Latest news with #soundtherapy
Daily Mail
27-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Revealed: the AI headband that relieves nasal allergy symptoms and that shoppers say 'literally helps me breathe' (and it's FDA-approved)
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Allergies can absolutely demolish your day. One minute you're breathing in the fresh, clean air, and the next you're struggling to keep your head up because you can't stop sneezing, sniffling, and practically weeping. It's enough to throw anyone off their game, which is why the SoundHealth SONU Band has more than caught our attention. This truly revolutionary headband is designed to provide a drug-free solution to your allergy woes, offering relief from congestion, a runny nose, and itchiness from the first wear. Relying on vibrational sound therapy, SONU gently stimulates the sinuses with acoustic frequencies to relieve congestion, itchiness, and runny nose SONU uses vibrational sound therapy to help you feel better within minutes. The headband gently yet effectively vibrates the sinuses with acoustic frequencies that are personalized to your specific needs. This stimulating action minimizes swelling and inflammation, promoting drainage in the process so you can quickly get back to breathing more clearly. The product is a world apart from traditional allergy treatments, which block the body's histamine reaction responsible for all of those unpleasant symptoms. It can take a while for them to work, and in some cases they may not do the job at all. Not only does SONU work, but it is clinically proven to be just as effective — if not more effective — as traditional steroid nasal sprays. There's no mess or unpleasant taste involved here, and it can help with even more severe allergic symptoms. That includes the stuffiness that makes it feel impossible to breathe, the runny nose that makes going about your normal activities feel like a challenge, and the maddening itchiness. If that has a 'too good to be true' ring to it, you really need to experience it to believe it. According to one user, 'I just started to use this four days ago and had the best night sleep since I can remember. I am a believer. Congestion is much improved.' It's been so effective, in fact, that more than 80 percent of users experienced a significant drop in their congestion symptoms. They also showed a remarkable 2x improvement in their discomfort compared to a placebo. What's especially notable is that your therapy is tailored to your needs. To get started, you'll first need to scan your face using the SONU app. The scan reads your features to determine the placement of sinus and nasal cavities for accurate treatment. Then simply put on the headband (available in your choice of black and gray) and press the button on the front to activate the sound vibrations. The app even gives you detailed feedback about your success via SONUCheck, which uses AI to analyze your voice and determine how well you are breathing in real time. The score tells you just how open your nasal passages are during your therapy. Once you try it, you may never look back. 'I am obsessed with my SONU Band,' confessed a shopper. 'I have my husband hooked too. It has made such a difference in my life. I am truly grateful!' 'Amazing,' said a third. 'This device literally helps me breathe. I now sleep better and live better. SONU has saved me thousands of dollars on custom compounded nasal sprays that I no longer need. No more nasal washes. No more decongestants.' It's also comfortable — another perk that makes the SoundHealth SONU Band well worth it if you're mired by allergies. Get in on this game-changing treatment now and experience the difference for yourself!
