Why We Sync With Sound: Entrainment and Healing
If you’ve ever found yourself tapping your foot to music without meaning to, or walking in step with a friend without planning to, you’ve experienced entrainment. It’s our body’s natural tendency to sync with external rhythms — and it’s one of the reasons sound healing can be so powerful.
What is entrainment?
Entrainment is when one rhythm influences another. The term came from a 17th-century observation: two pendulum clocks on the same wall eventually swung in unison. We do this too — heart rate, breath, and brain waves can synchronise with steady sound or gentle rhythm.
Your brain naturally “follows” steady tones and rhythms (often called a frequency-following response), which can encourage slower, more restful brainwave states. Soothing sounds are also felt through the body (vibroacoustic effects), helping muscles soften and breath deepen.
As the sounds wash over you, brainwaves tend to slow, breath and heart rate steady, and the nervous system leans towards rest-and-digest. Most of us spend our days in beta (busy, thinking mode). In a sound bath, the brain often drifts toward slower, more restful states like alpha and theta.
Brainwave states at a glance:
Delta: deep, restorative sleep. May experience occasional micro-dips in a sound bath.
Theta: dreamy, drifty; colours and gentle imagery often appear — like that just-before-sleep moment.
Alpha: the “ahh” state - unhurried attention; jaw unclenches, breath lengthens, thoughts slow enough to notice what you feel. Creativity and small connections tend to pop here.
Beta: practical, everyday thinking/doing; can tip into fast, buzzy when stressed.
Gamma: quick spikes of intense cognitive activity used in concentration, problem-solving and learning.
Think of these states as a gradient, not hard switches - you can float between them. Sound baths often invite a shift from busy “thinking brain” into alpha/theta, which is why they feel so settling.
What actually happens in a sound bath
Arrive & settle. Get comfy with mats and blankets; a few soft breaths to land.
Gentle grounding. A short somatic meditation helps the body down-shift.
Sound journey. Gongs, crystal bowls and chimes create a steady, layered soundscape. As this washes over you: breath and heart rate steady, and the nervous system leans towards rest-and-digest.
Quiet pockets. Little moments of silence help your system integrate the experience.
Gentle return. We come back slowly, often with tea, noticing how you feel.
It’s not just about “listening” — your whole body is resonating and responding.
Why this matters
Modern life trains our systems into fast, jumpy rhythms. Sound baths offer a simple way to guide the body back to calmer patterns. Through entrainment, we remember how to rest, reset, and reconnect. We’re built to respond to rhythm, sound healing uses that natural process on purpose. Come and feel it for yourself, join a sound bath or book a bespoke session.