There is a 12,000-year-old belief that sound and music can heal us. This is prevalent in many cultures all over the globe, and especially indigenous ones. Our current culture is rediscovering this, much to our benefit.

Recent research has shown that 60 to 65 percent of muscle cells in the heart are “brain” cells (ganglia). The human heart creates an electromagnetic field that extends out at least 8 to 12 feet from the body; an ECG reading can be taken up to 3 feet away from the body. The brain feeds on the emotional responses from the heart resulting from events.

Stress is a major health concern today, more than any other time in recorded history. In fact, 66 percent or more of all doctor visits in the U.S. are stress-related—and this is a conservative number. Research shows that sound therapy is an effective treatment for stress, primarily as a relaxation therapy. Studies proved that music could relieve anxiety in cancer patients, pre- and post-operative patients and more.

Sound, and its accompanying vibrations, serve as natural painkillers; clear our energy field; and can facilitate physical, emotional, mental and spiritual transformation. Sound and vibration have been scientifically proven through a number of studies to be effective in treating many conditions including hypertension, depression, cancer, stress, sleep-related issues, insomnia, ADHD and more.

How does sound actually work on the brain and body? During our waking state, the typical frequency of our brain waves is that of Beta. This is the busy mind that Buddhists refer to as the “Monkey Mind”, because it jumps around like an untrained monkey. Sound tools, such as gongs, Tibetan Singing Bowls and a few other analog instruments, entrain the brain to move into the deeper Alpha, and sometimes Theta, states. These are the frequencies that induce a calm clarity of mind, encourage intuition and allow for deep meditative and peaceful states.

This is all achieved primarily through the brain moving into Alpha state and triggering a parasympathetic dominance in the nervous system. When the parasympathetic becomes dominant over the sympathetic nervous system, blood pressure goes down, heart rate slows and blood circulation focuses more into the brain and viscera, less to the extremities. This is the “rest, relax and rejuvenate” state of being, opposite of “fight, flight or freeze” where most of us spend much of our waking hours.

The power of these sounds lies in their ability to delicately shift and align energy in an intentional manner. This assists the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energies in moving toward harmonious alignment. When these energies are aligned, the resulting body state makes us an ideal environment for healing. When this happens, we bring this sense of ourselves to all aspects of our lives in a manner that dissolves the need for protection or the feeling that something is missing. These instruments bring us back to our wholeness again and again, until we are confidently rooted in our being-ness. This transforms life.

Danielle Dvorak is a certified practitioner of Tibetan Sacred Sound Healing, a lifelong classical musician, Reiki Master Teacher, certified aromatherapist and intuitive energy worker. She believes that we are all, ultimately, our own healer and that her role is to create a safe space and assist in releasing that which prevents us from being perfectly whole. Each of her sessions includes one hour of sound/vibration and costs $70-90 per person. Connect at 847-323-9188 or Replevyn.com.