Why the ancient form of stress relief is making a therapeutic resurgence

        Ingrid Hobmeier leads a sound healing session at Mercy health Plaza in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

        CEDAR RAPIDS - After a few deep inhales and exhales in a dark room, a new noise emerged from the darkness tinged only by fluorescent light peeking through the room`s door.

        A gong gently sounds, increasing in intensity, then subsiding. Then, a stillness in the room reveals new things - the clock on the wall quietly ticking, the instructor`s gentle footsteps on the carpet and Others in the room relaxing before more sounds begin.

       Tibetan singing bowls, tuning forks and chimes join a chorus, each in their own time. Here, even the occasional discordant notes serve a purpose: telling you that no matter what`s going on outside, that it`s time to release it - at least for these 30 minutes.
Each new instrument adds a new layer of texture to the soundscape, imbuing a sense of breath control that reminds participants to focus within - something no one else in the world can do for them.

        At the yoga room of Mercy Health Plaza in northeast Cedar Rapids, this form of therapy may sound unusual. But rooted back in practice over thousands of years, it`s increasing in popularity across Eastern Iowa as many seek new forms of relief from the stress that permeates their lives now more than ever.

Ingrid Hobmeier leads a sound healing session at Mercy Health Plaza in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

                  Why more people are doing with it

       When Natalie Brown started Sound Heal Studio in Cedar Rapids in 2017, she trained just 10 people in her sound training workshops the first year. As a lead teacher for the Americas through the International Academy of Sound Healing, her workshop has struck a chord with significant growth in attendance over the last six years.

       Last year, the same workshops drew 192 attendees. In the same time, the form of holistic therapy has increased in recognition among those wanting to receive the benefits of more relaxation.

      "It must be needed more than ever. People are just needing ways to find relief," Brown said. "Using sound to help people goes everywhere. Relaxation, stress reduction, mindfulness - that`s applicable to all people."

       Though it`s been practiced in other cultures for thousands of years, it`s receiving more recognition for its benefits in allopathic, Western medicine. With many health problems stemming from increased stress, studies are now showing a connection between Sound Therapy and the benefits that lead to better health: increased blood circulation, improved metabolism, release of muscle tension and slowed brain wave states.

       The explanation is simple, Brown said: relaxing is good for your health. It`s the same reason people listen to specific types of music when relaxing or getting ready for bed.

       For Barb Bryan, part-time Cedar Rapids resident, sound healing has touched her in ways unlike anything else.

       A former massage therapist, Bryan heard about sound therapy through a friend in 2015. She`s been attending sessions for the last 8 years, opting for individual sessions.

      Though she can`t quite articulate how, she said the results have been decisive. After a couple years of sessions every week or two, she started noticing diminished emotional and physical pain, like that in her knees.

      "Some experiences you just don`t have any words for. Nobody`s ever been able to relax me, but I was so relaxed," she said. [It changed my life spiritually, mentally and physically. I was able to let go of old things that caused me physical and emotional pain."

      Ingrid Hobmeier, a sound healing student who is now doing sessions of her own at places like Mercy Health Plaza, got a taste of sound healing while training to become a yoga instructor.

      "It instantly resonated with me. I felt so much more relaxed, more calm, more in tune," she said.

       Now, two years later, she`s working under Natalie Brown to become an instructor herself.

How it works

       Sound healing can be done individually in sessions called sound baths, or in group sessions, similar to a yoga class. Sound healing sessions have been done everywhere from studios and schools to nursing homes and hospitals.

       In small groups, participants typically take off their shoes, lay flat on their backs on mats and get comfortable - sometimes with a blanket. Those with disabilities can simply sit in a chair or adapt however they need to get comfortable.

       When done individually, sound healers do an intake similar to a chiropractor to gather information ascertaining stress levels, pain and potential sources of pain.

