What sounds do you find to be healing or relaxing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I tiptoed barefoot across the thick, light gray carpet with diagonal vacuum lines that looked like sun rays. On it sat a simple arrangement of instruments, bowls, and lit candles, and above it, glistening string lights hung against brightly colored wall fabric, setting the mood for shutting out the world. There was something powerful about lying on the floor of an incense-infused room, eyes closed, hearing the singing bowls, tinkling chimes, vibrating gongs, clicking rattles, and soothing voice of a certified sound healer.
“Breathe purposefully and let go of the things that no longer serve you,” she said. And as I did, my shoulders and lower back crept toward the floor, my mind stopped racing, and I felt like I existed in a neutral state – like I was neither here nor there.
The website promised a powerful sound bath experience to realign, release, and restore my energy from the inside out. I promised, through setting an intention, to be present and open and to reflect upon my life’s purpose. By the end of the session, all promises were fulfilled. I walked away with the calmness and clarity to further explore a new path to my purpose.
Here are five things I learned about sound baths that made me eager to add them to my self-care routine.
Sound healing is a gift from our ancestors
“Across many African and diasporic cultures, rhythmic and tonal immersion has long served as a communal healing force,” said Leah Miller, Atlanta-based certified sound healing practitioner. “For Black women over 50, reclaiming that practice is not just therapeutic—it’s spiritual continuity. And in today’s overstimulated world, that reconnection can restore peace,” she said.
According to Miller, the instruments produce frequencies that entrain the brain into slower wave states (Theta and Alpha), which are associated with meditative, regenerative experiences.
“Entrainment is when vibrations of one object can change the vibrations of another object,” said Victoria Dennis, pediatric nurse practitioner at NYU and volunteer sound healing practitioner for the staff. “Taking deep breaths slows down the heart rate and calms the nervous system. The vibrations of the sounds produced by the singing bowls can help facilitate the same type of healing response,” she said.
A review of clinical studies conducted between 2008 and 2024 revealed that participants experienced a significant decrease in tension, anger, and fatigue, as measured by the Profile of Mood States survey, following just one sound bath session.