6 Simple Ways To Incorporate Sound Therapy Into Your Daily Life

“Sound can change our immune function. After either chanting or listening to certain forms of music, your interluken-1 level, an index of your immune system, goes up between 12.5% and 15%. Not only that, about 20 minutes after listening to this meditative type of music, immunoglobulin levels in your blood are significantly increased. There’s no part of our body not affected. Even our heart rate and blood pressure are lowered with certain forms of music. So, it affects not only our soul and our spirit, but it affects us on literally a cellular and sub-cellular level.”  

“Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in treatment of virtually any medical disorder” 

Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, Cancer Specialist, Cornell Medical Center. 

Dr. Gaynor first came across the technique while treating a Tibetan monk in 1991. He then began incorporating singing bowls into his research and practice getting phenomenal results. 

Gongs: When played properly symbolize the beginning or end of a mindfulness experience 

Binaural Beat Tracks: A Binaural beat has two different pure-tone sine waves of low frequency with a subtle difference between each one. The frequency is 1500Hz or less with a difference of up to 40 Hz usually. Binaural beats are effective when using headphones or earbuds. This sound therapy is powerful before bedtime. You can even choose to fall asleep to it. 

Singing Bowls: Offer different frequencies and play different notes. Very helpful for various sound therapies, at-home meditation and yoga practices. Their sound therapy effects are powerful whether you listen to it live or via a recording. Link your breath with the sound and motion of playing a singing bowl for a moving sound meditation. 

Using Singing Bowls

Use singing bowls everyday. Incorporate it into your daily routine. Here are some suggestions: 

1. Use them as part of your mindfulness & meditation practice
   
   
2. Make them a part of your yoga practice 
   
   
3. Bring them into your classroom to raise everyone's attention
   
   
4. Use it at your events and activities 
   
   
5. If you volunteer or serve in any capacity, bring your singing bowl along. It will help provide stress relief and peace of mind
   
   
6. Take it to an arts and crafts session to help it stimulate creativity

It's really up to you how you choose to share your singing bowl. You are limited only by your imagination. 

Two Main Ways To Play A Singing Bowl 

1. Striking: Balance the bowl on the palm of your hand. Do not grip it with your fingers. Let the striker gently hit the upper, outer rim of the bowl, and listen to the tone it produces. Feel the vibrations from the bowl as they move up your hand. Experiment with different strikes - from gentle taps to stronger firmer strikes. Listen to the sounds and see how they resonate with you. This itself can produce incredibly calming and relaxing effects. 
   
   
2. Playing The Rim Of Your Bowl: Again, balance the bowl on the palm of your hand. If you grip the edge of the bowl you will dampen the sound or prevent it altogether. Use the striker to create a note. Hold the striker loosely and with a soft wrist run the striker around the rim. The sound will depend on how fast you go and how hard you press. Start slowly and “catch” the note as you run the striker around the rim of the bowl. You can build the note up in volume. Connect with the bowl and don’t worry if the vote falls or stops. Strike again and try once more. Notice how it feels in your body.  

SOURCE: SILENT MIND SINGING BOWLS