How Sound Baths Can Give You Energy, Not Just Rest

​​When we think of sound baths, we typically think of deeply relaxing experiences. But did you know that sound baths can also give you more energy? The somatic element of receiving therapeutic sounds and the creative visualization of using the sounds to invoke the “felt sense” of an intention can help us invite in the energy we are seeking. But can sound baths really increase our energy levels? Read on to discover exactly how sound baths can help give us more energy, and not just rest. 

Stress and strong emotion can take up a lot of energy. The more that this energy stays in our bodies and unconscious thoughts, the more that our nervous systems get worn down and stay in fight or flight mode. We brace ourselves for life instead of flowing with life. However, when our bodies can rest from stress, we can find ourselves free to don the creative aspects of our healing. Soothing sounds can help us immediately (and with little resistance) feel lighter, more capable, and better able to deeply rest. In getting deep rest, we give our mind and body space to create and not just “survive.” Through this creative aspect of healing, we can go beyond simply...

1. Allowing our bodies to enter states of low resistance to deep rest

into...

2. Dispelling thought loops that take up our energy, 

3. Finding clarity and compassion toward what lies in our unconscious awareness, 

4. Discovering how our bodies store trapped energy, 

5. Letting go of emotional burdens, and

6. Filling our internal space with the energy of what we wish to align with.

A therapeutic sound bath can help deepen each of these steps, all while normalizing the parasympathetic state for our body mind. This is such a holistic and creative process of interconnectivity, but here are some ways that this can be illustrated:

1. Allowing our bodies to enter states of low resistance to deep rest

The rich resonance and enchanting quality of sound therapy instruments, entrancing musical elements in how they are played, and intentional guidance can all help the listener use the sounds as tools for the body to rest from stress. Open-mindedness and mindful focus on the sounds and breath, can also trigger the parasympathetic state to be further strengthened. And the continuous sound acts as an anchor for mindfulness to be continued.

2. Dispelling thought loops that drain our energy. 

The practice of returning our focus onto the sounds over and over again gives us an immediate interruption from unwanted thought loops. Blocking out visual distractions can help our hearing to become even more acute, encouraging our attention to follow the sound meditation flow. And the process of turning our attention to the intention we wish to hold for ourselves, can help keep those thought loops from returning, by engaging the senses with a new feeling.

3. Finding clarity and compassion toward what lies in our unconscious awareness. 

Having time in stillness allows us to inevitably face our inner worlds. This is magnified by the fact that the rich overtones and persistent drones present in most grounded sound bath experiences can help create an entrancing effect on the mind, which allows the brainwaves to shift into altered states of consciousness. This process coupled with verbal guidance in navigating these states involves the use of active imagination, which creates a bridge of communication between the conscious and unconscious worlds. When there is gentleness of the sounds, a calm rhythmic pace, and a resolving harmonic quality to the sound bath, active imagination can help us to usher in greater gentleness and compassion into our inner and bodily awareness, as we begin to develop a deeper relationship with ourselves.

4. Discovering how our bodies store trapped energy...

The internal awareness of our bodily sensations that we are guided into during a sound bath can help us become more aware of where our bodies feel more tense or heavy, helping us to develop a stronger sense of listening, not just to sounds, but to our inner spirit and our body. This can help us simply focus our attention on relaxing these areas. Additionally, we can begin taking steps towards exploring how we can alter these sensations, or perhaps more accurately, how we can allow these sensations to be altered, as the trapped energy is allowed to complete its course and exit the body. Deeper sounds, rattles, and more earthy sounds can all help to elicit feelings of release, and trigger sensations of moving energy through the body, helping us to become aware of the sensation of energy leaving the body. 

5. Letting go of emotional burdens…

The more that we can learn to empower ourselves to use the rhythm of our breath + the sensations of the sounds to direct energy flow in and out of the body, the more that we can practice the embodiment of fluidity, adaptability, and letting go with ease. The more regularly this is practiced, the more it can become a useful and powerful tool for regulating emotion.

6. Filling our internal space with the energy of what we wish to align with. 

The mystical sounds and development of the musical composition can also lift us into feelings of lightness. Certain sounds and faster rhythms can also connect us with sensations of strength or powerful life force energy. This helps us to be creative, to feel more energetic, and to experience connection to that which fuels our spirit.

It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.

- B.K.S. Iyengar

Through all of these steps, we can begin to build a strong practice of nurturing our bodies with deep rest, clearing stuck energy, and aligning with helpful energetic feelings, which inevitably increase our energy levels. The more we can be adaptable to life, the less energy gets drained from us. The more we can keep the body in parasympathetic state, the better it can recover its lost energy. And the more we repeat this practice, the more strongly we can access feelings of lightness and rejuvenation.

So there you have it, beautiful spirits. Sound meditations can be such an accessible and soothing part of your healing journey. Whether it’s a recorded sound meditation or a live sound bath, a well-facilitated sound immersion can really be so much more than just another feel-good spa experience, and it is my hope that you get to experience sound’s truly transformative effects. Happy sound bathing!