Forbes
27-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Sonu Is Turning Sound Therapy Into The Next Wave Of Wearable Wellness
The Sons Band uses personalized sound waves to relieve congestion. Sonu There's nothing pretty about allergies, and the Sonu wearable aims to fix that. Puffy eyes. A red, runny nose. Scratchy throat. And that's nothing compared to the sinus pressure, brain fog, and relentless congestion that turns everyday tasks into uphill climbs. For many, over-the-counter meds only pile on side effects: drowsiness, rebound symptoms, or risky drug interactions. Suddenly, the cure can feel as miserable as the cause. But what if relief came from something far simpler? Like sound? The SONU Band, a headband-style device from medical tech startup SoundHealth uses personalized sound wave stimulation to clear nasal congestion in minutes. First cleared for adults, it recently received FDA de novo approval for kids as young as 12, positioning it as a lifestyle-friendly alternative to pills, sprays, and steroids. 'Nasal congestion and allergies don't have to be life-altering,' said SoundHealth Founder and CEO Dr. Paramesh Gopi. 'We're thrilled to now be able to offer relief to children … and continue working to help people breathe better.' Sonu: The Wearable That Clears Sinuses, Monitors Breathing, and Forecasts Allergies At the core of Sonu's design is a process called Acoustic Resonance Therapy (ART), which uses sound waves to stimulate the sinuses at their natural, or resonant , frequency. Sonu's steroid-free approach to allergy relief is a game changer for children and their parents. Sonu by Soundhealth Consider a wine glass. When tapped, it makes a specific sound. That pitch is its resonant frequency. If you play that same pitch loudly nearby, the glass may start to vibrate or even shatter because the sound waves are matching its natural frequency and transferring energy efficiently. The Sonu Band applies this principle to a person's sinuses, but instead of shattered glass, the user is left with a clear nasal passage. Here's how it works: After a quick facial scan in the companion app, AI models the user's unique sinus anatomy to calculate their resonant frequencies. The device, worn across the forehead, then delivers targeted acoustic vibrations that work with the body, not against it. After a facial scan in the companion app, AI models the user's unique sinus anatomy and calculates its resonant frequencies. The band, worn across the forehead, then delivers targeted acoustic vibrations via bone conduction, gently vibrating the sinus cavities to loosen mucus, reduce swelling, and clear congestion – no meds required. The device pairs with a smartphone app powering additional features, such as a predictor of potential flare-ups based on live environmental factors. SONUCheck uses a short voice recording to measure nasal patency (how open the user's airways are) based on vocal biomarkers tied to airflow. Over time, both tools adapt to the user, offering real-time symptom tracking. Sonu 'Nasal breathing is core to energy, focus, sleep, and even facial aesthetics,' explains Dr. Gopi. ' Sonu empowers people to take control of that with just a few minutes a day.' Over time, both tools adapt to the user, offering a low-effort, personalized view of what's driving congestion and how to stay ahead of it – especially valuable for people with chronic nasal issues, as well as athletes, vocalists, or anyone who relies on clear nasal breathing for performance. Meet the doctors behind Soundhealth and Sonu SoundHealth emerged from Dr. Gopi's own struggle with chronic allergies – and a question shared by more than 80 million Americans: Why haven't we fixed this yet? A veteran engineer and serial tech founder, Gopi spent years rotating through antihistamines and steroid sprays, frustrated by diminishing returns and mounting side effects. He started looking for drug-free solutions. But outside of nasal flushes, acupuncture, and anti-inflammatory diets, there were few options and almost no recent innovation. Dr. Gopi and cofounders, Stanford Physicians Peter Hwang and Bryant Lin, are excited to bring the world's first FDA De Novo approved AI wearable for allergy relief to market. Sonu Gopi bootstrapped SoundHealth through its early development before partnering with Stanford physicians Dr. Peter H. Hwang and Dr. Bryant T. Lin. Dr. Hwang, an internationally recognized rhinologist and sinus surgeon, serves as Stanford's Vice Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Lin, a clinician, researcher, and founder of rhinitis treatment leader Arrinex, brings deep experience at the intersection of medicine and innovation. Together, the team spent four years developing the first FDA-cleared wearable for allergic rhinitis – powered not by pharmaceuticals, but by physics. Because ART wasn't yet recognized as a medical therapy, and no similar consumer device existed, the SoundHealth team had to validate both the science and the product. 