Sound heals speech and boosts general health

Whether it's singing in the bathroom to brighten your morning or using melodic intonation therapy to assist those people with aphasia - speech problems - or those with lost voices,  sound healing is as effective now as it was in the healing temples of ancient Egypt.

Our bodies, and all matter, are a constant vibrating mass of electrons, neutrons and photons that emit sounds even though we don't hear them. Sound therapy or healing, is about connecting with the vibrations within our bodies to soothe, harmonise, repair or respond to our own frequencies.


Stroke patients
Earlier this year, The Guardian reported that Gottfried Schlaug, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, found that patients who suffered a stroke on the left side of their brain were unable to speak, but could often be taught to sing words instead.

And closer to home, Lyz Cooper author of Sounding the Mind of God and originator of the British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST) has numerous success stories of clients and workshop attendees who have recovered from physical pain, illness, surgery as well improving their mental and emotional state.

Sonic vitamins
Lyz refers to "sonic vitamins." Our bodies absorb healthy sounds and tones the same way we might ingest vitamin C. Equally as we step back from a discordant noise like aircraft or a siren, we naturally move closer to harmonic sounds or music.

Sound healing can take many forms, and may be as simple as playing notes on a piano to enhance mood to bringing a person back from a coma with uplifting tunes - but the business of sound therapy has its roots in understanding the science behind the use of of voice, mantra, rhythm, beat, chords, frequencies and harmonies on the body and mind.

Health issues
Lyz Cooper (who used her voice as tool to recover from ME) and her growing team of trained therapists have helped people with:

• fertility issues
• chronic pain
• cancer
• stress-related illnesses
• IBS
• ME
• tinnitus
• mild depression
• anxiety
• arthritis

Sound practitioners employ many tools such as crystal bowls, gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, voice, tuning forks, drum and rattle and a treatment can be in the form of an individual session - patient on a bed with therapist creating a unique sound journey - or as part of a larger group sharing a sound bath.

Drumming a natural rhythm
Last year BBC Health reported on several cases of improved health and wellbeing through drumming and drumming workshops. Drummers found that the natural beat of the drum - easy to use and experiment with - enabled them to navigate their own internal rhythm, boosting recovery and their body's own innate wisdom to repair. One lady found the strength needed to fight her alcoholism, while another reported better mental health and less fatigue.

So sound therapy is growing in popularity, it is not a new medicine. Sound vibrations have been written about and used in nearly all the ancient books, scripts, scroll and texts found on earth. The scientists and doctors of the Renaissance recognised the humors of the body and their relationship with music. Ancient sites, like Stonehenge are closely aligned with the frequency of the lay lines upon which they stand and research points to its use as a sonic chamber, with built-in acoustics.

If you are one of the millions of people suffering an illness, stroke or ailment or the parent of a child affected by Aphasia, give sound therapy a go and seek out a professionally trained therapist to assist your growth, health and wellbeing. If you wish to learn a sound therapy for yourself or a loved on, visit Sacred Sound or The College of Sound Healing