing, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, last year—explains, “Sound healing is an essential process of healing the mind and the body through music tones, frequencies, and vibrations.” A sound healing session—also called a sound bath—is when the participant reclines comfortably while the healer plays tunes using various instruments.

It is said that the benefits of sound healing are manifold. Apart from being a relaxing process, it can improve sleep quality; help with decision-making skills; balance energy centres, and focus on maintaining emotional health and well-being. “With the help of healing sound vibrations, we can align the body, mind, and soul. Sound healing not only works towards spiritual upliftment or growth, but also has the potential to cure diseases on a cellular level. In fact, helps work towards removing the root cause of any mental or physical issue or problem that one may be facing,” explains Noida-based Deepti Lalwani, an internationally-recognised sound healer and co-founder of Gurugram’s Soul Setu Wellness Foundation—starting price for a session is Rs2,500. 

Relax and heal

Most sound healing sessions follow a certain format—chanting, deep breathing, striking gongs or playing instruments like Tibetan bowl, flute, rain sticks, tuning folks, etc. Talking about the process of sound healing sessions, Lalwani adds, “In a session, we use the singing bowls or gongs and play them in a therapeutic sequence. The receiver is passively taking in the sounds lying in a relaxed manner. In some cases, bowls are also placed on the body parts where they may find discomfort.”

Such sound healing sessions mostly take place in groups. However, Munjal—sessions with her start at Rs1,200—suggests trying one-on-one sittings. “The bowl has to coordinate with the energy centres of the person. If there are too many people, the energy gets divided. So, the lesser, the better at one session,” she concludes.