Today on the blog we have Lisa Caffey, an energy healer and soundbath practitioner.
Soundbaths have been all the rage lately, ahem RHSLC anyone? Like, everyone is into it. Lauryn has been a fan of sound bowls, meditation and sound healing for a while now, so it was no-brainer to invite Lisa on to break down the science of sound healing & all its benefits. Benefits galore, really.
Let’s welcome Lisa to the blog.
The Science of Sound Healing & Its Benefits
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If you have never experienced sound healing before, these white frosted bowls can seem pretty woo woo & even “out there” but for many, it’s the process of healing on a mind, body, soul level.
When played, these mesmerizing sounds create a deeply soothing orbiting effect that gently rocks the listener into deeper states of meditation… & unless you live under a rock, then I’m sure you know there are TONS of science backed benefits to meditation. Before we get into all the details of how sound healing works, the benefits & more, I’d like to back up a moment.
Hi! I’m Lisa Caffey, I’m an energy healer & soundbath practitioner based out of Southern California & I hold sacred space for people wanting to dissolve blockages & raise their frequency. I wasn’t always “good vibes” & “love & light”… in fact, I was a total stress case before I found energy healing. Growing up, I struggled with a lot of hardship.
I grew up with my grandmother in Newport Beach, CA but it wasn’t your typical easy living by the beach. I had one parent battling addiction while the other was never in my life. Going to private Christian school, this was obviously not your normal Christian household which made my adversities that much more difficult. I found myself struggling with crippling anxiety attacks, learning disabilities, unhealthy coping mechanisms & severe self worth issues.
By the time I was attending Santa Barbara City College, my only method of combating any form of stress was partying… & boy, was I good at it. Some might even refer to me as the life of the party… which was way better than being called a worry wart??? I quickly realized this way of living was not sustainable, healthy or serving me in any way. But I saw no other way out.
It wasn’t until I took a yoga class in 2017 that changed my life forever.
Each class, my yoga instructor would dedicate a class to a spiritual teaching like the chakras, reiki energy healing, breathwork, affirmations & more! I was completely hooked. I would go home to do my own research & began applying my learnings into my everyday life. And I was starting to see a MAJOR shift. My boyfriend at the time (now fiancé!!) even recognized a positive change in me saying, “you seem so chill now that you’ve been doing yoga.” He was right, I definitely found my chill.
Instead of overly stressing or having panic attacks that once consumed me, I now found ways to cope & ultimately heal my mind, body & soul in a healthy way. Well, the Universe loves to test our growth & I was given the ultimate test. On March 17th, 2018 I received a phone call stating that my grandfather had an airplane accident. I was devastated. My grandpa was a highly skilled pilot of 50 years. On that Saturday, he calmly radioed in that he was having engine problems which resulted in a fatal crash in the backyard of a neighborhood home in Riverside, CA. Luckily, no one else was injured.
On the second day of mourning, I told myself, “one week, then I’ll get up.”
I let myself go to the depths of my soul to feel every ounce of despair I had. After nine days of crying, watching Disney movies, having my boyfriend tend to my every humanly need (thanks babe, I’m forever grateful), I got up & leaned into my spiritual practices & methods. I remembered my yoga teacher mentioned reiki energy healing, a process to vibrationally bring the body back to balance so I figured… what the hell, I’ve got nothing to lose. I went to my session & was SHOOK, I actually felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
I began receiving regular sessions & truly believe I’ve been able to transmute my pain into peace… even purpose! I eventually became a certified Reiki Master & sound healing came quickly after that. I quickly fell in love with the healing vibrations of soundbaths. In fact, I have always been one of those people who could be transported into a time or space based on music… & sound healing did just that for me. It took me to a beautiful oasis of my being that gave me the opportunity to deepen my healing & peace to a whole new level. It soothed me into states of harmony & relaxation that have made such an impact on my life, I am PASSIONATE about sharing it with others in hopes that it too, can support you in your healing journey.
So let’s get into it! The science behind sound is absolutely incredible & beyond interesting so I’ve created this detailed summary for you as an introduction.
The Science of Sound Healing
To put it simply, sound healing uses various instruments to produce a sound & frequency that when played, improves your overall wellness & quality of life. The sounds produce an orbiting like sensation that gently swoons the receiver into a relaxed & meditative experience.
That sound generates a frequency. The frequency enters in through the ear canal, activating the Vagus nerve which is the largest nerve in the human body. The Vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system which influences states of peace, calm & relaxation- it regulates the body after fight or flight mode (stress).
