From soothing music to nature noises, we all know the power of sound to promote calm. Here, Farzana Ali shows you how to harness its healing benefits…
Make yourself comfortable
Sound healing is about ease, comfort and rest. The first thing to do is set an intention. Sit for a moment and think about what you want from this sound bath. How do you want to feel at the end of it? What is calling you? What feeling or energy do you want to call in? Once your mind is in the correct zone, it is time to set your physical space.
Get comfortable, whatever that means to you. If you want to be seated and remain in a more engaged posture, that’s fine. Personally, I’m all about maximising comfort, so if you can and want to lie down, then do. If you’re lying on the floor on a mat, you could try some yogic asana poses. I like to incorporate these into my sound meditation practice.
By using positive body language, you can trick your brain into thinking you are happier or more rested than you actually are. Consciously tweaking your body language to add positive adjustments can be so powerful that it can reduce your cortisol levels and increase your happy hormones, to boost your mood and fight off anxiety.
The mood-boosting effects of positive body language are all down to the facial-feedback hypothesis. Smiling engages certain muscles in your face, not only telling the world that you are happy, but also telling you that you are happy – even if you are not. This is a real case of ‘fake it ’til you make it’.
To incorporate the facial-feedback hypothesis into your sound meditation, when you begin to ease yourself into a place of rest and comfort, follow these steps:
1 Allow your face to relax.
2 Soften your jaw.
3 Unfurl the space between your eyebrows.
4 Slowly lift the corners of your mouth.
You don’t need to be grinning like The Joker for this to work: subtle is fine for a gentle mood lift.
Deep pressure therapy
When you are in deep meditation, your body temperature drops, and you may start to feel cold. I always recommend doing any sound meditation work under a warm blanket. But there is another option –a weighted blanket. This mimics the feeling of being hugged and, in doing so, triggers your body to produce the love hormone, oxytocin. When this hormone floods into your body, it encourages your nervous system to relax.
Weighted blankets can be particularly helpful for people suffering from significant anxiety. When choosing a blanket, keep in mind that it should weigh only 10 per cent of your body weight.
Notice your breath
At the core of sound healing is regaining the ability to regulate you
