The Healing Power of Sound

Photo by Sean Murphy

My favorite holiday music surfaces in me cherished memories of treasured times. Sadly, some of those memories include loved ones who have left this life, but I am grateful to have known them and to have benefitted from what they brought to the world. My grandparents and my sister loved Christmas, and I could hear them sing in the kitchen as they baked traditional treats.

As humans, we enjoy many strong and varied connections to music, some of them fleeting and others elemental. I once met a Sioux Indian who sought to explain the hold that music has on us.

“As fetuses in our mother’s womb, the first sound we heard was the beat of the heart,” he said. “That was the first rhythm and vibration we ever heard, and that inspired the beat of the drum, which connects us not only to our own mothers but also our Mother Earth.”

The drum has been central to Native American dance and music for thousands of years.

“One of the most important things in the life of a Native American is the drum,” said Paul Gowder in an interview with South Dakota magazine. Gowder owns PowWows.com, a leading online community that celebrates Native American arts and culture.

“Our whole culture centers around the drum,” he said. “The drum brings the heartbeat of our Earth Mother for all to feel and hear. Drumming brings everyone back into balance. Whether dancing, singing or just listening, people around the drum can connect with the spirit.”

I believe sound can bring us back into balance through its vibration and frequency. It can relieve stress, anxiety and more.

I recently had the pleasure of learning about the healing benefits of sound while completing requirements for a sound bowl certification. Those lessons were underscored when I took in a sound bath led by a talented and dear friend, Dustin Borlack.

Once a month, he hosts a sound bath at Studio Thirty A in Santa Rosa Beach. He delivers healing with the sounds produced by more than 20 instruments.

“Sound healing is a powerful tool to help access deeper levels of relaxation and meditation,” Borlack says. “Coupled with conscious breathing, this practice will assist in breaking through old, stuck energy and make way for a more clear and empowered you.”

After the sound bath, Borlack encourages participants to share their experience with the group. The resulting connection, vulnerability and sharing is remarkable. Participants reveal that they attend for a range of reasons. They may be dealing with the loss of a loved one, celebrating upcoming nuptials or carrying out part of a monthly wellness routine.

All who show up, no matter what brought them to the sound bath, come together in a spirit of community and mutual support. Sound and music unite us. How lucky are we to live in a place that supports beautiful artists such as Borlack and invites them to share their gifts with us.

During this holiday season, make it a point to use music to not only bring back beautiful memories but to start you on a path toward healing and fulfillment. Throughout the year ahead, be open to how sound can help soothe the mind and body.

If there is an open mat next to me at the next “Sound Bath with Borlack,” I hope you take it.

Much love and happy holidays,

McKenzie Burleigh, Associate Publisher
mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com