It is no secret that one of the single most prevalent causes of illness and dis-ease is stress. The most common ways that people reduce stress levels is by taking prescription medication, recreational drugs and/or alcohol. According to a Survey undertaken by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) more than 1 in 5 women in the UK are on anti-depressants for stress.
But what if there was an easy, cost effective way of reducing stress without damage to health or nasty side-effects?
The latest research undertaken by Lyz Cooper at The British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST) has shown that a short session with therapeutic sound known as a ‘sound-bath’ may have long-lasting therapeutic effects, but how does this work? When we are drifting off to sleep our brains go through a cycle which involves slowing parts of the brain down from being ‘conscious’ (aware and alert) to ‘unconscious’ and therefore asleep. Between being awake and being unconscious there are a range of different states of consciousness where the brain is aware but in a drifty, between-the-worlds state. Have you ever felt that warm fuzzy feeling just before you drift off or when waking up from a good nights sleep? If so, it is likely that your brainwaves were predominantly in an Alpha or Theta state at that point. This state is known as an Altered State of Consciousness (ASC) and is associated with creativity, cellular renewal, potassium sodium balance (which results in mental refreshment) and a whole host of other positive benefits.
Most of the time these brainwave states are fleeting and we rarely have much time to enjoy being in this place unless you have had a lot of training. This is the state that meditators aim to reach but it can take years of practice to be able to still the mind enough to reap the rewards. With sound therapy a deep meditative state can be enjoyed easily, without years of practice in the comfort of your home or by going to a professional therapist or a regular sound-bath session.
Lyz’s research has produced statistically significant results with participants achieving a deep ASC and as a result reporting a reduction in stress and muscle tension and a greater sense of emotional and mental well-being.
To read more about the research click here
To listen to the soundbath track used in this study see below (connect your headphones for the best results.
We’d love to hear more about how you felt!