An Integrative approach and an overview for the medical mind
image by Tara Winstead @pexels
A personal goal of mine in 2025 was to begin to find a way to contribute towards the integration of western and eastern practices. Growing up with a family in medicine, I had a personal front seat to the gaps occurring in western medicine and the desperate need for intervention and integration beyond the stigmatism the western culture often fronts towards “alternative” healing. In beginning this goal, I wrote and put together hours and hours of research and evidence of the science and importance behind specifically sound, but implying importance to many alternative healing methods to create what I called an “Overview”. There are many more hours of research ahead, and many more hills to climb, but this overview felt like a very strong start towards providing evidence and explanation for people who might not otherwise consider looking into these topics. I thought, I put so many hours into this, why not provide this piece of information to everyone? So that is what you will find below!
Introduction & Purpose
My name is Trinity and I operate under my business Earthen Healing LLC. I created my business with the purpose of bringing holistic alternative health practices to communities around me. I am a certified sound and reiki practitioner, and in February I will be beginning a health and wellness coaching program with the intention of completing my national board certification in coaching during 2025. I am a client centered approach practitioner grounded in holding space and empathy for my clients. I have a strong passion for helping people find a more centered place within themselves so that they can feel more supported during their day-to-day life.
My purpose of reaching out to you today is to begin to educate people on the dramatic health and therapeutic effects of integrating holistic complimentary medical and spiritual methods into their lives, specifically sound, and to encourage individuals to incorporate these modalities into not only their patients lives, but their personal ones as well. Whether someone is facing chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, states of increased stress, or is just looking for a way to focus on and improve their well being, sound and reiki have amazing benefits. For the sake of the overview today I will be focusing on the benefits and science behind sound healing as it has an easier integration into western culture due to the amount of research that has been done.
My hope is that as research continues, that we can help the world evolve into a more holistic based society with healthier mindsets when thinking of personal and patient care, and that in the same way that you are prescribed medications, you will be prescribed meditations and complimentary therapies. I hope that we can begin to incorporate more of these holistic modalities that have been proven to have significant benefits with very little risk when directing ourselves and our patients on what can support them during their journey. We shouldn’t wait until there is a problem to solve it, develop coping skills, or look for healthy alternatives to support us during our lives- while my goal is to start with those who need assistance, I am hoping that the integration of these methods will encourage people to create a day-to-day reality filled with helpful methods and supportive systems to include during problem times or peaceful times.
Thank you for taking the time to read this proposal and for being open to all methods when considering personal and patient well-being.
Background, Approach, Success Stories
Definitions:
Sound healing/Sound therapy: Sound healing is a practice that uses sound vibrations to promote relaxation and healing. It can involve listening to or playing instruments like gongs, tuning forks, or singing bowls, or using your own voice. It involves using specialized sound frequencies to create a therapeutic atmosphere to promote deep rest, nervous system rebalancing, and emotional release. Sound bath is a term used when there is more than one participant included in the session. Sound healers operate with the belief that:
1. Our bodies contain “energy frequencies” and that sonic frequency can be used to re-attune these energies when off-key, thus attempting to rebalance the body’s energy (Keneally). 2. Resonance, intention, and entrainment are all powerful factors behind the healing applications of sound
Transcendence: As an ineffable, qualitative experience of an altered state of consciousness
State of coherence: A state of coherence is a state of optimal function where the mind, body, and spirit are in unity. It's characterized by a harmonious synchronization between the heart's electrical activity and brainwaves
Background
Sound healing has been around for over 40,000 years throughout different cultures in one way or another, and it is important to keep this in mind when referencing the power of sound and music in today’s society. Cultures throughout Egypt, the Americas, Asia, Greece, Australia, and many more used music as a way to improve physical and emotional health and incorporated them deeply into their societies. Lots of ancient practices have been over-looked by academics and not taken as serious methods for helping people find healing and peace in their lives. There are many modern discoveries that can reflect what ancient cultures knew. One method however that has begun to stir the community and has many theories and actual studies pushing the stigma behind us is: sound and its healing capabilities.
One man who has been instrumental on bringing sound healing forward is Fabien Maman. With many titles behind his name and a background in music/composition, he worked his way towards acupuncture and found that he could apply sound to people’s healing sessions. In the early 80’s, Fabien conducted a series of biology experiments at the University of Jussieu in Paris, “showing the impacts of acoustic sound on human cells and their energy fields”(Tama-Do Academy). Through his research he established the effect tuning forks had on healthy cells versus cancerous cells, and what happened to the energy field around cells when exposed to a chromatic scale.
