The Ultimate Guide to Sound Meditation: Benefits, Techniques, and Experiences

2024-02-22 19:02:29

When talking regarding meditation, many people think of a difficult and disturbing practice, which requires silence and immobility to achieve “blank mind.” The reality is that the goal of meditation is to exist in the present, practice mindfulness, and connect with yourself. Its great popularity in recent decades is due to its extensive range of benefits. “It’s true that it will help lower your blood pressure, but there’s so much more: it can help your creativity, your intuition, your connection with your inner self,” says Burke Lennihan, a meditation teacher at the Harvard University Center for Wellness.

“Meditation can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, it improves the ability to think, concentrate and solve problems, as well as the ability to adapt and overcome emotional problems. Since mental health strongly influences physical health, these benefits also often translate into improvements in sleep, high blood pressure, heart function, among other aspects,” explains Karen Bond, certified medical assistant at Cleveland Clinic.

Just as there are various benefits, we can also find various variants of this practice and one that is very attractive due to its relaxing qualities is meditation with sound, also known as “soundhealing”.

“Sound therapy talks regarding how sound vibrations and frequencies intervene in our own vibration. The sound changes our energy. Humans not only feed on food, but also on what we see, what we say and what we hear,” explains Dennis Araujo, sound therapy facilitator and graduate in Human Psychology.

Dennis Araujo plays various instruments in the meditative concert sessions, while attendees lie down doing personal work.

How is silent meditation different from sound meditation?

“Silent meditation seeks to connect with what lives within us in a more contemplative way. Although different techniques are used, it is more focused on observing and having full attention placed on a single point,” explains Dennis Araujo.

“In sound meditation a wide range of stimuli is used: sounds of flutes, bowls, drums, chants. They are sounds very typical of nature that help us connect with those scenarios. Through these sounds we can visualize and feel ourselves in the jungle, in a beautiful mountain or on a beach. We can connect with our own internal landscape,” adds the sound therapy facilitator.

Karen Bond explains that sound baths are based on the idea that the particular frequencies of the instruments correspond to specific energy centers in the body. “Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on the concept of qi (pronounced “chi”), which translates as the energy or power that flows through the body. This practice can be particularly beneficial for those seeking to relieve stress, improve sleep, and increase body awareness,” Indicates.

During the sessions, you usually feel a discharge of dense energy or muscle fatigue. Many people leave refreshed, others have a space to rest or even sleep.

What is a meditative concert like?

To learn more regarding this practice, I attended a meditative concert session facilitated by Dennis Araujo. All attendees came with a yoga mat to lie down and enjoy the hour and a half that we had ahead of us. In the central area were placed all the instruments that would help us connect with that “internal landscape” mentioned by Araujo.

Already on the ground, and some with a pillow over their eyes to keep them closed, the sound ceremony began. Tibetan singing bowls, quartz bowls, gong, didyeridou, chamic drums, Native American flute, Japanese flute, okarinas, kalmibas and rain sticks are just some of the instruments that guided us in sound meditation. Added to this were songs that transported each of the attendees to different memories and experiences.

On a personal note, I really enjoyed the sound of the kalimba. During my meditation, the sound of that instrument connected me with my childhood and my inner child. Likewise, the session in general helped to slow down my mind, which is always thinking regarding several thoughts at the same time. My greatest feeling was that of deep relaxation. It is definitely an experience that allows you to disconnect from the mental and physical hustle and bustle of everyday life to connect with your deepest self, reduce stress and anxiety, and thus find a moment of calm.

“During the sessions I am always accompanied by an assistant who can help anyone who feels discomfort or has a specific need,” says Araujo, as this provides a safe space. “The experiences are very varied and depend on the situations that people are going through. Usually you feel a discharge of dense energy or muscle fatigue. Many people leave refreshed, others have a space to rest or even sleep,” adds the sound therapy facilitator.

Benefits of sound meditation

“Meditation facilitates extensive personal work, including focusing or clearing the mind through mental and physical techniques. It can be used to relax, reduce anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress, and improve overall health, such as adapting to quitting tobacco. “Modern science has revealed that meditation positively affects the brain and mental health, showing benefits such as reduced anxiety, improved concentration, and a greater ability to adapt and overcome emotional problems,” explains Burke Lennihan of Harvard. University Center for Wellness.

“Thanks to sound meditation, one can quickly enter a state of deep relaxation, which in today’s life is very difficult to achieve,” explains Dennis Araujo. The sound therapy facilitator adds that sound meditation also allows you to manage trapped emotions. “This experience is liberating, it allows us to let go of what we have carried like a backpack for years,” says the expert.

Finally, Araujo indicates that sound meditation provides a feeling of general well-being. “We left the session smiling and rested. Above all, we learn to see life and our interior with different eyes,” he adds.

Who can practice sound meditation?

The practice of soundhealing is recommended for anyone interested in experiencing deep relaxation and general well-being, explains Karen Bond. “It may be particularly beneficial for those seeking to relieve stress, improve sleep, and increase body awareness. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor before participating in sound meditations if you have psychiatric disorders, as the practice might influence the symptoms of certain conditions,” she warns.

“It is not necessary to know how to meditate to participate in this activity, as it is designed to be accessible to people with any level of meditation experience, from beginners to advanced. The practice focuses on immersion in sound vibrations to promote relaxation and well-being, without requiring prior meditation skills,” concludes the expert.

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