Sound good?
From science research labs to hospitals, the consensus is that modern sound technology, which contains a multitude of ways to soothe, calm, and heal, owe a debt of gratitude to their ancestral lineage.
In fact, sound healing has ancient roots in cultures all over the world, including Australian aboriginal tribes who used the “yidaki” or didgeridoo as a sound healing instrument dating back 40,000 years; Egyptian high priestesses playing the rattle-like sistrum in ceremonies; and the use of Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowls for healing and brainwave stimulation.
Using singing bowls for healing is based on the idea that a human body possesses a different resonant frequency. The body is in a healthy state when each cell and organ resonate in harmony with the whole being. When energy flow in the body is hindered, the affected area vibrates out of tune, causing illness. The sound frequencies created by the signing bowls restore the flow of this energy and bring about a state of well-being.
Signature singing bowl ritual
We now offer a signature singing bowl ritual before and after each of our spa treatments. It is available at no extra charge when you book any treatment at Six Senses spas around the world. Your therapist gently strikes the singing bowl with a wooden wand at your crown chakra, gliding the wand around the rim of the bowl to create a soothing humming vibration within and around your body to enhance balancing and relaxation.
The therapist then moves the singing bowl in a prescribed path around your shoulders and crown chakra, over the third eye, throat and heart chakras, coming to rest on the solar plexus chakra. Softly striking the bowl three times symbolizes unity of body, mind and spirit of past present and future.
As the vibrations travel through your body, you will no longer be listening to the sounds but actually feeling them, triggering a transformation of energy and making it more positive and healing.
Throughout the ritual, you may experience a range of physical and mental sensations. Most commonly, you may fall into a deep state of relaxation. This is because certain sounds activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of the body that regulates rest —which is what causes your muscles to relax, breathing to slow, and blood pressure and heart rate to lower. But you may also have a creative “aha!” moment or you may feel very little.
The short ritual culminates with the respectful wai – the gesture of palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion – a subtle nod to our rich Asian heritage. The unique singing bowl resonance also concludes the treatment, together with the wai.
The power of sound
Sound healer and author Leo Cosendai recently spoke to us about the power of sound and the ways that sound meditation can calm a noisy and overactive mind. As most of us feel time-poor and bombarded with information, ways to drop into meditation easily and quickly have become a necessity.
According to Leo, sound baths are the most efficient way for anyone to reach a deep state of relaxation. He also shared a short sound meditation live as part of his Friends of Six Senses session.
Mind Your Brain
Mixing ancient practices such as yoga and meditation with modern biohacks, our Mind Your Brain wellness program has been designed to care for and improve the state of your brain and how it works – and sound has a central place in it via binaural beats.
The premise behind binaural beats is that the brain synchronizes its brainwave frequency to the two separate Hertz of the tone played in each ear. So you could be listening to a sound in your left ear that’s at a frequency of 132 Hertz and in your right ear, you’re listening to a sound that’s at a frequency of 121 Hertz. Your brain gradually falls into synchrony with the difference — or 11 Hertz – which, depending on the frequency, can lead to relaxation from the beta waves or meditative trance-like theta waves.
Potential therapeutic benefits include lowering stress and improving sleep as well as improving cognitive performance. As part of a meditation practice, they can help calm the mind and turn down the number of random or distracting thoughts.
Interested in our Wellness Days?
Boost Your Immunity: Combines key elements such as diet, sleep, movement and breath work to build your personal formula for beating any baddies in your system.
Mind Your Brain: Includes mind-focused activities, breathing, journaling and sleep support to boost your brain healthspan and positive mindset.
Love Your Heart: Give yourself just one day out of life to let go of old baggage and enjoy time to reflect during a spa treatment, loving kindness meditation and fire ceremony.
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