Sound baths: New therapeutic spa treatment hits Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new kind of therapeutic spa treatment has arrived in Philadelphia that's based on sounds. It's a combination of meditation and massage, as well as listening to different sounds.

It's called a sound bath -- but there's no water -- and is said to help with things like stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia.
"I love it," Sarah Heffner said. "It's everything, everywhere -- all at once."
Heffner got the sound treatment at the W Hotel's new "Away Spa."
"It feels as though my entire body, from the inside, is getting tenderly massaged," she described.
Sound Therapy practitioner Luna Maye uses a variety of instruments for what she calls a "cellular massage of sound."

Luna Maye demonstrates some of the instruments used in a sound bath, which she says can relieve stress.CBS NEWS

PHILADELPHIA

"It's something we can do to allow us to embrace a deeper state of calm that doesn't require too much effort," Maye said.
She uses sonic instruments, like singing bowls and an Italian gong, along with vibrations to the forehead. Combined with measured breathing and visualizations, Maye said the sound massage is designed to regulate the nervous system and release tension.

"It lowers cortisol, so it lowers our stress hormones [and] it helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system," Maye said.
The sound-guided medication costs $275 for an hour.
"It's a moment of self-care," Heffner said, who added that, for her, it's a stress buster that gives her a boost of confidence and energy. "It feels like a moment to recharge and reset."
This is different than music therapy. A sound bath uses guided meditation and specific instruments that vibrate, which can produce healing benefits.