If you haven’t heard about the wellness trend of sound bathing, you may not have been listening.

This popular niche in the wellness industry is projected to reach $3.21 billion by 2030, and for good reason: The wellness benefits range from stress reduction to accessing and releasing deeply held negative emotions. During a sound bath, therapists incorporate different frequencies and sounds produced by instruments, such as singing bowls, bells, drums, didgeridoos, gongs and voice to facilitate an immersive experience that can leave you feeling peaceful and renewed.

© Rosewood Sao Paulo

Wondering how? “Sound frequencies affect the human body in numerous ways through various systems including the endocrine, respiratory, circulatory and lymphatic systems; but primarily by regulating the nervous system,” explained Peter Berv, guide and therapist, Nova Healing Arts in Westminster, Colorado, just outside of Denver.

Berv, an accomplished musician and performer who regularly offers sound baths at venues including the Diamond Vitality Center & Salt Spa in Louisville, Colorado, added, “Sound can elicit emotions and imagery, evoke memories, or take the listener into different brainwave states. Different frequencies, rhythms or vibrations have been used as far back as we can remember to create altered states where the listener is able to access, regulate and integrate other parts of the brain’s or body’s systems. For example, we say sound can move the listener; an impact which can be emotional or literal: inspired movement helps integrate the body, mind and emotions.”

© Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Vail

Ready to give it a try? At Grand Hyatt Vail in Colorado, sound bath experiences are offered, perfect for unwinding after an active day of hiking, biking or winter skiing. The Harmony of the Soul singing bowl meditation is offered weekly in the fitness studio on the property’s first-floor main wing.

At Asaya Spa at Rosewood São Paulo in Brazil, guests can book The Rainforest Ceremony, offered daily. Inspired by the shamanic rituals of the Amazon, this therapy includes the healing sounds of the traditional rain stick instrument, used as an aid in energy cleansing, grounding and meditation.

Still not convinced? In Rome, Six Senses Rome draws on the traditions of Roman bathhouses in a blend of ancient history and contemporary wellness pursuits. Within the property’s Roman Baths, the SPArkling Nights experience allows guests to submerge themselves in the waters of the traditional caldarium, tepidarium and frigidarium pools while surrounded by the sounds of live harp music.

© Six Senses Rome

“Considering that we are mostly made of water — which stores memories and responds to vibrations — we are naturally designed to be sensitive to sound and frequency,” said Berv. “Our biological relationship with sound is inseparable. Hearts beat. Brain waves. Circadian rhythms. Our pulse. The way we walk. Patterns and intonations in language. Sighing, moaning, grunting. We may not even be aware of how our bodies make sounds and frequencies because they are so deeply ingrained in our genetics, and in a long evolution of using sound as a form of intelligence, communication and connection to spirit.”