Sound Therapy
“Physical sound can lead you to the inner vibration of Prana. Prana is the cause of all sound, and sound is the expression of Prana.” - Swami Satchidananda
Sound has been used for its therapeutic qualities for centuries. This powerful medium is known to inspire a change in state and self-reflection. Participants will be guided through pranayama and vocal tuning, followed by a sound meditation.
Sound therapy helps to facilitate shifts in our brainwave state by using entrainment. Entrainment synchronizes our fluctuating brainwaves by providing a stable frequency which the brainwave can attune to. By using rhythm and frequency, we can entrain our brainwaves and it then becomes possible to down-shift our normal beta state (normal waking consciousness) to alpha (relaxed consciousness), and even reach theta (meditative state) and delta (sleep; where internal healing can occur).
This same concept is utilized in meditation by regulating the breath, but with sound it’s the frequency that is the agent which influences the shift.
What is Sound Therapy?
“You can look at disease as a form of disharmony. And there’s no organ system in the body that’s not affected by sound and music and vibration.” – Mitchell Gaynor, M.D.
The therapeutic sound uses tonal instruments and the voice to support psychological and physiological responses to stress and trauma. Though it’s most frequently depicted with singing bowls, there are many instruments that can make up a sound experience such as gongs, chimes, drums, rattles, etc. It is often accompanied by the voice, or can be done with the voice alone (often called a voice bath). How therapeutic sound is administered varies from practitioner to practitioner. However, the effects can often be the same; increased relaxation, reduction in pain, and greater feelings of ease. Sound meditations often have lasting effects that extend beyond experience, leading to better sleep quality and better stress management.
Studies and research show that the effects of therapeutic sound on the body can be immediate. One of the reasons is due to entrainment. Entrainment is the phenomenon wherein the body responds to an external rhythm, sound, or other stimulus by syncing itself with it. This happens with breath and movement as well. In terms of sound, our bodies can respond by attuning to what we hear, creating more balance and harmony.
What To Expect
These two-hour sound experiences start with a brief introduction to Sound, who we (your sound practitioners(s)) are, what we aim to facilitate, and what you can expect throughout the journey. You will be encouraged to find a comfortable position, and be guided through breathwork and visualization, often accompanied by the drums to help prepare the body for deep listening.
Following the breathwork, you will use vocal toning and explore vocal resonance in the body as a tool for attunement, healing, and transcendence, alongside other instruments. The vocal toning is a powerful way to extend the exhale, open the anahata (heart) and vishuddhi (throat) chakras, to self-soothe and relax the body. It can include humming, which is known to support the production of nitrous oxide, which is antibacterial and antimicrobial; and also a vasodilator and tones the vagal nerve–the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system responsible for rest, digestion, heart rate, and immune function.
You will then be encouraged to close your eyes and follow the sounds (and tune in also to the space between the sounds) emitted from instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, monolina, varying chimes and bells, tuning forks, drums, handpans, rattles, etc. These instruments, intentionally sequenced, create a safe space for participants to enter a meditative state to down-regulate the nervous system and create a sense of ease and clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens during a sound session?
The intention of therapeutic sound is to create a safe space for participants to enter a meditative state, or allow the therapeutic qualities of the experience to support a transcendental state. The goals of these practices are to assist in focus, relieve pain, to down-regulate the nervous system, to create a sense of ease and clarity, and to promote positive cognitive states and habits.
How long is a sound experience?
Our Sound Meditations are 2 hours long.
Will there be movement?
Nope. There is often a little guided breathwork followed by sound. You sit up for part of it and lay down for the rest.
What should I wear?
You should wear comfortable clothes. Yoga pants or sweats are often suggested.
Is this different from a sound bath?
Sound baths, sound meditation, sound experience, sound therapy and sound journey are all different words for a similar experience. However, we prefer the term sound therapy + meditation as we wish you to be an active participant, listening to the sound throughout the experience.
What happens if I fall asleep?
It’s okay if you do. It means you’re really tired. If you snore, we’ll gently wake you.
Is this safe if I'm pregnant?