'When we first submitted our early single-arm clinical trial results to the FDA, they pushed back quite heavily,' said Gopi. 'They had no framework to judge our technology.' So they built one. The company assembled a full stack, cross-disciplinary R&D team spanning acoustic physics, sinus anatomy, and AI. They conducted cadaver and live-subject CT studies to confirm that the app's modeling of sinus structures could match medical-grade imaging. According to Gopi, their FDA submission followed 'a pharma-grade process,' including an active sham control, multiple geographic trial sites, and an ethnographically balanced patient pool to account for facial structure diversity. The company's data was then benchmarked against 14 leading allergy medications across 54 placebo-controlled studies with over 14,000 participants. The result? Sonu matched or outperformed conventional treatments, with no reported side effects. Interest has followed. SoundHealth has raised $7 million in seed funding, according to BusinessWire . Independent reviews have been promising, too: A Massachusetts General Hospital study found ART to be 'safe and effective' for nasal congestion, and a pilot published in the National Library of Medicine reported 'significant improvement' in acute symptoms compared to placebo. Since its commercial debut, SoundHealth says they've sold over 5,000 bands and is expanding its reach across both clinical and consumer settings. In addition to medspas and hospitals, adoption has grown in VA clinics, where doctors are using it to help combat veterans manage chronic congestion without triggering medication conflicts. 'Many of these patients are on medications for heart conditions or mental health,' said Gopi. 'Sonu gives them a safe, drug-free alternative.' And as concerns rise around the long-term use of allergy drugs – particularly among children, older adults, and those with complex health profiles – SoundHealth is gaining traction as a credible, tech-forward alternative. At $299, the device is FSA/HSA eligible and supports up to four personalized user profiles. With clinical validation, regulatory clearance, and early adoption in both hospitals and wellness programs, the Sonu Band is redefining what a modern respiratory solution can look like: non-invasive, personalized, and rooted in real science. 'We're not just treating congestion,' said Dr. Gopi. 'We're building a new standard for respiratory care.'
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Secret Billionaire Frequency Launches Official Website Update Showcasing 7-Minute Daily Audio Program to Support Wealth Mindset and Mental Clarity
Science-Inspired Sound Program Uses Theta and 369Hz Frequencies to Support Subconscious Alignment, Focus, and Daily Mental Wellness Atlanta, June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Secret Billionaire Frequency, a digital wellness initiative rooted in neuroscience-inspired sound therapy, has officially announced a comprehensive update to its website, featuring expanded product education and access to its flagship 7-minute daily audio program. The audio track is designed to support personal growth and mental alignment by utilizing specific sound frequencies that are said to encourage a constructive, wealth-oriented mindset. According to the brand's updated website, the Secret Billionaire Frequency audio session uses a combination of binaural beats, theta wave stimulation, and a dual-frequency structure that includes a proprietary 369Hz audio layer. This sound pattern is presented as a non-verbal auditory experience that supports users interested in maintaining daily focus, engaging in self-reflection, and enhancing their perception of opportunities. Updated Website Enhancements The newly optimized platform offers a more in-depth look into the program's structure and provides additional clarity on its intended use. Visitors will find detailed explanations of brainwave theory, including references to theta frequencies (4–8 Hz) that are commonly associated with deep meditative states and heightened subconscious receptivity. Additionally, the company outlines its use of 369Hz—a reference inspired by Nikola Tesla's writings on energy, frequency, and mathematical harmony. While these associations are metaphysical in nature and presented as theoretical inspiration, the company includes them as part of its unique narrative and product philosophy. The website also features: Clear guidelines for the safe and optimal use of the audio program Insights into the theoretical purpose behind dual-channel frequency layering Everyday use cases such as pre-morning routine alignment and post-work decompression A FAQ section covering technical requirements, device compatibility, and user privacy The Secret Billionaire