In my soundbath ceremonies, I use frosted crystal bowls that are made up of 99.9% silicon quartz crystal & the rest of that percentage is sand. Crystals are a natural element from the earth & naturally very high in vibration. Vibrationally, by receiving a soundbath (sound healing) you are transforming your vibrations to vibrate higher to resonate at the same frequency of the crystal sound bowls. This is known as the law of resonance. Because the bowls resonate at a higher frequency, it elevates our energy to match the frequency of the crystal sound bowls.
When we surrender into the sounds, we drop into meditation with ease & through this process we are cleansing our energetic being (or vibrating so high that it releases stagnant energy) & raising our body’s frequency. Essentially, sound healing helps us tap into deeper states of meditation or relaxation to achieve spiritual, emotional & physical benefits.
Vibration:
From a spiritual perspective, our bodies are made of molecules vibrating at various speeds. Vibrations refer to the movement of energy resulting in high/low vibrations.
Frequency:
Frequency refers to the electromagnetic field of the human body or energy body.
Vagus Nerve:
The largest & main nerve in the body that is included in the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The Vagus nerve regulates bodily functions such as emotional wellbeing after states of stress. It helps create balance & proper function in the body.
Parasympathetic Nervous system:
This is a network of nerves that encourage the body’s ability to relax. Properly named as it concerns the process of coming back to regulation after nervousness.
Soundbath Ceremony:
An intentional journey through sound in which a soundbath practitioner guides you into deeper states of meditation to achieve relaxed results & benefits.
Now that we got the science out of the way, let’s chat more about the benefits. We touched briefly on how it encourages deeper levels of meditation, but what exactly is happening during this process? Similar to meditation, a soundbath can improve your overall quality of life by simply tuning the brain to a specific vibration. There is tons of science proving just how powerful meditation, specifically sound healing is.
The Benefits of Sound Healing:
♡ regulates natural hormones & happy chemicals in the body
♡ accelerates the body’s natural healing process: great for athletes
♡ improves sleep quality: helps us enter realm sleep more consistently
♡ lowers blood pressure & cortisol levels
♡ supports other forms of wellness modalities such as physical therapy or talk therapy
♡ cleanse our energetic bodies & release stagnant energy
♡ aids in the manifestation process by aligning to your highest path
♡ relieve pain & physical ailments: great for recovery from the gym
♡ improves mental clarity & wellness: support your mental health
♡ deeply relaxing & allows us to naturally increase harmony within ourselves
♡ clear energetic blockages
Pretty interesting, right!? I know, wild.
After learning about all the science & benefits, let’s touch on what a soundbath ceremony is & what it looks like.
I refer to my soundbaths as ceremonies because I like to create a really sacred & intentional space for you to show up, be open & create massive shifts- whatever that looks like to you. My setup consists of 5-7 crystal healing bowls, chimes & a rain stick. Each instrument guides you into a profound state of relaxation. I have candles & crystals to set the ambiance & energy of our sacred space along with faux sheepskin, a blanket & pillow to create an aesthetic yet dreamy environment to feel comfy & safe in. Typically, the receivers will lie down on a yoga mat with (optional) a blanket, eye mask & bolster to support your neck. I will do a brief guided meditation to prepare you for sound healing. Once complete, I’ll gently guide you out of meditation & bring you back to the present moment. It’s a magical journey I truly wish everyone will experience.
So here we are.
I can honestly say sound healing has changed my life for the best.
Not only am I receiving amazing benefits during the soundbath ceremonies I offer, but seeing my clients thriving through this work lights me up & genuinely ignites my purpose on this planet! It’s been so rewarding being able to expand my services to larger & well known companies who value this healing work.
I am currently holding space in person at The Healing Lounge OC in Newport Beach, CA for 1:1 sessions & group gatherings for reiki energy healing & soundbath ceremonies. I love doing all sorts of events, home gatherings, parties & even the occasional bachelorette celebration! Soundbaths are becoming so popular that they really add a beautiful touch to any event. When you don’t catch me at a soundbath, you can find me spending quality time with loved ones, enjoying a nice brunch by the water, working on my fitness & cuddling with my fiancé & pup in Huntington Beach, CA.
To stay in touch, please connect with me on Instagram at @paradisewithin__ 🙂 If you have made it this far, THANK YOU!! I appreciate you & would be happy to chat, support you in your wellness journey & connect. Love you.
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Be sure to follow Lisa on IG to get the latest on her classes & workshops.
x, The Skinny Confidential team.
+ check out this post for more on healing frequencies.
++ hear from Lauryn about there experience with sound bowls.
MEDITATION STATION:
