Published in Beginnings, the Journal of AHNA, American Holistic Nurses Association, June, 2024, Vol 44, Number 3.
Written by Christine Stevens, MSW, MT-BC and Michele McNiff, RN.
Harmonizing Health: Music and Sound Healing for Holistic Self Care
Michele McNiff, RN, MSN, HWNC-BC, Blue Heron Holistic,
Christine Stevens, MSW, MA, MT-BC, UpBeat Drum Circles
In the demanding profession of nursing, you never know where burnout syndrome is going to lead. For many, it means following an exit strategy to jettison the stress that too often follows us home and makes life unbearable. For others, it leads to the discovery that burdens grow lighter when the tension is shouldered together with a colleague—especially someone equally passionate and purposeful as you are about integrative therapies involving the joy of sound and music.
It all began with a chance meeting five years ago of the two authors at a healing drum training course. Michele is a Registered Nurse and a Wellness Coach. Christine is a Social Worker and Music Therapist. But we recognized we had something in common: a creative impulse to use sound and music to enhance our respective holistic journeys with self-care. Thus, we set out to shape new strategies, which imbued us with more patience, compassion and imagination at work and at home. We invite you now to come along and explore a melding of sound and music, and hopefully you will discover, as we have, useful ways to banish workplace burnout and impart joy as we walk together on the path of holistic nursing.
Music Therapy & Sound Healing
The fields of music therapy and sound healing share common roots but there are distinctions. A career in music therapy requires at least a four-year degree in the field, knowledge of music history, and proficiency in musical instruments, leading to a standardized exam, Music Therapy Board-Certification, and ultimately to individual sessions that involve therapeutic musical activities tailored to clients. Sound healing is more interdisciplinary and involves practitioners, notably Registered Nurses and other health care providers, designing deeply immersive full body experiences with sound that connect patients with mindfulness and meditation techniques.
While both music therapy and sound healing are becoming more common in medical centers to reduce pain as a non-invasive modality, their origins go way back in time. Our ancestors long ago recognized rhythm as a healing tool. Drumming was the hub of community life in most ancient cultures. This included the invocation of psychically altered states with the palliative power of rhythmic sound. In Africa, for example, the master drummer did not only keep tempo but was responsible for summoning a pantheon of deities into ceremonial rituals to mollify trouble and tension among the living. Studies show we can still tap into this rhythmic DNA in addressing our healing needs today. (Smith, 2014).
You Are the Instrument
Our bodies are in rhythm. Our pulmonary, circadian, heartbeat and neurological patterns are closely linked to our emotions and psycho-spiritual states. Music’s influence on the familiar “goose-bump” effect of galvanic skin response and the “thrills” of naloxone released when hearing a favorite song suggests a direct connection between sound and the human biofield (Goldstein, 1980). When our personal instrument is stressed, we become out of tune. Burnout can severely affect your motivation, making self-care feel overwhelming and creating a vicious cycle where neglecting self-care exacerbates burnout. According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, there are three components of burnout to be aware of: a lack of personal accomplishment, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (Maslach, 1981, Dall’Ora, 2020).
Four Tools for Sound Healing:
Drums: We all gestate to our mother’s heartbeat, making drumming a strong instrument
for sound healing. Rhythm connects us to the body, a parallel to life’s grooves of breathing, heartbeat, sleeping, resting, and dancing. In a seminal studies, group drumming reduced burnout in nurses working in long term care (Bittman, 2004), and significantly improved the immune system in blood samples before and after one hour of drumming versus just listening to music (Bittman, 2001; Fancourt, 2016). Of the many hand-drums in the world, there are four that are commonly used in healing work: the buffalo drums that originated in Native American cultures; the frame drum originally played by women in the historic Tigris-Euphrates area; (Redmond, 1997) the African djembe, integrated into all occasions of traditional village life in West Africa; the ocean drum, designed to replicate the sounds ocean waves.