Frequency program is available for direct digital access through its website. The program includes the primary 7-minute track, bonus audio sessions for mood priming, and a 365-day satisfaction policy. Brainwave Entrainment and Personal Development The audio program does not require conscious verbal affirmation or visualization practices. Instead, it leverages what the company describes as passive entrainment—a method of supporting users through nonverbal, frequency-based stimulation. The company emphasizes that this method is not intended to replace professional therapy or financial planning but rather to complement existing routines designed for mental clarity and intentional behavior. Scientific literature strongly supports the general principle that theta waves, particularly in the 4–8 Hz range, are correlated with enhanced emotional regulation, creative visualization, and subconscious access. While Secret Billionaire Frequency does not make medical or clinical claims, it positions its product within the context of sound-based wellness tools, providing a theoretical framework grounded in established sound wellness literature. Product Philosophy and Ethical Positioning The narrative inspiration for Secret Billionaire Frequency draws on theoretical interpretations of Tesla's work, stories of elite retreats, and speculative discussions around vibrational alignment. These stories are used metaphorically on the brand's website and are not represented as verifiable events or scientifically verified claims. Rather than presenting a guarantee of wealth, the program is marketed as an optional support tool for those interested in exploring frequency-based personal development. The updated website clearly distinguishes between metaphysical inspiration, narrative branding, and functional product features, ensuring that users understand the program's purpose and benefits. Accessibility and User Profile Secret Billionaire Frequency may appeal to: Entrepreneurs and creatives seeking morning or evening clarity routines Adults managing burnout or attention fatigue Individuals seeking passive, screen-free wellness practices Audio-based learners interested in self-regulation tools The product is designed for ease of integration into existing routines. Its short daily time commitment and passive delivery format allow for flexibility without introducing cognitive load. Sound Theory: The 369Hz Reference While the 369Hz frequency holds no formal scientific designation, the brand associates it with Tesla's numeric symbolism and integrates it into the audio structure as a point of philosophical inspiration. The company presents this concept as part of a broader story of energy alignment rather than as a medical or financial breakthrough. Theta wave audio, by contrast, has been studied for decades. Brainwave entrainment tools that utilize theta and alpha ranges are commonly explored in biofeedback therapy, mindfulness apps, and academic studies related to neuroplasticity. Secret Billionaire Frequency applies similar principles within its proprietary structure, combining these with stereo channel balancing and mood-focused overlays. Independent Usage, No Coaching or Training Required Unlike traditional mindset coaching or financial mentorship programs, Secret Billionaire Frequency does not include verbal coaching or group sessions. The program is designed as a solo-use, audio-based experience, emphasizing private engagement and minimal instruction. Users are encouraged to listen with headphones for maximum effectiveness, as the stereo field plays a central role in how the dual-layered frequencies are experienced. The program can be used upon waking, during work breaks, or as part of a relaxation routine. Official Product Access and Support The program is hosted exclusively through the official Secret Billionaire Frequency website. Users are advised to review the provided documentation, safety guidelines, and compatibility notes before engaging with the product. Support is available through ClickBank's customer platform and the Secret Billionaire Frequency contact team: Product Name: Secret Billionaire FrequencyOfficial Website: Support (U.S.): 1-800-390-6035International Support: +1-208-345-4245Email: support@ Portal: Disclaimer This release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or psychological advice. The statements made about this program have not been evaluated by any regulatory agency. Secret Billionaire Frequency is not a treatment or diagnostic tool. Individual experiences may vary. Consumers are encouraged to consult a qualified professional before beginning any new audio-based personal development program. CONTACT: Customer Support (U.S.): 1-800-390-6035 International Support: +1-208-345-4245 Email: support@ in to access your portfolio
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Why Sound Therapy Could Be The Cure-All To The Modern Mental Health Crisis
