Sound Healing with Manju

What is Sound Therapy or Sound Healing?

 Technically speaking, sound is a simple phenomenon – compressed mechanical waves transmitted through substances (like air). Sound needs a medium – it travels through air and other materials, including our bodies. The immersive sensation we experience — the rumbling of an underground subway underfoot, the hum of a plane taking off, the buzzing of lightbulbs — from a sound not only reaches our brains and ears, it is also felt in our cells. In simplest terms, sound therapy is accomplished by playing specific frequencies of sound around and on specific body parts of the patient, within the intention of promoting healing, relaxation, and stillness.

 Sound has been utilized in various cultures for thousands of years as a tool for healing. Whether through the use of mantras as with dharmic religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism), the Icaros (medicine melodies) of various Indigenous peoples from Central and South America, Pythagoras’ use of interval and frequency, or choral and solfeggio hymns from Abrahamic religions, these various techniques all have the same intention: to move us from a place of imbalance to a place of balance.

Sound Bath or Sound Therapy Session, what is the difference?

Sound baths are relaxing, stress relieving concert-like sessions using musical instruments, nature sounds, sometimes even vocals. Usually conducted for groups in yoga studios or other public spaces like churches and community centers, they are great for beginners because they’re accessible, affordable, and easy to participate in. Manju’s meditation and yoga classes are often accompanied by short sound baths to create a calming environment where we can tune out distractions and focus on feeling peace, and tranquility. Sound baths facilitate shifts in our brainwaves using a concept called entrainment. Entrainment synchronizes our fluctuating brainwaves by providing a stable frequency, allowing our brainwaves to settle. By using rhythm and frequency, we can entrain our brainwaves to down-shift from our normal beta state (normal waking consciousness) to alpha (relaxed consciousness), and even reach theta (meditative state) and delta states(sleep; where internal healing can occur). This same concept is utilized in meditation by regulating the breath, but with sound it is frequency as the agent to influence the shift. A sound therapy session is like a customized sound bath, using specific frequencies of sound around specific body parts of individuals. Unlike sound baths, which use gongs and other large instruments, individual sound healings allow us to use subtle sound waves created by instruments like tuning forms and crystal pyramids. Individual healing sessions are held in a private room. Depending on the client’s needs, sound healing sessions can integrate yogic asanas and movement, pranayama, meditation, aromatherapy and chanting. A recording of the session may be made for you on request. Interested in attending a monthly group sound bath with Manju? Scroll down to find the next one on our events page here.

What is a Sound Therapy Session Like?

Usually sound therapy healing sessions are held in a private room with good acoustics. Before each session, you are asked to fill out a questionnaire so Manju can better understand your healing goals and aspirations. A personalized session usually begins with a conversation to better understand your needs. You have the option to lie on the ground on a simple yoga mat or blanket, or can choose to lie on a bio mat, or sit in a chair. Depending on your preference, sound healings integrate pranayama or yoga asanas. Most sessions are followed by a guided meditation or visualization to help integrate your experience. A sound therapy treatment can be both a passive and participatory experience. The passive aspect is that you become more relaxed by laying down, slowing your breath and preparing yourself to become the receiver of sound. It’s in this place of stillness that you become more open and aware of each sound that you experience. With long-term clients, Manju’s goal is not just to create a single experience, but also share sound-based somatic tools to incorporate into daily life.