The science behind the story:

How sound healing eases anxiety

A sound bath is a “deeply immersive, full-body listening experience that uses sound and mindfulness techniques,” explains Sara Auster, a sound therapist, meditation teacher and author of Sound Bath. “Participants typically lie on yoga mats and focus on their breath while listening to sounds created from overtone-emitting instruments.” The instruments include tuning forks, gongs and Himalayan and crystal singing bowls, which are placed on or near the body and produce sounds similar to those in nature, like crashing waves or wind rustling trees.

With anxiety, our brain gets stuck in a cycle that’s difficult to escape, says Sandra Solano, M.D., founder of Integro, a holistic wellness practice in Ohio. “It’s like having your alarm centers turned on and left on,” she says. “Sound, especially Himalayan singing bowls, can stimulate these centers in a way that knocks you out of the cycle.” Indeed, a study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine found that one session of singing bowl meditation led to a 60% decrease in anxiety and an 89% drop in feelings of tension. More benefits of sound healing: In one study, subjects saw a nearly 50% reduction in depression symptoms. In another, people who did a relaxation session with singing bowls lowered their blood pressure more than those who didn’t use sound.