       For a lot of these modalities, it`s believed the physical symptom is the end result. Sometimes we hold stress, emotions or trauma that leads to physical ailments," Brown explained. [For things to resolve or imbalances to be fixed, you have to deal with these different components."

       Similar to Reiki, another form of holistic therapy, a sound healer assesses someone`s energy levels. By striking sound tools, such as a tuning fork or gong, instructors gather feedback as they administer relief from the sound of various instruments.

      "There`s a deep listening skill that goes into the work. There`s this dynamic interaction between the vibration of the instrument and the person," Brown said. [The more you get used to working with people, the more you`re going to know what things like inflammation or scar tissue sound like. When someone`s pissed off or sad, you understand what the sound is telling you."

      Participants lay on yoga mats during a sound healing session at Mercy Health Plaza in Ceda Rapids on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

      By clearing chakras - another word for the fields of energy emanating from a person - the goal is to allow a new type of peace to move in. Some tools, like gongs, help ward off energy or thoughts that no longer serve people well.

      "When you see me walking around with different instruments or tools, it`s to either clear chakras or bring in harmony to relax," said Hobmeier. "The different tones and frequencies allow us to relax and breathe easier. It brings in good energy for chakras that are depleted, to bring you in balance and feel in tune."

       Even without thinking about the technical details, participants say they feel decidedly more relaxed. In some cases, participants see positive effects on chronic pain, migraines, blood pressure, mental clarity, creative thinking and energy.

       But most commonly, participants report better sleep and a better ability to relax in their down time thanks to sessions guiding them on how to "let things go" in a judgment-free space.

       In a multi-tasking society that can leave some feeling mentally scattered or unsettled, that practical skill is becoming more and more valuable for its tangible results.

      "A lot of times, we don`t realize how much we hold on to," Brown said. "People just want to feel congruent. When they feel the opposite of multitasking - they realize they can operate in a different way. They can find peace."

       EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Sound can have a very powerful impact on the human mind, bringing up images or triggering memories. For Cesar Lujan, a sound healer in El Paso, the influence of sound is an opportunity to help the mind and body heal.

       In his sound baths, Lujan combines different musical tones and sounds together to try and bring people to a deeper state of consciousness. Sitting at the front of a room, people lay across the floor. Surrounding Lujan are multiple bowls of different sizes. Some are metal, others are quartz.

       By creating sound with these instruments, he will guide participants in to a sort of meditative trance. This is a sound bath.

       Sound baths are comparable to other therapy choices that do not require a medical setting. Think of things like yoga, meditation and animal therapy.

       While called baths, the body is not submerged in water -- only the sound. The goal is to relax, and in a calm state, the sounds created by Lujan wash over the body. It's not necessarily musical, as Lujan says different tones or sounds resonate with certain aspects of the body.

       The point is to release tension and stress, by allowing the sound to lead to a release.

       For each person, it's a different experience -- sometimes bringing tears, screams or deep sighs. Lujan tells ABC-7 that this individual response actually helps people feel comfortable in the space, and to rejuvenate the mind.

       Lujan asks everyone to try their best to think of nothing during the sound bath -- simply let the mind process and experience whatever it is that it needs to.

       For your author, he experienced different colors, rhythmic breathing and a tingling sensation on the skin -- all at different points of the session.

       The Cleveland Clinic says that the vibrations created by sound can actually help the body decompress from all sorts of vibrations -- which can target energy points in the body. People who experience sound baths often say that they feel an overall sense of relaxation across the mind and body.

       And sound is believed to have medical and mental healing powers. Research is underway by the National Insititutes of Health, music can have a direct effect on mood -- improving memory and aging on the body. The NIH has partnered with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to research the connection of music and the mind.

       Sound baths will be at the center of this week's special report, "Sound Mind, Sound Healing," at 10 p.m. on Thursday night.

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Avery Martinez is the Be Mindful Reporter for ABC-7, supported in part by Report for America. RFA helps provide reporters for under-covered topics across the country.