Sound As Medicine: Creating A Personalized Frequency Practice

HOW TO USE VIBRATION AND TONE TO SHIFT STATE AND SUPPORT REGULATION

Sound doesn’t just fill the air — it enters the body.
Your nervous system absorbs sound through vibration, rhythm and tone. Certain frequencies downregulate stress. Others energize, ground or soften emotional overwhelm.

You don’t need to be a sound healer to benefit from sound healing. You don’t even need a singing bowl. You just need to start listening — and noticing what helps your system shift.

This guide explores how to use sound across different nervous system states, and how to create a simple, personalized frequency practice that supports Regulation.

In Regulation (Ventral) — Sound Deepens Presence And Integration

In the state of Regulation, your system is open to sensation. Sound can help you stay grounded, enhance creative flow or deepen emotional clarity.

• Core experience: Connection, curiosity, internal openness
  
• Supportive frequencies: 432 Hz, ambient music, nature sounds
  
• Supportive practice: Play soft instrumental music while journaling, stretching or resting. Let it mirror your inner rhythm and support coherence.
  

In Activation (Sympathetic) — Sound Helps Soften The Edges

In Activation, your system is on high alert. Sound can act as a decelerator — slowing breath, heart rate and mental pace.

• Core experience: Restlessness, tension, urgency
  
• Supportive frequencies: 528 Hz, 396 Hz, slow binaural beats
  
• Supportive practice: Use headphones. Lie down or sit upright. Let your breath follow the sound. Notice where urgency begins to release.
  

In Depletion (Dorsal) — Sound Supports Gentle Reawakening

In Depletion, energy feels inaccessible. Sound can offer subtle stimulation that helps you re-enter engagement without pressure or force.

• Core experience: Low energy, emotional distance, detachment
  
• Supportive frequencies: 285 Hz, melodic acoustic tracks, soft chimes
  
• Supportive practice: Begin your day with a soft playlist. Even a gentle chime can act as a cue to re-enter presence. Let sound be a bridge back to yourself.
  

In Overload (Freeze) — Sound Creates Structure And Containment

In Overload, too much sound can add to the overwhelm — but the right tone can create a sense of orientation and safety.

• Core experience: Overwhelm, emotional flooding, internal chaos
  
• Supportive frequencies: 174 Hz, single-tone tracks, consistent soundscapes
  
• Supportive practice: Choose one steady sound — a gong, hum or bowl. Sit near the source or place it close to your body. Let it anchor your awareness.

YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM KNOWS WHAT SOUNDS SAFE

There’s no perfect playlist. What matters is how your body responds.
The sound that soothes you might irritate someone else. The track that grounds you one day may overstimulate you another. The key is attunement — not performance.

Sound becomes medicine when you stop trying to get it “right” and start noticing how it makes you feel.

WHERE TO START

• Use The statechanged Method Workbook to map how your system responds to different sensory inputs — including sound.
  
• Take the Free Nervous System Assessment Quiz to explore which frequencies may best support your current state.
• Explore our Digital Downloads for curated playlists, frequency-based rituals and tools to help you tune in to what your body needs to hear.