The Sound Healing Experience At Root To Crown Connection Centre
By Danielle Hauck, Vibrant Systems
Making Noise About The Benefits Of Sound Healing
Can sound be used as a tool to support our holistic well-being? Some may be immediately tempted to dismiss the idea, yet anyone who feels better listening to their favourite song, or who has experienced a bass line that somehow enchants them into dancing may already understand the power of sound.
The Wednesday I met with David Rutherford, a Certified Meditation Teacher and Sound Healing Practitioner, I was eager to experience how an authentic sound healing experience could support my overall wellness.
From Door to Table
As someone who tended to associate sound with dance floors and singing, I didn’t really know what to expect when it came to sound as a therapeutic tool.
David’s space is the first door down the hallway towards the offices, and stepping through the door feels like stepping away from routine concerns. With soft lighting and soothing aromas, the designated space was set up with soft chairs, a table for the client to lay on, and décor that created a relaxed atmosphere.
And of course, the room is filled with several beautiful Tibetan bowls, which are used to provide the sound healing session.
David invited me to sit, and we discussed my goals for the session. I expressed that I’d been feeling ungrounded, heavy with brain fog, and struggled to think clearly the past week. I shared that I hoped that sound healing would help me find greater clarity and calm.
Having taken my goals and sensitivities into account, David asked me to lie on the table, and covered me with a soft blanket.
The sound healing began with a bowl that was used to conduct an energy assessment, providing feedback about where a practitioner should focus. Through this process, David guided me through a relaxing visualization, inviting me to release tension or expectations as to what the session would entail.
Through the course of the session, David played the Tibetan bowls rhythmically, in both harmonious and dissonant patterns. Chimes and aromatherapy were used to deepen the experience.
I found myself slipping into a deeply relaxed state. Upon completion, I was eased, light, and the brain fog I had been battling all week has cleared away like clouds parting.
Not Just Sound, But Physical Vibration
Having practiced meditation for some time, including various guiding meditations, the sounds of the Tibetan bowls were somewhat familiar to me. Clear tones are often used to cultivate a soothing soundscape in meditation.
However, I had not expected the way I would feel the vibrations of the bowls in my own body during the sound healing session.
Each of the bowls is tuned to a certain note, and each note corresponds to one of the seven main chakras. The bowl corresponded to the root chakra was set up near my feet, and each time David struck it, I could feel the vibrations of the sound through my feet and even into my calves.
Speaking to David about my experience after the fact, he affirmed, “It’s not just the sound. The vibration of it is really affecting the healing – it’s literally vibrating your cells.”
“The Most Relaxed They’ve Ever Been”
“Typically, most people find it very relaxing. A lot of people tell me that they feel better than when they walked in, that it’s the most relaxed they’ve ever been, or [the most relaxed they’ve been] in years.” – David Rutherford, Certified Meditation Teacher and Sound Healing Practitioner
Sound healing, as a modality, uses sound and vibration to ease clients into a relaxed state of mind and body. David enhances this process with gentle, guided meditation and his own intuitive playing.
By connecting clients to a deeper state of relaxation and stress relief, sound healing can assist with:
· General stress relief
· Reductions in anxiety, depression, and tension
· Reductions in physical pains scores
In fact, the use of singing bowls has a direct and measurable effect on human brainwaves, inducing a brainwave state associated with the deepest state of relaxation. This delta wave frequency is the same brain activity we may experience during a dreamless sleep or deep meditation. Sound healing is a modality that can help us access this state even if we don’t have significant experience meditating.
“Because of how relaxing it is for people, that alone leads to stress relief and to physical healing. The body is able to heal itself with the cells vibrating on that microscopic level.” - David Rutherford, Certified Meditation Teacher and Sound Healing Practitioner
Looking To Experience Sound Healing Yourself?
There are options for accessing sound healing at Root To Crown Connection Centre!
Individual sessions enable you to access the full benefits of tailored treatment. Guided by your personal treatment goals and tuning into your personal needs, David can intuitively respond to your personal treatment needs. You can book a session with David by emailing david@healingandwholeness.ca.
However, for those who have never experienced sound healing or meditation before (or for those looking for an affordable option), RTC is hosting Group Himalayan Sound Baths.
Check out the RTC Calendar and never miss one of their events!
About The Writer
Danielle Hauck wears many hats in her business, Vibrant Systems. Through her writing, she seeks to help her community and clients deepen their connection to self, connection to others, and connection to their environment. Why? Because well-being and community are each holistic, multi-level concepts, and it’s by nurturing the connections between them that the transformation happens.
If you’re interested in hiring Danielle to share your story, you can send her an email at danielle.vibrantsystems@gmail.com. Let’s make your story a vibrant one.