Backed by RAIN's Mindfulness Expert, Katie Wolf
Have you ever felt your heart race when you hear your alarm or an ambulance siren? This sudden reaction is your nervous system at work, responding to perceived threats. While this system is essential for survival, its constant activation can leave your body feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Learning to regulate your nervous system not only calms your body and mind but also helps you find lasting peace and clarity.
What is the nervous system and how does it work?
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, which send and receive messages to control essential functions such as movement, breathing, thinking, and speaking.
It also determines how your body responds to different situations by activating either the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system triggers your fight or flight response which creates a reaction and prepares your body for action and survival. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system engages your rest and digest response, relaxing your body’s activities and supporting healing.
Why is regulating your nervous system so important?
Repeated activation of the stress response can strain your body, with symptoms like increased heart rate and quick breathing . This overtime can contribute to high blood pressure, the formation artery-clogging deposits, anxiety, depression, and even addiction.
Additionally when your nervous system is in overdrive, your ability to communicate with others and manage emotions becomes compromised. Stress can cause withdrawal, irritability, and a lack of mental clarity, leading to ineffective coping mechanisms. Understanding how to regulate your nervous system is crucial for maintaining emotional balance, a calm mind, and promoting overall wellbeing.
An effective method to engage your parasympathetic nervous system is by practicing sound baths. Our mindfulness expert, Katie Wolf, shares how this practice can transform your health and wellbeing.
About Katie
I’m Katie, a Chopra certified meditation teacher, qualified sound therapist and co-founder of Regulate Wellbeing. My mission is to make wellness accessible to everyone by providing moments in the day to regulate the nervous system leading to improved multidimensional health.
What are sound baths?
Sound baths are a form of meditation that uses vibrations to aid relaxation on a multi-dimensional level. Instruments like gongs, Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls and chimes to create calming frequencies that stimulate relaxation.
You can experience sound baths either in person or online, making this practice accessible to everyone. In person sound baths are often held in cosy, calm spaces such as yoga studios. You can expect to lay down on a mat using bolsters and blankets to get comfortable, creating a bed-like space. The therapist may use incense and candles or burn sage to cleanse the energy and help you arrive into the space. They will guide you into a deep meditation using their voice whilst playing the instruments usually for one to two hours.
Alternatively, you could receive a sound bath online, which is equally as powerful. Some people report feeling a deeper connection to themselves or work through deeper emotions as they are in a safe space they know and feel comfortable in. For the best experience at home, use headphones during the session, as the sound quality is much better, which is essential for the sound bath to be effective.
How can sound baths help regulate your nervous system?
Sound affects our nervous system almost instantly, which is why sound baths are able to regulate the nervous system very quickly. When we hear a loud bang or siren, a surge of adrenaline causes our heart rate to increase suddenly, which is a fight or flight response. Similarly, calming sounds can impact our state just as quickly and shift your body into a state of relaxation.
The tranquil sounds from a sound bath activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting stress release and deep relaxation. The frequencies from the sounds guide the brain into a theta brainwave state, a place where we experience deep relaxation and restoration with feelings of timelessness. It also allows us to deeply connect to ourselves and tap into our intuition and creativity along with processing emotions. Some people may find it challenging to reach this state alone, however sound can help you access this dreamy state with ease.
Aside from regulating the nervous system, sound baths can transform every dimension of your health and wellbeing. They can support physical health by lowering blood pressure or improving sleep, mental health by reducing anxiety and maintaining emotional balance, and spiritual wellbeing by deepening connection to one's highest self and emotional by releasing trauma.
Discover a calmer, more relaxed you by incorporating sound baths into your wellbeing routine. If you’re unsure where to start, explore Katie’s sound bath sessions and experience the healing power of sound for yourself.
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