Have you ever tried meditating, doing yoga, or another therapeutic exercise to balance and heal the mind and body?

One method that is becoming very popular is the sound bath, a therapeutic and restorative process to relax your mind and body.

What is a sound bath?

A sound bath is usually a 45-60-minute session utilising various instruments like singing bowls, gongs, chimes, and tuning forks by a sound bath expert to facilitate meditation, relaxation, and healing.

The amount of power a sound bath can have on your body is kind of remarkable.

Studies have shown that sound baths can experience less tension, anger, fatigue, depression, and improve your mood, cognition, and boost antiviral activity. 

According to sound bath expert Sara Auster's website, a sound bath helps you relax almost into a dreamlike state, it’s “an opportunity to unplug from external stimuli and to gain perspective on what’s going on within you.

The goal of the experience is to invite deep rest and relaxation, and explore self-inquiry and self-discovery.” 

During this weird year, we’ve had a lot of different events or experiences that have gone online or all virtual, sound baths included.

Brooklyn-based certified sound therapy practitioner Nate Martinez hosts virtual zoom sound baths on his website NTM Sound to improve people’s health, balance, and acquire new perspectives into their lives.

Sound baths have also been trending on TikTok, with some accounts like Carissa’s Crystal Sound Bowl Healing going viral for posting chakra balancing, positive affirmations, sound meditation sound baths, and more. 

The thought of it all might seem a bit ridiculous, however, there are real results and tests that prove that sound baths work, and here are some questions that can help you decide if you should try sound baths.

The health benefits of partaking in a sound bath are actually pretty amazing.

According to the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, sound baths and other methods of meditation and chanting have strong physiological effects that can lower blood pressure and heart rate, cause muscles to relax, breathing to slow, and blood pressure and heart rate to lower. 

Of course, a sound bath won’t cure disease, however, it can help ease symptoms for many different health conditions like chronic pain, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

What do you wear to a sound bath?

Wear loose comfortable clothing or any clothing you know you will be able to wear comfortably laying down for a long period of time.

Anything from your favorite pair of yoga pants, to your oversized favorite t-shirt, soft sweater, or most comfortable sports bra — literally anything that will make you feel cozy and content. 

How often should you do a sound bath?

Honestly, the more sound bathing the better. The more you attend sound baths, the more they can deepen the experience for you and expand the benefits.

If you have chronic symptoms and believed your first sound bath session helped, then by all means continue to partake in more sound baths.

They might not completely relieve your pain, but they will for sure help you relax and open yourself on a more emotional, physiological, and spiritual level.

There are many different virtual sound bath sources that you can check out, like Nate Martinez, Sara Auster, The Dojo Upstate, The Copper Vessel, and even the sound bath hashtag on TikTok. 

How do you feel after a sound bath?

After a sound bath, you should feel less stressed, more relaxed, less tension in your body, less anxious, and more.

Physiologically, you should feel like all your muscles are relaxed, your blood pressure is reduced, and your heart rate is reduced and calm.

You should also get a better good night's rest from partaking in a sound bath, and wake up in the morning more relieved and positive.