Modern sound therapy — from baths to app to binaural beats — has exploded in popularity, promising everything from better sleep to reduced road rage. Why are we tuning in now? The term 'nervous breakdown' is no longer used – 'mental-health crisis' is the nomenclature du jour – but I think I had one two years ago. My journey into the psychological night was precipitated by a propensity for clinical depression and catalysed by the death of my father, the loss of two friends to suicide, and my husband's transition into a wheelchair after years of chronic illness. I don't believe that sound therapy cured me. I gradually escaped the darkness through medical intervention from a brilliant Russian psychiatrist who was well worth his exorbitant fee. But throughout my odyssey, I relied on sound-healing tools for comfort. I regularly attended in-person sound baths with a Los Angeles sound-bowl practitioner, Devon Cunningham, which helped me return to the world by lying on a mat in public, surrounded by strangers. At home, I soothed anxiety using a YouTube video with a very long title: 'Sleep Release [Insomnia Healing] Deeply Relaxing Sleep Music * Binaural Beats.' The 'Sleep Release' audio that accompanied me through what Emily Dickinson would call 'a funeral in my brain' was created by a musician from the Netherlands who, like Prince, is simply named Zac. Zac's YouTube channel, @SleepTube, offers a seemingly infinite collection of audio tracks with subtitles like 'Binaural Delta Brainwaves @2.0Hz' to alleviate worry and foster sleep. He has nearly a million subscribers, including one video ('The Deepest Healing Sleep | 3.2Hz Delta Brain Waves | REM Sleep Music – Binaural Beats') that has more than 45 million views. But Zac's free YouTube channel is only the tip of the contemporary sound-healing iceberg. International media music and intellectual-property giant Cutting Edge has launched a wellness division, Myndstream, and is currently partnering on wellness music with producer and rapper Timbaland, as well as on an album with Sigur Rós's Jónsi. In a 2023 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Reese Witherspoon espoused the benefits of falling asleep to binaural beats, and on a recent episode of Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, actress Rashida Jones discussed using sound-wave technology to manage road rage. So why has sound healing, which has a 2,000-year history rooted in the singing bowls of Nepal, Tibet, and India, become so popular? What exactly is a binaural beat? And what does it do to our brains? Manuela Kogon, a clinical professor and integrative-medicine internist at the Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine, describes binaural beats as an 'auditory illusion.' 'If you give the brain two different sounds that have different frequencies but are close together – within 30 hertz of each other – the brain is like, 'What the heck? There are two sounds. What am I supposed to do?'' she explains. 'The brain can't differentiate that. It can't say that it's two; it also can't say it's one. It just averages the difference and hallucinates a new sound. It's kind of funny.' The binaural beat may be newly viral, but Manuela points out that they've been around for more than a hundred years. A German scientist named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered them and published a paper about his findings in 1839. Manuela, a self-described 'brain junkie,' has been studying them for decades; she digs out one of her papers from the '90s for me where she states that 'binaural beats have been purported to induce mood alterations, contingent on the beat frequency. Claims range from entraining the whole brain to altering states of consciousness.' Modern sound healing is not limited to binaural beats alone. Modalities include sound baths, guided meditation, tuning fork therapy, vibroacoustic therapy, audiovisual technology, and music therapy, and the espoused results range from mood enhancement, sleep improvement, stress reduction, and relaxation to wilder claims of destroying cancer cells and manifesting wealth. A binaural beat or sound bath has not been proven to cure cancer or make you rich, but the beneficial effects of sound healing, according to Manuela, involve 'modulating physiology, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, EEG … altering immune and endocrine function, and improving pain, anxiety, fatigue, and depression and have been extensively studied.' Like many alternative wellness treatments, sound therapy seems to have increased in popularity during Covid. 'We were all stuck at home,' says New York based practitioner Lavender Suarez, author of the book Transcendent Waves: How Listening Shapes Our Creative Lives. 