Sound Healing & the Nervous System: A Polyvagal-Informed Approach to Wellness
At Repose, we know that healing happens not just through insight, but through safety. And one of the most powerful ways to foster safety in the body is through nervous system regulation. That’s why we’re thrilled to launch our Sound Healing Studio Classes—an offering grounded in the principles of polyvagal theory and designed to support deep emotional and physiological balance.
Polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps us understand how our nervous system responds to stress and safety. It identifies three main states:
Ventral vagal (safe, connected, grounded)
Sympathetic (fight/flight, activated)
Dorsal vagal (shutdown, freeze, disconnection)
The goal in trauma-informed care isn’t to avoid these states altogether—they’re natural and necessary—but to help the nervous system move fluidly and flexibly between them, returning to safety and connection after stress.
Sound healing is one of the most gentle and effective tools we’ve found to support this process.
When we lie back and allow our bodies to receive sound—whether from crystal singing bowls, gongs, or harmonic chimes—we’re engaging with vibrations that can help cue the nervous system toward regulation. Sound works on multiple levels:
The rhythmic patterns and soothing tones support the ventral vagal system, helping us feel calm and connected.
The deep, resonant frequencies can stimulate the vagus nerve, enhancing vagal tone and resilience.
The non-verbal, immersive nature of sound helps us access states of rest and repair, especially when words feel inaccessible or overwhelming.
Many clients who live with anxiety, trauma histories, or chronic stress find that sound healing allows them to experience somatic safety—a sense of grounded presence in the body that is hard to access through talk therapy alone. It’s a reset button for the nervous system.
Our Sound Healing Studio Classes are held in a quiet, softly lit space and led by trauma-informed practitioners who understand the importance of pacing, consent, and co-regulation. Whether you’re lying on a yoga mat or seated in a supported posture, you’ll be guided into a state of rest while surrounded by sounds that are carefully chosen to support down-regulation and reconnection.
You don’t need to do anything in a sound healing session—no effort, no goals. In fact, that’s the point. By simply receiving the sounds and allowing your body to respond at its own pace, you give your nervous system a chance to shift into a restorative state.
This offering complements our psychotherapy services and is open to anyone seeking nervous system support—whether you’re actively in therapy or simply exploring new paths to wellness.
We invite you to experience how sound can help restore balance, safety, and spaciousness from the inside out.
Join us for our upcoming Sound Healing Studio Classes. Your nervous system will thank you.
Repose Sound Healing Schedule with Babette Godefroy
Somatic Slow Flow with Sound Bath - Tuesday and Thursday, 6pm
Sound & Stillness - Saturday, 2:30pm