Lara Karakasevic: How Sound Baths Support Whole-Body Wellness

Lara Karakasevic is a culinary wellness practitioner and living food chef based in Kamuela, Hawaii, who has spent years helping clients address stress and support their bodies’ natural healing abilities. Since founding The Living Food Mission in 2019, she has served as its education director, leading regenerative detoxification cleanses and wellness retreats that emphasize nutrition, mindfulness, and holistic self-care. Before relocating her practice to Hawaii, Lara Karakasevic partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs in Northern California on a healthy habits program and previously owned a Napa Valley juice bar and served as general manager of San Francisco’s historic San Remo Hotel. A board-certified holistic health practitioner, she studied living food cuisine at the Pure Joy Culinary School and completed advanced training in regenerative detoxification, expertise that informs her interest in complementary wellness practices such as sound bath therapy for stress relief and relaxation.

Stress is a major physical and mental health issue in the United States. According to the American Institute of Stress, nearly three-quarters of Americans experience significant work-related stress every day.

In addition to negatively impacting a person’s mood and psychological wellness, stress affects the body in several ways, manifesting as tension headaches, high blood pressure, and sleep disruption. Without proper treatment, these and other symptoms can develop into serious, potentially life-threatening health problems.

Individuals can address high stress levels by using several techniques, such as listening to music. Many scientists and clinicians have explored the healing benefits of music.

A systematic review of numerous studies concluded that music was a cost-effective supplemental therapy that helped mitigate pain. Meanwhile, a National Institutes of Health report determined that listening to music is an effective strategy for managing stress, with benefits affecting the autonomic nervous system, as well as the endocrine and psychological stress response.

Americans who enjoy listening to music as a form of stress therapy should consider the potential benefits of sound baths, which use deep sound vibrations produced by various soothing instruments in a way that decreases cortisol levels throughout the body.

During a sound bath, a person completely surrounds themselves with deep sound vibrations set to precise tones and frequencies in order to heal both the body and mind.

The idea of healing with sound baths is informed by the concept of specific auditory frequencies matching with different energy centers in the human body. Traditional Chinese medicine and several disciplines of yoga operate on similar beliefs.

Importantly, not all sound vibrations provide the same benefits. For instance, a person living with digestive problems needs a different type of sound bath compared to someone experiencing chronic pain.

If a person believes they can benefit from sound-based healing, they need to plan a session with a sound bath practitioner. A practitioner is a healer who has completed training and certification processes, similar to a yoga teacher.

They do not necessarily need to have musical ability, though sound baths often make use of many different instruments, including gongs, tuning forks, chimes, and metal bowls. Practitioners may also use crystal singing bowls and Tibetan singing bowls.

Some practitioners may use digital recordings, but in-person instrumentation creates more vibrations, making for a more effective sound bath.

A 2020 systematic review published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine evaluated four peer-reviewed studies. The studies involved several unique patient groups, including individuals living with metastatic cancer and another group dealing with chronic spinal pain.

The results indicated several potential health advantages after exposing subjects to singing bowls.

People describe a wide range of benefits following sound bath therapy, such as feeling a sense of calmness and relaxation, pain relief, reduced stress levels and muscle tension, and improved mood. Sound baths can also improve a person’s sleep habits, which can greatly improve whole-body health.

That said, more data-driven research is needed to fully understand the health benefits of sound bath therapy. A person should not rely on sound baths as a substitute for medical treatments, but instead view the therapy as a beneficial supplementary treatment.

Individuals can expand on the complementary benefits of sound baths by practicing yoga, meditation, and tai chi.

About Lara Karakasevic

Lara Karakasevic is a culinary wellness practitioner and living food chef who serves as education director of The Living Food Mission in Kamuela, Hawaii, a role she has held since founding the organization in 2019. She previously served as general manager of San Francisco’s San Remo Hotel and owned a Napa Valley juice bar. A board-certified holistic health practitioner, she studied living food cuisine at the Pure Joy Culinary School and holds a hospitality management degree from the University of San Francisco.