It’s safe as long as your doctor says it’s safe. If you need some sort of special accommodations, please reach out to us ahead of time so that we can prepare for your arrival.
What will I feel?
This is up to you and your body. Typically people report feeling alert, grounded, at peace, or blissed out afterwards. However, sound affects us based on our own unique relationship to what we hear.
Can children attend?
Absolutely, as long as your little one can be quiet and still throughout the duration of the experience, we would LOVE to have them.
Who is Sound Therapy for?
Sound therapy is for everyone. As with yoga, people are drawn to sound in search of healing; or as a means of alleviating symptoms associated with anxiety, stress, PTSD, depression, trauma, chronic illness, chronic pain, hypertension, insomnia, etc.
Therapeutic sound is also found in facilities for people suffering from cancer, eating disorders, long term illness, Alzheimers, etc. However, even if you are in perfect health, you may still be drawn to sound therapy. In this fashion, it is considered preventative care–a warding off of dis-ease by taking preemptive action.
UPCOMING SOUND THERAPY + MEDITATION WORKSHOPS
Weekly: Every Friday, @ 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Monthly: First Sunday of Every Month: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Registrations open 90 days prior to each workshop and are on a first come, first serve basis. Please make sure you purchase a $50 credit for Sound Therapy + Meditation (not a regular drop in class) and take the additional step to also reserve yourself into the actual class. Please make sure you receive a reservation confirmation from ONEYOGAHOUSE.
100-HOUR SOUND THERAPY + MEDITATION TRAINING
``The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.`` - Carolyn Myss
Therapeutic sound is now being studied throughout the West for its unique ability to make the listener feel better overall. As it grows in popularity, so do the number of scientific studies proving its efficacy. ONEYOGAHOUSE has hosted Sound Meditations since we opened our Brooklyn doors, as we believe in integrating the nuances of pranayama, sound (also known as nāda yoga), and meditation to bring fresh perspectives and richness to this growing community.
Join us for our first ever in-studio Sound Therapy + Meditation Training at ONEYOGAHOUSE. OYH Founder and teacher Anna Haddad, along with sound practitioners Brittany Simone Anderson, Mattan Sharvit, Jessica Caplan, and Florencia Fridman have created a 5-weekend, in-person training (with online supplementary lessons and study guides). This training is for those who are seeking to infuse pranayama, vocalization, and sound meditation into their teachings and self practice, as well as for those who are aspiring to work alongside sound therapists with a depth and exploration that standard classes cannot provide.
This training will take you to the next level of coming home to yourself and creating a transformative yoga practice and experience that will last a lifetime towards self healing and growth.
Your Teacher: BRITTANY SIMONE ANDERSON
Brittany Simone Anderson is a wellness educator and C-IAYT yoga therapist with a specialty in cancer care, PTSD and race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). Brittany uses therapeutic sound, meditation, therapeutic yoga, and expansive breath techniques to alleviate symptoms associated with disrupted psychological or physiological states.
She is a DEI educator and program manager at Prema Yoga Institute and co-host of The Werk Podcast; a safe space to support the decolonization of health, wellness and spiritual spaces. Brittany believes that well-being is our birth right, and as such, it is our responsibility to take an active role in our own wellness. Brittany is a Lululemon Legacy Ambassador, dog mom, and world traveler.
Your Teacher: Mattan Sharvit
Mattan’s journey to lead sound has not been a conventional one. Unlike his yoga teaching, Mattan started to lead and hold space from a peculiar coincidence, from a sore place that was soon replaced with joy. He found himself naturally leading sound ceremonies, playing with the heart, feeling with each vibration.
His journey is reminiscent of the stories of his dear teachers, Colleen, Rodney, Sharon, and others who found their way to yoga by accident: one day, they found themselves in front of their class, and they knew – they were going to be yoga teachers. Mattan’s mission is to support the unraveling of the secrets of the Universe through vibration, frequency, and energy.
Your Teacher: Jessica Caplan
Jessica Caplan is a Hudson Valley-based sound therapist and vocal embodiment coach, known for her voice-infused sound experiences and gentle, open-hearted approach to embodying the authentic voice (Sonic Embodiment). Jessica leads immersive workshops, retreats, and trainings in the art of voice and sound, as well as one-on-one sound mentorships, voice programs, and her signature group voice program for women RECLAIM, which she created in 2021.
