Experience deep relaxation and healing with gongs and crystal singing bowls

Woman playing crystal singing bowl by the oceanPhoto byTracy Carbone

Though our culture is deeply rooted in pharmaceutical medicine to cure all ills, people are starting to question other methods of healing. Before modern medicine, practitioners healed their patients for thousands of years using alternative remedies. This article isn’t promoting a departure from traditional medicine, but instead offers up supplement therapies that can make a big difference in your physical and emotional health.

Per Harvard.edu “a recent systematic review…showed that the use of music interventions (listening to music, singing, and music therapy) can create significant improvements in mental health, and smaller improvements in physical health–related quality of life.” The study of music therapy is broad but today we’ll focus on sound baths.

Yogajala explains that sound baths, “offer all the relaxation, rehabilitation and sensory stimulation of a normal bath, but with one key difference — there’s no water. Instead of submerging yourself in hot, bubbly water, the gong bath experience asks you to simply ‘bathe’ in the vibrations of sound.”

A gong bath uses the” instrument’s healing properties to bring calmness, relaxation and peace (both physical and mental) to participants. The altered states of consciousness or heightened awareness promoted by gong baths can be deeply relaxing, even trance-like, and the practice can also boost feelings of creativity and positivity.”

GongPhoto byManuel CossioonUnsplash

Healthline states “both a gong bath and a sound bath use sound to induce a state of calm and deep relaxation, but a sound bath may use crystal singing bowls, Himalayan singing bowls, and other instruments.” Gong baths “allow your brain to relax into an alpha-dominant or theta-dominant brainwave state. In this state, your brain has time to download what’s been happening in your day. [It] allows you to process thoughts and emotions.”

So how exactly does the vibration from gongs, or bowls make you feel better? Cleveland Clinic explains, “Sound baths are rooted in the idea that…particular frequencies correspond to specific energy centers in your body.”

bowl of crystalsPhoto byStudio KealaulaonUnsplash

Per Shantibowl “Crystal singing bowls are made of pure quartz (essentially 99.8% silicon quartz) and sand in a spinning mold, in a process that heats the mixture to about 4000 degrees…On a molecular level, our cells contains silica, which balances our electromagnetic energies. Crystal acts as an oscillator, magnifying and transmitting pure tone. As the sound affects brainwave activity one can enter into an altered state of consciousness.”

Every cell in the human body has a geometric crystalline structure. This helps your body resonate with the frequencies of quartz crystals. Because quartz crystal bowls have the ability to align with your chakra, they are widely used and considered to be effective singing bowls.

man under starsPhoto byGreg RakozyonUnsplash

Are you ready to try it? Simi Valley’s Center for Spiritual Living, located at 1756 Erringer street, suite 100, is hosting monthly sound baths for the general public. Friday, April 7th Gongphoria will be performing a gong bath while listeners stretch out in chairs or on mats and let the vibrations wash over them.

Gong bath/sound bath announcement Center for Spiritual Living, Simi ValleyPhoto byCenter for Spiritual Living

If you’d like to try a crystal sound bowl session, on May 5th, the Center will be featuring local healer and musician, Abby Carbone. In this sound bath, the bowls will be accompanied by vocals and mantras to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.