Working along side physicist Joel Sternheimer, who researched the vibratory frequency of elemental particles and how the vibratory state of a molecule in an organic structure can tell you about its health, the question arose of what would happen if we were able to map the natural resonate tone vibrations of molecules within a system and exposed them to that frequency when they were in an unhealthy state? Both Sternheimer and Maman concluded that whereas sick cells lacked flexibility and resonance; healthy cells vibrated when they recognized their fundamental resonance. This led Maman to begin to research why these cells weren’t vibrating. He has continued his work under the premise that this has to do with the energy body. Hans Jenny, a Swiss scientist, also paved the way for modern sound studies with his research into how sound waves impacted physical matter. This is now known as the study of Cymatics. Jenny was led to the conclusion that nature is not chaotic, but is a precise pattern repeating in different forms. The implications of this on the physiological level is being studied today.
Approach
Each sound healer uses different techniques and approaches during their sessions. The specificities described below are my approach to clients, but can generally be applied to the sound healing practice as a whole:
During a sound healing session the methods will vary depending on if it is a group session or a personal 1:1 session. A 1:1 session is much more personalized to the needs of that client which can change the meditation I use, the instruments I use, the placement of instruments, etc. I also use sound on the body with my individual clients and am able to incorporate more methods since my focus is solely on them. During a group sound healing session we set a positive intention for the night in what the participants are hoping to achieve during the sound bath. Such as: to feel more peace, to feel more comfortable with my pain, to connect with myself on a deeper level, to connect with insert personal diety, to feel more self love, to experience a quiet mind, etc. It is important to note that while deep self connection and mystical experiences are common, sound healing is not attached to one religion and is meant to foster connection with what carries deep meaning and peace with the individual person. As a practitioner I do not pressure anyone to hold any particular religious beliefs. The intention helps the individual focus on their experience, and as explained below, helps achieve the goal of the individual by allowing the mind to speak and believe in their goal. After we set the intention, I bring the group through a guided meditation which leads directly into the sound immersion. During the sound immersion portion I use multiple different kinds of instruments such as: singing bowls, tibetan bowls, gongs, chimes, etc. During a sound bath, the participants are lying down in a state of meditation with their eyes closed so that they can travel deeply into alpha and theta state. After the sound immersion portion is over, I guide people back down to their bodies and to the present moment. During a sound bath session the experiences widely vary, but generally people fall into one of these categories:
1. fall asleep and feel deeply rested
2. enter into a visual state of meditation where they feel they receive messages, moments of peace, loved ones, guides/deities, sensations of love and gratitude, and guidance
3. feel that their body was floating the whole time while their mind was going in and out of thought- I call this “the void”
4. they have an emotional release with lots of processing
5. they feel their mind was wondering with random thoughts and struggle to keep it under control, but still feel like they “went somewhere”, but don’t know how to describe where
I always remind people of 2 things:
1. Sound is a unique experience to you. While it will help everyone in similar ways physiologically, your perception of it in your mental and emotional mind will be individualized, though it may be similar to those around you. I encourage people to receive their experience without judgement, and to set aside expectations of how they “thought” it should go.
2. Consistency is key with everything, and especially with the mind and body. The more you practice meditative methods, and the more you use sound healing in your life, the deeper your experience is going to be. During a sound bath you are in attempting to be in a mediative state for an hour- that is not common for most of us. It is normal for the mind to run in the beginning, and to feel you can’t get as “deep” into your state as you would like.
As a practitioner I have multiple goals to help those attending:
1. For them to enter theta state. The theta state wave pattern of the brain, or more commonly referred to in the spiritual community as a state of transcendence or elevated consciousness. When the brain is in theta state, and in some of the alpha state, the body is able to experience states of: creativity, intuition, dream-like visions, healing, imagery, relaxation, emotional process, one-ness or personal connection.
2. To help people begin to gain insight into their own system. I find that once people are connected to that flow state, state of self, etc. That often they know what they need to feel better and what they need to heal. This is incredibly helpful in longterm success of finding peace and self-regulation. This has been shown to be true in the evidence based therapy IFS (Ifs-institute).
