A quick search for ‘south bath Sydney’ brings up dozens of pages plastered with photos of zen-looking women cradling sound bowls and gongs, which they promise will promote relaxation, healing and inner peace for up to $200 an hour.
Do they actually work? According to Dr Sandra Garrido, senior research fellow at The University of Sydney’s School of Psychology, the answer is a pretty solid “no”.
Sound baths are a popular wellness and spirituality practice many claim help with stress, anxiety, muscle tension and more. microgen
That doesn’t mean sound baths are completely without benefit, nor is she suggesting the people selling them are scamming us.
“There’s nothing dangerous about them, and if people enjoy them and find it relaxing, great,” Garrido told nine.com.au.
“But I definitely wouldn’t be spending lots of money on these things, thinking that they have some special healing power.”
Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Skipper: mskipper@nine.com.au
What is a sound bath?
A yogic sound bath is spent quietly listening to sounds from simple instruments like chimes, sound bowls and gongs.
Participants typically take part in group sound baths hosted in quiet, intimate settings like yoga studios, private spaces or natural outdoor settings.
The goal is to help participants centre themselves and relax while listening to the sounds and turning inwards.
Sound baths may seem like an ancient practice, but they’re actually a pretty recent addition to modern yoga that was developed off the back of the ‘savasana’ meditation at the end of modern yoga classes.
Many Australian yoga studios and private practitioners now offer sound baths, which have become a popular and lucrative sector of the wellness industry.
Some even claim sound baths can help manage anxiety, release muscle tension, regulate the nervous system or treat mental and physical illness – but those claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
Is there any science behind sound baths?
There is plenty of solid science behind why humans have physiological and cognitive reactions to sound, especially soothing sounds.
“Anything that doesn’t have a really driving tempo can be quite relaxing because our physiological response is … our heart rate slows down, our breathing slows down, and we end up feeling more relaxed,” Garrido said.
“There are cognitive elements too, like if we believe that somebody’s doing something that’s healing, or we’re in a relaxing environment.”
The goal of sound baths is to help participants relax and achieve harmony, usually in small group settings. microgen
Scientifically, it makes sense that people would feel relaxed when exposed to relaxing sounds in a relaxing environment.
But that doesn’t prove there’s anything special about sound baths in particular, nor is it evidence that they provide any benefits beyond relaxation.
Some small studies have linked sound baths to increased spiritual wellbeing, reduced tension and anxiety, and improved blood pressure and heart rate, but the evidence is limited and far from concrete.
“Contrary to popular belief, there are no particular sound frequencies that influence our body in particular ways,” Garrido said.
“It’s like a placebo effect, but who cares if it’s helping you to relax and feel better?”
Do sound baths work?
The answer to this ultimately depends on what you want to get out of a sound bath.
If you’re after relaxation, spiritual immersion, mindfulness and a bit of self-care, sound baths might work for you. If you want a cure for anxiety, probably not.
Sitting quietly in a relaxing environment may provide the same soothing benefits as a sound bath for some Aussies, without the price tag. Julia Gomina
“There’s not a lot of science behind them but having said that, if people enjoy them and find it relaxing, good on them,” Garrido said.
“It doesn’t really matter whether it’s a placebo or an actual thing that the sounds are doing.
“As long as it’s done with the understanding that there’s no miraculous healing going on here, go for it.”
Just try to avoid forking out huge amounts of money for a sound bath, if you can.