A graduate of the Open Center’s Sound and Music Institute and Grammy award-nominated artist Silvia Nakkach’s Yoga of the Voice certificate, Jessica has guided over 150 students in sound immersions she co-founded and led at Maha Rose in Brooklyn and in the Hudson Valley (Sound School), and Pure Yoga in NYC (Sound Yoga Therapy for Prema Yoga Therapeutics). She’s a regular guest teacher for yoga and sound trainings, among them Sage Academy of Sound, Brooklyn Healing Arts, and Abby Paloma’s Restorative Yoga TT’s at Yoga Vida and Sky Ting Yoga in NYC. Her work has been covered in the New York Times, the Observer, Vogue, and on CBS news. She is a Reiki practitioner, long time yogini, and draws inspiration from her studies and practices of classical Indian music, Native traditions, and nature.
Your Teacher: FLORENCIA FRIDMAN
Florencia Fridman is a self-empowerment artist working with heart opening therapies involving Ceremonial Grade Cacao, yoga, sound journeys, and breath as instruments for transformation. Florencia is passionate about supporting the voices of indigenous nations, wisdom keepers, and guardians of the sacred lands.
She has studied under Mayan elders from Guatemala and indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Florencia has opened for Deepak Chopra and facilitated ceremonies for the corporate world at Spotify. She was a ceremony guide resident at The Assemblage in NYC and has shared Cacao at NYU. She is the co-Founder of Cacao Lab, a Ceremonial Cacao brand aiming to bridge the gap between modern culture and indigenous communities.
Your Teacher: Dara Hart
Dara Hart is an artist and an athlete, in service to what is sacred. She is a singer and songwriter, a founding team member of multiple fitness boutiques, and a mentee and student of world-class athletic boxing champions, globally acclaimed healers, as well as luminary leaders of awareness and consciousness.
Dara has served as a wellness trainer, coach and consultant to industry leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives and continues to facilitate healing and share celebrated teachings to a global audience of diverse communities.
Through a wide lens and with pure passion, Dara combines her strengths, gifts, and skills to inspire, support, and help others love their body, find their voice, know their strength, embrace their power, and reach their highest potential. Dara holds real world experience, certifications, and qualifications in the performing arts, strength, fitness and movement training, yoga, meditation, and integrative healing therapies.
Your Teacher: Milagros Simon
Milagros is a NYC-based yoga guide, sound facilitator, and reiki practitioner. She’s deeply grateful to have had the teachings and continual guidance of devoted teachers such as Francesca Bove, David Shemesh, Elian Zach, Alexandre Tannous, and many more who have influenced and inspired her path.
It’s Milagros’s belief that every being desires to be in a state of harmony and peace, and through the cultivation of practices like mindful movement, meditation, and breath, we allow the inner intelligence of our biodynamic systems to re-attune to our natural radiance and genius.
It is her wish to inspire, reinvigorate, and empower students with her experiences; challenging them to play and invoke their child-like curiosity in an intelligent, creative, and carefully curated space. Students will leave her experiences with the functional tools to weave and co-create in the dance of life.
Your Teacher: Danny Vasquez
As an evolving sound enthusiast and unwavering student of life, Danny has spent several years traveling in self-guided solo retreats and incorporating meditation practices. These experiences have paved the way for a deeper discovery and reconciliation of the inner and outer world through sound and its many channels and modalities. His ongoing journey and exploration have revealed the numerous benefits of Sound Meditation, including improved well-being, heightened awareness and deeper understanding of life.
“Sound Meditation has expanded my curiosity about life in all its forms and the importance of resonance and presence within oneself.”
With a deep interest in the nature of reality, Danny regularly engages in the study of holistic teachings from various lineages and practitioners, including yoga disciplines, mindfulness meditation, insight meditation (Vipassana) technique, breathwork, and healing trainings at the Omega Institute. Over the course of three years, he has studied sound school trainings led by Alexandre Tannous, David Shemesh, and other remarkable teachers.