Everything You Wish to Know About Sound Healing, Vibration and Beyond

Whenever someone asks about my work, I told them I am a Sound Healing Therapist, and I conduct group and private sound healing therapy using various acoustic instruments. The reaction I usually get is ‘Oh! Is there such a job? I have never heard of anything like this, and how does it work?’ I will go on to explain my work and the instruments I used. With a skeptic smile, they will end the conversation with a nod.

Sound Healing Therapy is still much a mystery to most Singaporeans but in the Eastern countries like India, Nepal, and Bali, they are widely practiced, as the Western country too. Today, I want to share everything I know about Sound and beyond. It is based on my experience and journey since the day I started.

What is Sound Healing?

Sound Healing uses the of sounds and vibrations or frequencies which can be made by a combination of various acoustic instruments, such as Himalayan Singing Bowls, Crystal Singing Bowls, Gongs, Tingsha, Tuning forks, Chimes or our Voice.

How can some bowls or gong heal my woes?

Traditionally, the Himalayas Singing Bowls, Bell, and Gong are used by the monks during the rituals or festivals to woe away the evil spirit. Singing Bowls are used during the meditation too. These frequencies resonate with our bodies by activating the relaxation mode through our nervous system. This brings a deep meditative state and allows one to tune in to its attention to healing emotional blockages that stored traumas and cycles of a negative mindset. It brings the body back into balance and stimulates the brainwave into a calmer state.

The entire Universe is in a state of constant vibration; therefore, these various techniques help us move from a place of imbalance to a place of balance, into a healthy vibratory frequency. The human body is made up of more than 70% of water, so the sound frequencies stimulation affects us at a deep cellular level.

What is my experience during a Sound Bath?

I have attended several sound healing sessions before I embark on this profession. Even today, I am still attending, a few in Singapore and some in Australia during my Sound Training.

In one of the sound healing experiences I had, conducted by my Australian trainer, I have intense visions that the cells of my body were realigning and any negativity was being lifted out and transported towards the healer. A sense of grounding coming from nowhere. My sense of the outside world faded away and I became so aware of how the tones of the bowls were resonating within my body.

I can only describe that hour and a half as being so deeply meditative that I was transported to a place beyond thought, beyond the constant mind chatter and judgment. Any sense of time and space diminished along with the parameters of my everyday relation to the material and mundane world as I was left in no doubt of higher wisdom that connects us all, a pure and loving force beyond what we are accustomed to perceiving. It was a sacred experience. I was feeling so grateful and touch by the Sound.

One important point to add is to move the body slightly during the long hour session, it aid to reduce any pain or discomfort from the lower back. You wouldn’t want to end up with a lower back pain to thwart your whole sound experience.

What you did to create the sound healing session?

I conduct both private and group sound healing session and here is what I do during a private session. However, every experience is different depending on the client’s state of being at the moment.

Before inviting the client to lay down we will have a little chat, some questions depending on how much the client wish to share. The client will then lay down comfortably on the yoga mat stack with blanket. I started asking permission to place my hand on her chest and advise  her to set intention in this session. I usually start with tingsha around the mid section of her body to clear any negative energy or blockage within the client. I will proceed with the gong around the feet area and along the side of the body. The singing bowls are position around the client body in particular the chakras areas.

One or two singing bowls are also placed on the client body. For any physical pain in the body, I used weighted tuning fork. The vibrations from the weighted tuning fork bring a stronger feeling when placed on the body, this help to reduce inflammation on the affected area and hence relieve pain. I work along with the harmonic set of tuning forks to create in the binaural beat on the left and right ear. Chimes are the last set of instrument I used before ending the session.

What is your preferred method of cleaning your sound instruments? Why?

I used the cloth to clean my sound instruments, light damp with water to wipe the Singing Bowls and Gong. I will then light up the stick of Palo Santo, using the incense from its, and spiral around my sound instruments each time I begin and end the session. In my opinion the negative energies will not linger or trap around my set of instrument and every client that arrive will have their own pure set of energy, to begin with.

Both the cloth and Palo Santo Sticks are simple and easily accessible.

Is it rude to fall asleep during a sound bath?

Falling asleep in a sound bath is normal. The sound and vibrations are intentional relaxing, and the sound waves activate your body’s natural healing abilities. Falling asleep very common and you should honour that to your body. However, it do take some practices to get to a very deep level of relaxation and still maintain aware. During the deep level of awareness,  we can tap on our subconscious mind where it is a data-bank for everything. It store your beliefs system, your memories and creativities. It is also your guidance system. During my sound immersion session, if I notice there is sound (snore) coming out from the participant, I will gently tap on their shoulder. This is to ensure a better experience for the entire group. So do not worry. It is certainly not rude to fall asleep.

How important to you is the intention when working with sound? Why?

Intention setting is the energetic starting point in its purest form. It is such an powerfully authentic vow that come from your core. It goes deeper than the mind and comes as a state of pure innocent awareness. This intention comes from a place of presence moment, where you embody your authenticity and keep it with you for as long as you need.

Sound is a carrier of intention, when combined with harmonic resonance, it can be really powerful and can amplify individual and group experience. When one works with devotion and dedication, our positive intentions are absorbed into the vibrational of sound created.

My advice for you is to try out different sound healing therapists local and overseas. Any kind of healing technique, is to try and suspend any judgements or expectations. Go with an open mind and an open heart with the intention merely to be curious about what comes up.