3. To aid in the removal of energetic blockages that are effecting their: emotional, physical, and mental health and encourage a healthier state of being. I want my clients to feel more connected with themselves and more empowered to prioritize feeling peace in their lives.
4. To maintain myself in an empathetic centered state of being so that I can better support and hold space for what my clients are experiencing.
5. Heart-brain entrainment, leading to a state of coherence. Meaning when your heart is in a healthy pattern, it entrains the brain, and then begins to control the other organs as well. “A whole symphony playing in harmony with each other, the heart at the lead” (Abrams, M.) This state allows us to feel empathy, awareness, and connection.
Having an empathetic attitude towards understanding what my client is dealing with, and where the energetic blocks (physical, mental, and emotional) are, helps me to curate a more supportive experience for them. Over the past year of working with clients in a 1:1 capacity and in group capacities, I have had the privilege of getting to watch my clients have profound experiences. I have had multiple clients say that using sound consistently has helped them with their insomnia, anxiety, and uncomfortable emotional states that they were dealing with. Below I have gathered testimonials and personal stories of those who have experienced sound with me:
Success Stories and Personal Accounts
Experiential evidence is an important form of evidence that needs to be taken into account with complimentary forms of medicine and well being practices. I asked a few clients that I have supported over the past year if they would be willing to share their accounts of sound therapy using their first initial only for anonymity. I have provided those accounts below:
I've been attending Trinity's monthly sound baths for over a year now. Each sound bath is a unique experience, but they each have helped me go deeper into myself. Sometimes I'm able to gain more insight and clarity into specific things going on in my life, while other times it feels more like a nervous system reset or a cellular detox. I always look forward to dreamtime after the sound baths too, because my dreams are extra potent on those nights! - A
Sound healing has changed my life. I have been doing one on one sessions with Trinity at least once a month, if not twice a month for about a year. When I first started, I had no idea how it would impact me physically and emotionally. Physically, I struggle with some muscular and neuropathy issues partly due to my genetics and also soreness from working out. The sound of the bowls actually target those areas of pain/soreness so at the completion of the session, I am no longer sore or in pain. Even though the sound session is very relaxing and healing, I have a lot more energy overall. I went through a great deal of trauma and abuse in my life. I had been using traditional therapy on and off most of my adult life. Emotionally, I had a great deal to work through. With the help of one on one sound healing sessions, I have been able to discontinue my traditional therapy. I continue my healing journey with attending sound baths held once or twice a month. It’s such a beautiful experience to be in safe place with Trinity that allows you to heal physically and emotionally. - J
I try and utilize sound healing at least once a month and usually in the form of sound baths. Trinity’s was the first one on one experience and it was incredible. It helped me feel more back in “myself” and grounded. We are all energy and the movement of that energy happens with frequency and music is frequency. There is a connection the body has to music/sound just as it does to smell and other sensations. It may all be beyond what I can explain but it’s an intellect that far exceeds my own. My body felt relaxed and calm. During the session I experienced that dream like state of being very deeply relaxed but still not fully asleep. It was amazing!!! - B
Health Benefits Of Sound Healing
Covering the health benefits behind sound healing and understanding the science and studies behind it requires a wide variety of topics to be taken into consideration: meditation effects on the brain, the power of intention and building new neural pathways, resonance, the impacts of intention and spoken words on the structure of water and cells, the studies of frequency, vibration, and binaural beats. I won’t be covering all of this because it would quite extensive, but I will briefly touch on these topics as it relates to sound.
The health benefits of sound include (some of this has been proven or suggested by studies, some is collected evidential evidence from cultures/clients, and some of this is based on the theories that sound healing operates on):
insomnia
blood flow/lowered blood pressure
anxiety/depression
stress/relaxed nervous system
chronic pain
hearing
heart rate/slowed breathing
spiritual connection/inner peace
focus
creativity
feelings of compassion, gratuity, love
One foundation sound healing operates on are the theories and findings behind resonance. Each organ in your body has a natural resonant frequency. All cells also have a natural resonant frequency and interpret sound in their own ways. Each cell has a cilia that picks up vibration, and when there is a mutation on that receptor it can result in diseases and change the protein synthesis within the cell. Sound healers operate under the theory that exposing the body to healthy vibrations will have a positive effect on the vibration of the cells, and clear the body of toxins. You can see examples of this is Fabien Mamans work we discussed above. Another important factor of sound healing is brain entrainment and brain wave patterns. Depending on the hertz of what is being sent to the brain, the brainwaves will change in parallel with that. Example: 1 wave per second hertz = 1-4 cycles per second in the brain also known as the Delta brainwave state. A study that has been done showing successful measurable results is a trial of 40 hertz on patients of different illnesses.
“Stimulating cells with sound can reduce the risk and impact of some common health problems”(Dr. Lee Bartel). Brainwaves are important to health issues, as the entire brain needs healthy connections to function properly throughout the body. Healthy circuits require steady brainwaves. There was a study of an Alzheimers patient who underwent 30 minutes of 40 hertz 3x a week for 4 weeks. Using a chair with speakers in it programmed to the 40 hertz, her test results went up significantly for memory and function. She continued treatment weekly at her home, and after 3 years was tested again. She had the same score forAlzheimers that she had been given at the onset. There was another study of 18 patients of different levels of severity, with a control, the prescription being 30 minutes of sound stimulation at 40 hertz for 3 weeks. Their results went up by 13% in the test score, with many results of memory recall and engagement early on. Another study on a Fibromyalgia patient, dealing with insomnia, stiffness, depression, and other symptoms received a prescription of 23 minutes of 40 hertz 2 times a week for 5 weeks. What was found after 5 weeks was that she stopped using her medication, she slept better, and had more mobility. Another study was done with 19 Fibromyalgia patients of different levels of severity given with the same sound prescription as the patient above. What was found was that after the treatment ¼ had stopped all medication, and all had improved quality of life. Afterwards another double blind randomized sound study was done with Fibromyalgia, what was found was that symptoms improved of different levels for all patients, but all shifted from the negative to positive scale in terms of symptoms. Studies are now being planned for: depression disorders, Parkinsons, bone cell density, blood flow, and more. Blood flow research is already underway and has shown sound can increase blood flow (Dr. Lee Bartel).
French physician Alfred Tomatis, M.D., known for his research into sound and hearing, has a rather famous story regarding the power of sound and the effect it has on the health of the body. In the 1960's a group of monks at a monastery were suffering from an illness which could not be diagnosed. None of the consulted doctors could find the source of their ailments. Tomatis visited the monks, and had been told that recently the monks had been forced to abandon their chanting practice (of which they normally did for 6-8 hours a day). With a background in sound, Tomatis suggested they immediately resume their singing practice, he stated it had been charging their energy consciousness field, and abandoning it had caused illness. After 5 months all the monks had recovered, and resumed their normal routine (Gaynor, M. L. ).
Intention, meditation, and building healthier networks within the brain all play an important role in the power of sound healing. During sound healing we are in a state of meditation, most commonly experiencing theta and alpha brain waves. Sound aids individuals in remaining in a meditative state for longer periods of time. Meditation is an incredibly impactful tool to use when undergoing any kind of distress, or desire for connection and peace and it is used hand in hand with sound. It has been shown that meditating generates neuroplasticity, increases feelings of happiness and peace, compassion, increases anti-bodies/a healthier immune system, and a greater sense of self control.
The contemplative customs practiced in many cultures evoke decreases in heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. Compared to controls, individuals who meditate enjoy significantly increased alpha brain wave activity (low frequency brainwaves that occur during relaxation), increased orderliness of brain activity (Khare & Nigam, 2000), and a unique form of consciousness different from relaxation states (Dunn et al, 1999).
Meditation also has a positive health effect in cancer treatment (Tacon, 2003), with a notable study showing tumor cell growth rates to be significantly decreased in prostate cancer patients who practiced Zen Buddhist meditation (Yu et al, 2003). Other studies have added new details of possible mechanisms by which meditation may relieve the physiological symptoms of stress. Meditation stimulates the release of nitric oxide, which is an antagonist of the stress hormone noradrenaline released in preparation for the fight or flight response. Nitric oxide dilates noradrenaline-constricted vessels and restores efficient blood flow (Moncada et al, 1991). Nitric oxide is also linked to the release of endorphin - our natural body opiates that counter pain and produce feelings of wellbeing (Pollard).
