Wellness Wednesday: Sound Healing | By the way

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — This week on Wellness Wednesday, we introduce you to the world of sound healing.

The practice itself is actually ancient, but thanks to current science and research studying the effects of sound on the body and mind, this method of healing is becoming mainstream.

We all instinctively know that certain sounds can make us nervous, like nails hitting a chalkboard or glass breaking. We also know that other sounds, like waves crashing on the shore, also tend to have the opposite effect.

But do you know why? Well, it all comes down to science.

“We are all made of vibrations, so different frequencies touch different parts of our bodies,” says Elise Angell, a certified sound healer who offers sessions at her Myrtle Beach yoga studio. says.

Angell is one of many practitioners across the country who are bringing ancient traditions into modern spaces.

“When I learned that I had healing properties within my body, [quartz and Himalayan singing] “With the bowl, I believed this was another way to promote healing and raise awareness,” she said.

According to quantum physics, sound healing works because everything is made up of energy, and behind that energy there are vibrations. Vibration is basically particles moving back and forth.

Different vibrations and different frequencies have specific effects on the brain and body. The frequencies produced by things like quartz singing bowls and bass chimes work in three different ways.

Sound slows down your brain waves and can increase your relaxing effects in a very short period of time. The vibrations can entrain the body to the sound itself, meaning that her two frequencies essentially become “in sync.”

The equipment used for sound healing also produces what is known as the “cymatic effect.” In this effect, sound waves literally travel through the air and affect the energy within our bodies, much like ripples in a glass of water placed over a speaker.

“We are all energy, we are all vibrations, and that is how we speak to each other,” Angel said. “We don’t really need words. It seems like we need words, but we don’t necessarily need them to communicate.”

Many hospitals around the world are already using sound therapy to help patients. This includes special relaxation and music sessions for those recovering from trauma.

Sound is already being used in operating rooms, for everything from crushing kidney stones to detecting cancer cells.

“Some of these sounds can actually be very pleasant, while others can cause confusion or anxiety in the body, and each of these sounds has a purpose for the body,” Angel says.

If you’d like to try sound healing for yourself, Angell hosts monthly group sessions at Living Yoga and Wellness on North Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach.