Once a fringe healing modality found mainly in new age retreat centers and cultural healing circles, sound baths have become one of today’s hottest wellness trends.
In fact, the global sound healing market is projected to grow 9.5% annually by 2035, with sound baths moving into mainstream settings like public parks and wellness studios.
What is a sound bath?
Sound baths have roots in ancient healing practices, like Tibetan singing bowls and Australian Aboriginal instruments. Such cultures believe that sound frequencies promote physical and spiritual healing. These concepts are what contemporary practitioners like Danielle Hall, founder and CEO of Atlanta’s Sound Embrace, are channeling when providing immersive healing experiences for wellness patrons.
In a typical sound bath, people sit or recline on a mat or pillow while instructors play crystal singing bowls, chimes, and other instruments to promote relaxation and stress relief.
A 2025 study published by the Indian Journal of Natural Sciences found that college students who participated in a seated Himalayan singing bowl sound bath meditation for 40 minutes experienced reduced stress and improved mood.
“While research is still evolving, studies suggest that sound-based and music interventions may help reduce perceived stress, anxiety, muscle tension, and mental overwhelm, while supporting the body’s relaxation response,” Hall said.
She explained that sound gives the brain something steady to focus on, which can have a calming effect.
“From a nervous system perspective, as attention shifts from the constant stream of internal thoughts to sustained, predictable tones, many people experience a slowing of mental activity and a greater sense of relaxation,” she said.
Hall also collaborates with Emory University on research into the impact of sound on stress and well-being.
Accessibility of sound healing
Sarah Woolson of Woolson Wellness is a board-certified music therapist, licensed mental health counselor, and certified sound practitioner. She believes sound baths can be more accessible to people than spoken meditation or guided breathwork.
“Sound offers a gentle doorway to this practice because our bodies know how to take in sound, as our systems respond to energy and vibration at all times,” she explained.
At sound bath sessions she leads at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell and other places around metro Atlanta, Woolson combines relaxing instruments with her music therapy expertise. These sounds guide people into a relaxing state, similar to what they would experience in a restorative yoga class or meditation session.
Hall said that creating this calm, intentional sound environment helps the body “shift away from a constant state of vigilance and toward one of rest and restoration.”