When it comes to intention with sound, there are multiple factors that make it such an important part of the healing process. Creating an OHE (optimum healing environment) for a patient/client is incredibly important when thinking about the healing process. You want both the practitioner, and patient/client to set up for success. Intention, mindfulness, and compassion all play a critical role in creating an OHE, and are all effects of using sound as a healing medium. “We are facing dis-satisfied patients seeking complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) therapies and alternative healing environments, and this offers an opportunity to (re-)introduce the qualities of mindfulness, love and compassion into these medical contexts” (Schmidt, Stefan). There are many studies showing positive results suggesting that setting healing intentions can help rewire the psychology of the brain to heal more effectively. Additional studies need to be done on whether or not thought intention and expectation effect the course of treatments for patients, but biofield studies suggest that it does impact the outcome of the experience of the patient; “...biofield therapy may intentionally harness the patient's conscious and unconscious expectancies and desires in synergy with the treatment being delivered to enhance outcomes” (Jain S., et al). biofield therapy is the study of alternative therapies that interact with the human biofield
Along with thought intention, our emotional state plays a critical role when creating an OHE, and when looking at the success rate of the client/patient experience. During sound healing, as the nervous system relaxes slowing down the breath and heart rate, and aiding the body into alpha and theta state waves, emotional states of peace, calm, compassion, gratitude, and connection are often reached. This is part of why sound is such a healing modality for individuals. The heart is the largest source of electromagnetic energy in your body, setting the average field at 3-4 feet outward from us (at least that we have measured). A study was done that showed that when two individuals were both being monitored, and one person began to think of love and compassion towards themselves and others, generally entering into a “state of coherence”, the two hearts began to synchronize (this study has been more successful when the two patients have a foundational relationship, or when there is a group participating in the same ritual or healing ceremony) (Abrams, M.). At Haifa university scientists conducted a similar study and found that when you create what is called physiologic coupling, your pain perception can decrease by over 50% (Abrams, M.).
Emotions like love and compassion cause the heart rate to speed and slow down into a healthy pattern balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, which then communicate with the brain (McCraty R, Zayas MA). Applying this knowledge to sound healing sessions, it helps the practitioner know what kind of state they need to be in to provide the best care and support for their clients. It also shows the power of using intentionality and emotions like gratitude, compassion, and love during sound sessions and treatments for clients.
The Heartmath Institute has been researching the endless possibilities of what the heart can do for years. One area of study is focusing on the effect and ability humans possess to be impacted by the energetic field emitted from the heart.
...The results of these experiments have led us to conclude that the nervous system acts as an antenna, which is tuned to and responds to the magnetic fields produced by the hearts of other individuals. My colleagues and I call this energetic information exchange energetic communication and believe it to be an innate ability that heightens awareness and mediates important aspects of true empathy and sensitivity to others. Furthermore, we have observed that this energetic communication ability can be enhanced, resulting in a much deeper level of nonverbal communication, understanding and connection between people. We also propose that this type of energetic communication between individuals may play a role in therapeutic interactions between clinicians and patients that has the potential to promote the healing process. From an electrophysiological perspective, it appears that sensitivity to this form of energetic communication between individuals is related to the ability to be emotionally and physiologically coherent. The data indicate that when individuals are in the coherent state, they are more sensitive to receiving information contained in the magnetic fields generated by others. In addition, during physiological coherence, internal systems are more stable, function more efficiently and radiate electromagnetic fields containing a more coherent structure (Heartmath Institute). The level of successful energy-communication varied once the physical touch was removed, and individuals were separated by greater distances
Further more, their research showed that when people were able to maintain the coherent state of mind, that they were less effected by fields of others emanating around them. The Heartmath Institute has done multiple other studies on coherence, heart rate variability, heart-brain communication, etc. that all suggest “the heart also is an access point to a source of wisdom and intelligence that we can call upon to live our lives with more balance, greater creativity and enhanced intuitive capacities. All of these are important for increasing personal effectiveness, improving health and relationships and achieving greater fulfillment” (Heartmath Institute). As more is learned about the heart, and heart to brain connection, it provides more evidence as to why sound healing environments, and why sound healing itself is such a powerful tool to use.
A study was done on The Effects of Singing Bowl Sound Meditation on Mood, Tension, and Well-Being: An Observational Study. “Heart disease, diabetes, addiction, and mental health issues have all been linked to stress and tension”, and, “poor mood and elevated anxiety are linked to increased incidence of disease”, this study wanted to focus on how sound meditation could effect anxiety, pain, mood, and spiritual well being (Goldsby, T. L, et al).
