Sound meditation is the use of sound as a tool for deep relaxation. You lie down, get comfortable, and a facilitator plays crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, chimes and other instruments around you. There is no technique to learn and nothing to concentrate on. The sound does the work, which is why it is the practice we recommend first to people who tell us they cannot meditate.
This guide covers what sound meditation is, why it works on a stressed nervous system, the benefits people report, and what your first session will feel like.
What is sound meditation?
Sometimes called a sound bath or sound healing, sound meditation is a guided, lying-down meditation in which instruments are played live to carry you into a meditative state. At Mirosuna a session begins with a short settling of the breath and body, then 45 to 60 minutes of layered sound: the sustained tones of crystal bowls, the richer overtones of Tibetan bowls, and the washes of gongs and chimes. It ends with a few minutes of silence and a gentle return.
The practice is ancient. Singing bowls have been used in Himalayan traditions for centuries, and sound has been part of healing rituals in almost every culture. What is new is that we can now measure what it does to the brain and the body.
How it works
Brainwave entrainment
The brain tends to synchronise its electrical rhythms to steady external rhythms. During the day it runs mostly in fast beta waves, the state of thinking, planning and worrying. The sustained tones of singing bowls encourage it to slow into alpha (relaxed, alert) and theta (deep meditation, the edge of sleep) waves. That is the state experienced meditators take years to reach at will; sound gets most people there in twenty minutes.
The nervous system stands down
Stress lives in the sympathetic nervous system: raised heart rate, shallow breath, cortisol. Lying still while low, resonant sound fills the room switches on the parasympathetic branch, the “rest and digest” mode. Breathing deepens, muscles release, and the body starts repairing itself. A small study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found a single singing bowl meditation significantly reduced tension, anger, fatigue and depressed mood and increased a sense of spiritual wellbeing, with the biggest changes in people who had never tried it before.
Vibration you feel, not just hear
The body is mostly water, and sound moves through water well. Participants often describe feeling the bowls in the chest, belly or hands. Whether you think of that as vibration loosening physical tension or simply as a very absorbing sensation, it gives a busy mind something to rest on without effort, which is the whole difficulty with silent meditation solved.
The benefits of sound meditation
- Stress and anxiety relief. The most consistent effect, and the reason most people come. The calm typically lasts for days, not hours.
- Better sleep. “Best sleep in months” is the message we receive most often the morning after a session. If sleep is your problem, start here and read our guide to improving sleep quality.
- A quieter mind. Thoughts do not stop, but they lose their grip. People leave with the sense of space they were hoping meditation would give them.
- Physical release. Jaw, shoulders and hips soften; headaches and tension often ease.
- Emotional processing. It is common to feel emotion surface during a session and pass. Lying safely in sound gives the body permission to let go of what it has been holding.
- An entry point to meditation. Once you know what a deeply relaxed state feels like, it is far easier to find it on your own. Many of our regulars go on to our mindfulness classes and 7 Days of Meditation.
What to expect at your first session
Wear something comfortable and warm; body temperature drops as you relax. You will lie on a mat with a bolster, blanket and eye pillow, or on one of the couches. The facilitator guides you through a short settling, then the sound begins. Some people drift to sleep, some stay aware throughout, and both are fine. Afterwards there is time to sit up slowly, drink some water and let the calm settle. Plan a quiet evening rather than a big one.
Sound meditation is safe for almost everyone. If you are pregnant, have a pacemaker, epilepsy or a sound-sensitive condition, let us know when you book so we can position you and choose instruments accordingly.
Sound meditation in South Melbourne
We run sound meditation sessions through the week at our studio on Ross Street, South Melbourne, played live on crystal and Tibetan bowls. Sessions are booked through the Mirosuna app with a casual pass or membership; see the timetable for this week. We also offer a private couples sound meditation, and we bring the experience to workplaces as part of our corporate wellness programs, delivered at your office or venue of choice.
Curious about the instruments themselves? Read what alchemy crystal singing bowls are, or learn to play them at our singing bowl practitioner training.