Did you know sound therapy dates back to ancient Greece when people used music and chants to heal physical and mental illnesses?
Sound is powerful and healing in many ways. Your favorite song can lift your mood, and hearing a violin play can bring you to tears.
Binaural beat therapy is a type of sound therapy that can reduce your stress and change your life. If you’re looking to add more relaxation therapies to your life, then you’re in the right place.
Keep reading to learn all you need to know about binaural beat therapy and how it can help you!
What Is Sound Therapy?
Sound therapy uses music to improve your overall physical health and emotional well-being. Sound healing uses different vibrations and frequencies that promote relaxation in the mind and body.
Typically, you’ll lie on the floor with a yoga mat or a blanket. During a typical session, bells, singing bells, chimes, and gongs are often used for bathing you in soothing sounds. Sound therapy can also involve singing, meditating, or playing an instrument.
Uses for sound therapy vary, but it can help treat symptoms from different medical conditions such as
- Anxiety
- Dementia
- Depression
- Autism
- Behavioral disorders
- Cancer
Binaural Beat Therapy
Binaural beats are a form of sound wave therapy. They stimulate your brain into a more relaxed state by using certain tones and frequencies that cause your brainwaves to align with the beat.
Different brainwave patterns are associated with different states of mind, from anxious to relaxed. Binaural beats can improve your mood and focus by altering these brainwaves.
If you continue to train your brain with binaural beat therapy, you can condition your brain waves into staying within these relaxing frequencies.
How Binaural Beats Work
Binaural beat tones need to have two frequencies lower than 1,000 Hertz (Hz) for your brain to detect the binaural beat. Binaural beats use slightly different tones for each ear.
For example, if you listen to a frequency of 131 Hz in your left ear and a frequency of 121 Hz in your right ear, the difference is 10 Hz. The binaural beat you perceive is the frequency difference between the waves entering each ear.
For binaural beats to work, the difference between the tones can’t exceed 30 Hz. You also need to listen to each tone separately, with one tone for each ear.
Binaural Beat Patterns
There are different binaural beat frequency patterns that you can experiment with, depending on what you want to accomplish. These patterns include:
The delta pattern has a frequency range from 1 to 4 Hz. Delta patterns are linked with deeper stages of sleep and relaxation.
The theta pattern has frequency ranges from 4 to 7 Hz. Theta patterns are great for reducing anxiety and improving relaxation and REM sleep. They’re also helpful for meditation and creativity.
The alpha pattern has a frequency range from 8 to 13 Hz. This frequency range is thought to promote positivity and relaxation while decreasing anxiety.
The beta pattern ranges from 14 to 30 Hz. These frequency ranges increase concentration, alertness, and problem-solving abilities.
Finally, the gamma pattern ranges from 30 to 50 Hz. This range helps the most during your working day as it helps with training and learning.
Binaural Beat Benefits
The benefits of binaural beat therapy vary for each person and depend on what frequencies are used. Benefits commonly reported include:
- Decrease of mood swings
- Lower stress levels
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower blood pressure
- Better pain management
- Improves confidence
- Allows for deeper meditation
Binaural beat therapy can also help treat insomnia. When you sleep, your brain generates different brain waves depending on your sleep stage.
Listening to delta and theta frequencies can relax you more and allow for deeper levels of sleep. Over time, this creates a shift in your brain and results in longer periods of restful sleep.
If you suffer from depression, listening to binaural beats in the alpha and delta frequency ranges can provide some relief. Binaural beats can reduce depression symptoms for many people. However, you’ll get the best results by combining binaural beat therapy with traditional therapy.
You can also use binaural beats to lower anxiety symptoms. Theta and delta frequency ranges are relaxing and make you feel less anxious overall. They’re even put to use in hospital or hospice settings to help people dealing with serious medical issues.
Using Binaural Beats
You can find plenty of apps, podcasts, and videos that will allow you to try binaural beats for free. Many include music, nature sounds, and guided meditation to help you focus.
Some tips to follow when first listening to binaural beats includes:
- You’ll need to find good quality headphones or earbuds
- Make sure to choose the right frequency for what you want to accomplish
- Find a quiet place with no distractions or people
- Listen to binaural beats for at least 30 minutes each day
- Be careful not to play binaural beats at a loud volume
You’ll also want to avoid binaural beat therapy while you’re working on tasks that require your full attention, such as driving or operating any machinery.
Sound Therapy for You
Life can be busy and complicated. It’s more important than ever not to forget about the healing power of sound. Binaural beat therapy can be a very effective way to manage the stress in your daily life.
If you’re looking for natural alternatives to healing, then the Sanctuary of Integration Wellness Center is exactly what you need to get back on track.
We offer massage therapy, hot stone therapy, energy therapy, and much more. We’re also adding sound therapy to our services for 2022, so make sure you contact us today to book an appointment.