“Following the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood...Feeling of spiritual well-being significantly increased across all participants” (Goldsby, T. L, et al). The authors noted many benefits to sound meditation along with the significant positive patient results: low-cost technology and a low learning curve for patients being two positives for easy integration for clinical use. Patients reported decreased pain, decrease mental anxiety, increased spiritual connection, along with measurable effects of lowered blood pressure and heart rate. A similar study was done using singing bowl therapy with metastatic cancer patients, and chronic spinal pain patients, and many positive results were reported. “Improvements in distress, positive and negative affect, anxiety, depression, fatigue, tension, anger, confusion and vigour were reported, as were improvements in blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, cutaneous conductance, and anterior-frontal alpha values” (Stanhope, J., & Weinstein, P. ).
Reflecting on the studies provided here, we begin to see a full picture of the mind, body, spirit, whole-being healing power of sound.
Potential Risks and Negative Side Effects
There is no doubt that sound healing has amazing benefits. The question is are there any specific conditions that should be avoided? The quickest answer is…we can’t say 100% for sure one way or another. At the end of the day there hasn’t been enough conclusive studies to assure someone 100% that they will have zero negative side effects and that it is 100% safe for them, but there are few things that have 100% confidence rates as the body is incredibly complicated and unique to each individual.
Sound is similar to a detox within the body, so it is common to experience detox-like symptoms afterwards. Common “negative” symptoms of detox include, but are not limited too: bodily rejection of drugs/alcohol/unhealthy foods, vivid dreams, tiredness, and temporary pain. If you have had surgery it is common to experience temporary pain in that area during or post sound healing, but most of the time it resolves itself within 24 hours.
There are some schools of thought that if you have a seizure disorder, pace-maker, pregnant, epilepsy, have metal screws/plates, mental implants, insulin pump, or any complex medical condition that you should not receive sound healing. More specifically that you should not receive a sound healing that includes crystal singing bowls, tibetan bowls, or just strong frequencies/vibrations. There are also some schools of thought that argue in the opposite direction and say sound healing helps with some of the above stated conditions. While most sound healers get certifications, it is also a lineage practice. If your teacher isn’t comfortable practicing on individuals with certain diseases based off of their experiences, they will teach you to be cautious or avoid those conditions as well. You also might have a mentor that is more liberal in who they are willing to treat with sound based off of their experiences, so they will teach you to be more liberal in your application. Similar to physicians who are more aggressive in their treatments versus more cautious approached physicians or surgeons, sound practitioners range in their comfortability with clients and their conditions.
Based off of the research I have found, I have not been able to find any conclusive evidence showing there is any negative correlation between sound healing and the above medical conditions (there is the exception of placing strong frequencies directly on or super close to pace makers/other mechanical devices, but that is not exclusive to sound healing). There are currently no studies linking significant negative side effects, however at the same time there is a lack of robust research with this particular concern. Whether or not you have a “negative” experience, might also be up for interpretation. Let me provide an example: someone might view past emotions or traumatic memories coming up as a bad thing if they aren’t ready to deal with that, where-as someone who is ready to approach that trauma and work through those emotions might view them coming up as a good experience. There are sound healing practitioners on both sides of the argument. It’s important to remember there is no 100% guarantee under any circumstances for anyone that sound can’t possibly interact and cause a negative experience for you- everyone reacts differently to sound whether you have a complex medical condition or not.
I let all my clients know of these risks in the Overview of Treatment Information, and have each client sign a release/liability waiver, not only to protect myself as a practitioner, but also to ensure they understand that while sound is not like an invasive surgery, it is a form of medicine that will effect them and they are taking responsibility for choosing to participate regardless of the form those effects can possibly take. I always recommend that my clients consult their qualified physician if they have any complex medical condition or concerns before seeing me for any sound service.
Integration With Western Medicine
“If somebody had told me when I was a medical student in Dallas, Texas, that one day i would teaching my patients to use singing bowls to heal themselves, I would have thought he or she was crazy. Yet today...prominently displayed in my consultation room at the renowned Strang Cancer Prevention Center, where I am the Director of Oncology and Integrative Medicine, is a beautiful ten-inch quartz crystal bowl, which plays a key role in my busy practice of oncology and internal medicine. Although I once prescribed only the traditional remedies for the
treatment of cancer and other ailments, I no longer see a contradiction between changing and chemotherapy, between visualization and radiation. In fact, just the opposite: I openly advocate for what has come to be known as the holistic medicine-combining allopathic regimens with complementary therapies that include nutritional supplements of herbs and algae as well as regular visits to acupuncturists and energy healers....I have long since come to accept nontraditional, holistic approaches as necessities rather than potential options, that must be integrated with care and treatment of my patients” (Mitchell L. Gaynor, M.D.)
