Happiful June 2020

Healing sounds
Brainwaves, soundwaves, and binaural beats – what does it all
mean, and how can we use sound to relax?
Writing | Kat Nicholls
As I write, I’m listening
to ‘Dreamcatcher’,
composed by Robert
Foster – a piece of
music on the Calm
app. There’s a landscape of sound
created by instruments I can’t
name. What I can name, however,
is how I feel when I listen to it –
calm, in control, and focused.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been
enjoying an array of ‘relaxation’
music. Whether I’m writing at my
desk or reading before bed, it’s
fast becoming the soundtrack to
my days.
While I’ve always known music
has a profound effect on us, it
wasn’t until I delved deeper into
the science behind sound therapy
that I understood how sound waves
affect our brainwaves, and how we
can utilise this relationship.
When exposed
to these healing
frequencies, the sound
resonates within the
mind and physical body,
naturally releasing
any emotional blocks
and expanding
consciousness
It helps for us to first understand
the main types of brainwaves:
• Beta waves are associated
with being alert. When we’re
concentrating and analysing,
we’re likely to be in a
beta-dominant state.
• Alpha brainwave patterns are
slower and longer in frequency.
When we’re in an alphadominated
state we’re awake,
but relaxed.
• Theta brainwaves take the
relaxation deeper, and include
lighter stages of sleep.
• Finally, delta waves are very slow,
low-frequency, and are dominant
when we enter into deep sleep.
Scientists have found that when
we’re exposed to sound waves, our
brain waves can be affected. This is
a process called entrainment.
“This is when our brainwave
activity naturally aligns with the
sound’s rhythm, inducing a state
of deep relaxation,” counsellor
and sound therapy practitioner
Deborah Holder tells me.
So, by listening to low-frequency
sound waves we can encourage our
brainwaves to slow, too. Another
important factor is the presence
of binaural beats. This is when
you hear two tones, one in each
ear, that have slightly different
frequencies. When this happens
our brain processes a third beat at
the difference of the frequencies.
If this difference is below 30Hz,
it’s believed to reduce anxiety,
encourage sleep, and even help
manage pain.
While the science and
understanding of this is relatively
new and ongoing, sound therapy
has been in place for centuries.
WHAT IS SOUND THERAPY?
Deborah explains that sound
therapy uses specially selected
instruments with a high vibrational
frequency and long resonance,
such as singing bowls, gongs,
and vocal toning in the form of
chanting, humming, and singing.
“When exposed to these healing
frequencies, the sound resonates
within the mind and physical
body, naturally releasing any
emotional blocks, and expanding
consciousness. It reduces
brainwave activity and lowers
heart rate, prompting the body to
self-heal and rejuvenate.”
Described as an energy medicine,
sound therapy has this effect on us
because the cells in our body are
sensitive to vibrations. If you’ve
ever experienced a gong bath,
you’ll no doubt know how this
wall of sound feels physically and
mentally.
24 • happiful.com • June 2020