Singing Bowls: These easily accessible instruments are simple to learn. Choose from three types: Himalayan/Tibetan made of metal alloy and known for producing rich tones; quartz bowls with textured surfaces and strong tones; and alchemy crystal bowls with various gemstones, known for creating unique, multi-dimensional tones. Singing bowls produce frequencies and vibrations that resonate with the body’s energy centers. A recent study found participants using Himalayan/Tibetan bowls during Covid-19 experienced a significant reduction in stress with 92% reporting lasting results (Stevens, 2024).
Voice: One of the most affordable instruments of sound healing is your voice, no purchase necessary. By intentionally engaging in humming or singing, individuals can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. Group singing has been shown to improve mood states and overall wellness, while individual song choice is used to process emotions in rehab centers (Clift, 2010).
Silence: Lastly, let’s consider the power of silence, the space between the notes or the quiet at the end of a drum beat. Numerous indigenous traditions such as that of the Lakota Sioux hold silence as the origin of all language and honor skan-skan-wakan, the sacred silence that births all sound. One surprising study showed relaxation in terms of reduction in heart-rate, respiration and cerebrovascular changes occurring withsilence as compared to classical or relaxation music (Bernardi, 2006). So try some noise-canceling headphones when you’re stressed out or sitting quietly with deep breathing.
Four Tips for Stress Reduction through Sound & Music
- Drumming Your Body’s Rhythms
To connect with your body’s rhythm, use a drum to play in time to your own heartbeat or just tap on your body with your favorite musical groove. Lub Dub – Lub Dub. Experiment with volume and speed to find the sweet spot that feels good. - Create your own Healing Playlist
Curate a collection of soothing sounds, uplifting melodies, and empowering mantras to energize your spirit and soothe your soul. Whether it’s classical music, nature sounds, or guided meditations, let your playlist be your personal soundtrack to wellness. Move, dance, and sing along. - Toning for Heart-Centered Energy
This is as simple as elongating your breath with any vowel: eee! Oohh! Ahhhh! Or add vocal toning and humming to the sound of crystal or Tibetan singing bowls as you play or listen to a recording. Simple instruments such as the therapy harp, shruti box, Sansula kalimba (no wrong notes!) can support toning on vowel sounds to create a meditative effect in just four minutes of entrainment. - Sound Bath
Give yourself a sound bath when you need restoration of energy or relaxation from tension in the body. By combining sound, breath and mindfulness, you can create a wellness experience just for yourself. First, explore different sounds and find your personal preference while relaxing in a comfortable chair. A single stroke on a singing bowl or a soft pulse on a buffalo drum can be great tools for managing burn out, stress and anxiety in the ever-changing fields of self-care, care-giving and holistic nursing.
REFERENCES:
Bernardi, L. (2006). Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory changes induced by different types of music in musicians and non-musicians: The importance of silence. Heart, 92(4), 445–452.
Bittman, B. B., Snyder, C., Bruhn, K. T., Liebfreid, F., Stevens, C. K., Westengard, J., & Umbach, P. O. (2004). Recreational Music-Making: An integrative group intervention for reducing burnout and improving mood states in first year associate degree nursing students: Insights and economic impact. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 1(1).
Bittman. (2001).. Composite Effects of Group Drumming Music Therapy on Modulation of Neuroendocrine-Immune Parameters in Normal Subjects. Journal of Alternative Therapy, 38–41.
Clift, S., Hancox, G., Morrison, I., Hess, B., Kreutz, G., & Stewart, D. (2010). Choral singing and psychological well-being: Quantitative and qualitative findings from English choirs in a cross-national survey. Journal of Applied Arts & Health, 1(1), 79–96.
Dall’Ora, C., Ball, J., Reinius, M., & Griffiths, P. (2020). Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review. Human resources for health, 18(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-00469-9
Goldstein A. (1980). Thrills in response to music and other stimuli. Physiological Psychology, (8), 126–129.
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Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). Maslach Burnout Inventory. Third Ed.. In C. P. Zalaquett & R. J. Wood (Eds.), Evaluating stress: A book of resources (191–218). Scarecrow Education.
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