Doctor Gaynor and Doctor Kulreet Chaudhary are professionals in their respective fields who have integrated holistic medicines, including sound, into their practices and patient care. In Doctor Gaynors book The Healing Power of Sound: Recovery from Life-Threatening Illness Using Sound, Voice, and Music, and Doctor Chaudhary’s book Sound Medicine: How To Use The Ancient Science of Sound To Heal The Body and Mind, they provide multiple testimonials and successful trials from patient perspective and physician perspective for how using these tools have increased the well being and health of their patients. Pioneers of integrative, alternative and complementary medicine, they have prioritized the health of their patients to be able to provide all forms of supportive healthcare. Doctor Chaudhary is a neurologist, neuroscientist, and leader in the field of sound and Ayurvedic medicine. As she has shifted from a disease based practice, to a wellness based practice mindset, she works with her patients to combine conventional treatments with complimentary practices such as sound, chakra mantra/TM meditations, mindfulness, herbs, and diet to lead her patients to success. “Her program was so successful that now it is used for a wide range of health concerns including weight issues and chronic disease” (About Dr. Chaudhary).
Music as medicine is not new to the western world, as music therapy is already fairly integrated into western medicine and has shown extremely positive results in many fields, but there is always room to grow. While some western medical facilities and physicians are beginning to incorporate these complimentary practices, there is boundless potential for further integration. “...Those in health professions such as nurses and counselors could easily provide these meditations to patients...this type of meditation [sound therapy meditation] could be taught to health and counseling professionals and provided in an almost unlimited number of settings to induce the relaxation response, reduce stress, and potentially stress-related disease in the body” (Goldsby, T. L, et al).
Josef Parvizi, MD, PhD, Cardiologist Sean Wu, MD, PhD, Utkan Demirci, PhD, Amin Arbabian, PhD, and Manu Prakash PhD, all are working at Stanford Medicine studying different forms of sound for various purposes ranging from: using the sound to identify species and potentially their health, acoustic bioengineering of heart cells for cardiac disease modeling and drug screening and potentially generating tissue, a brain stethoscope that converts brainwaves to sound to detect seizures, creating a next-generation medical chip powered by sound for different biological needs (Armitage, H). Sound waves have also been incorporated as non invasive ways to destroy tumors, in a method referred to as“histotripsy”. They have also found that “Cancer-treating drugs can be mixed with particles that are sensitive to sound, otherwise known as ‘sonosensitive’. When ultrasound is applied to the body, those sensitive particles inside the tumor respond, causing tiny bubbles to expand then implode and pop” (University of Oxford). The beginnings of this science are incredibly exciting as medicine and sound are beginning to pair together not only on a patient-to-practitioner/physician level, but at every level of application.
Where Do We Go From Here
Thank you for taking the time to read all of this information. I hope it has provided you with clarity on what sound healing is and the profound effects it can have for clients/patients, as well as inspired you to add complimentary medicines into your life or your clients/patients lives. I also hope you feel empowered and inspired to stand behind the integration and power of this complimentary healing modality. Sound is incredibly diverse in its capabilities and in its applications. Whether it is being used as an additional form of treatment alongside therapies, surgery, chronic illness, disease, recovery, etc. or being used as a standalone well-being practice for individuals seeking a sense of peace, it can have dramatic effects on your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Due to its diversity, the possibilities for how sound can be integrated are endless. In the If you are interested in personally using sound, using sound to support your patients, using sound as a way to support your team, or building a more integrative program from the ground up, I would love to support you in any way that I can. Sound baths and one-to-one sound sessions are helpful in many ways. Where sound baths help multiple people at once as a group to experience sound and create a collective supportive experience, one-to-one sessions offer individualized support with a more intense personalized experience of sound. As I mentioned at the beginning, my ultimate goal is to educate people about sound in order to create a more integrative field of medicine and a shift in the focus of our fast paced society, to a more peaceful, introspective focus on our personal well being. If you are interested in further the conversation about sound, or interested in using the power of sound for you, your team, or your patients/clients, please reach out to me at contact@earthenhealing.net.
Sources
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