'So how could we get these same healing tools?' A sound-healing practitioner for 10 years and an experimental musician for 20, with an academic background in counselling and art therapy, Lavender uses physical instruments like gongs, often in repetitive patterns that function in similar brain-entraining ways to digital audio fi les. She's wary, though, of the claims tossed around related to sound frequencies. 'When people are prescriptive about sound frequencies, I'm like, hold on. Brain waves and sound waves are not in direct correlation,' she says. 'I think the interest in specific frequencies comes from our culture's obsession with data. We want that single-shot fix that's always been building in the wellness industry. How do we get to things quicker, faster? 'I only have X amount of time.'' The impact of sound on healing may be just as much about the recipient's goals as it is about the healer's design. 'It's more about the intentions you're putting behind these binaural beats when you're listening,' Lavender says. 'When people are listening to these essentially generic audio fi les online, they're taking what they're bringing into it. The creator is trying to steer the intention by saying, 432 Hz for self-love. You go into it thinking, 'Okay, self-love.' But you could listen to binaural beats for sleep and go for a jog.' I spoke with Robert Koch, an official musical partner of the Monroe Institute, which bills itself as 'the world's leading education center for the study of human consciousness' and has extensive programming around sound technology to 'empower the journey to self-discovery.' Robert, who goes by the stage name Robot Koch, is an L.A.-based composer, producer, and sonic innovator who began his career as a heavy-metal drummer. He now embeds signals produced by the Monroe Institute into his compositions. 'I'm my own guinea pig,' says Robert. 'I try these things on myself, and I can tell when something works on my nervous system because I get more relaxed.' Robert sent me a Spotify link to one of his Monroe Institute collaborations, titled Ocean Consciousness. I found the track relaxing and sleep-inducing, though the sirenic voices peppered throughout the piece made me melancholic. Maybe that's the point. 'It's powerful when people write to me about experiences they've had with my music helping them move through something emotional,' says Robert. 'Music isn't just entertainment. It's a language that speaks to the subconscious.' Virginia-based sound therapist and musician Guy Blakeslee works with clients on everything from alleviating anxiety and increasing physical energy to manifesting love and assisting with fertility issues. Guy interviews his clients and then creates personalised 'sonic talismans' using custom blends of sounds, including Mellotron and Nord synthesizer tones, dolphin and whale sounds, honeybee sounds and a heartbeat. 'Have you ever gotten anyone pregnant?' I ask him. 'I have met the baby,' he says. Guy always believed in the healing properties of music, but it wasn't until he was hit by a car and suff ered a traumatic brain injury that he began pursuing music as therapy. 'It was March 13th 2020, and I was unconscious in the hospital when lockdown took effect,' he says. 'I woke up in the pandemic with this brain injury and spent most of my time using music and sound to guide myself through the recovery process. I found that long, sustaining tones were healing and soothing. I went on to get certifi ed through an online course. What I learned was what I'd intuitively discovered in my own recovery.' Musician, heal thyself. My sound practitioner, Devon Cunningham, who has played her singing bowls for Hermès and Dartmouth College and in outreach programs for Los Angeles County, also describes her trajectory from a job in real estate to sound-bowl practitioner as healing. Devon went on a plant-medicine retreat in Ecuador with her 80-something-year-old mother, and it was there that she first began playing the singing bowls. She found that sound healing provided additional benefits for her chronic lung disease. 'The bowls saved my life,' she says. When Devon ordered new quartz-crystal bowls for a residency at Colgate University, she discovered that 432 Hz, had a heightened impact on healing. 'I witnessed people having experiences with these new 432 bowls that I hadn't seen with my 440 Hz bowls. Ever since then, I've been on the 432, and I've seen miracle after miracle.' While Devon's results with the god frequency are experiential, a 2022 study by researchers at University of Florence and Careggi University Hospital that was published in the journal Acto Biomedica concluded, 'Listening to music at 432 Hz is a low cost and short intervention that can be a useful resource to manage anxiety and stress.' Robert Koch composes music with a frequency called the Schumann resonance: a natural phenomenon, also known as the Earth's heartbeat, that has a fundamental frequency of 7.83 Hz. He's also pursuing vibroacoustics, where listeners feel sounds in their bodies. 'Einstein said that music is the medicine of the future,' he notes. 'Vibration. And I think we're just scratching the surface.' I, myself, am no Einstein. Maybe this is why I find Brainwaves – the most popular binaural-beats app in the Apple App Store – overwhelming. Upon downloading the app, I'm asked which goals I hope to achieve, and I'm given an abundance of choices: Body Wellness, Binaural Sleep, Relax and Calm, Spiritual Awakening. Who doesn't want all of these things? I go with Spiritual Awakening and am brought to another page, where my path to enlightenment is broken down into still more categories: Connection with a Higher Power, Fulfillment and Meaning, Self- Understanding and Clarity. As an existentially challenged person, I choose Fulfillment and Meaning, but then I get FOMO and go back to the beginning. Rather than soothing my nervous system, the choices give me more anxiety. This choose-your-own-adventure approach is unsurprising, given that some of the latest sound-healing tools emerged from gaming. SoundSelf, an interactive audiovisual therapeutic, uses video-game technology, vocal-toning biofeedback, and generative soundscapes to induce drug-free psychedelic states. On Zoom, I meet with the audio director for the digital therapeutics company SoundSelf, Lorna Dune, a Milwaukee-based sound designer and electronic musician. Lorna walks me through several experiments with immersive audiovisual tech. First, we tinker with bilateral light signals: a visual version of binaural beats purported to induce brainwave states like theta (associated with relaxation) and delta (emitted during deep sleep). The light signals make me anxious. But to be fair, a lot of things make me anxious. We then play with binaural beats at varying frequencies, and this experiment is much more successful. As we transition from an alpha (alert but relaxed) to theta, I feel a palpable shift to a more serene physiological state. Maybe this is the power of suggestion, but I could stay here all afternoon. 'Just like with binaural beats, you can look at dance music and how when we're all moving together to one rhythm, we synchronise,' says Lorna. She adds, 'Our brain wants to synchronise. It's normal behaviour that we've been displaced from in modern society. But we find it again through festivals and in pop culture. We say, 'Oh, it's something new.' No, it's actually just who we are.' Of course, we can't always be at a rave. Or in a sound bath. 'I'm happy for people to receive care in whatever way they can, as long as it's not detrimental,' says Manuela. 'I'm not like, 'No, don't listen to the YouTube audio.' If that's what's working for you, go for it.' The takeaway, says Robert, is that 'acoustic therapies make people feel better, and it might be as simple as that the relaxation happens through focusing on sound, or associated imagery, rather than stressful thoughts, which most of us have too many of these days.' Two years later, I am still listening to the same YouTube audio from Zac's channel. Sometimes I even sleep soundly.
RNZ News
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Freshen the mind with a Gong Bath
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Erika Grant and her sonic medicine kit. Photo: Holly Fenwick / Supplied It was burnout that lead to the gongs. Burnout, and a bit of luck. Erika Grant is a 'gong bath' practitioner, playing the percussion instruments in a way that washes over the listener and helps to ease a fractured mind. Her gongs will form part of a Listening Occasion in this year's Lōemis midwinter festival in Wellington with Berlin-based performer Lou Drago. Speaking to RNZ Concert, Grant said she turned to the gongs after suffering burnout after touring overseas with the music group, Orchestra of Spheres. She'd heard about using the sound of softly played gongs to reduce stress, and came across a beautiful set of the instruments which belonged to the Wellington percussionist Simon O'Rorke. "I asked if I could borrow them, and he said 'no'." But several years later, when O'Rorke decided to sell them, Grant was the first person he contacted. Ready to wash over you. Photo: Erika Grant Grant is passionate about the healing potential of gong sound, which she believes relaxes the mind because a typical gong beat creates lots of harmonics. Harmonics are the sound waves that vibrate above the basic tone of any instrument, or voice. Every voice or instrument has different harmonics - it's how we're able to tell an oboe and a flute apart even if they're playing the same note. But Grant also says it's important to be careful when dispensing gong therapy. It's easy for a gong bath to be too loud, which can have the opposite effect on a listener to the relaxation they were hoping for. A little bit of gong can go a long way.
