Just when sweltering saunas and icy cold plunges finally started to seem relaxing, wellness destinations changed things up. This year, many are focusing on the healing effects of sound, offering sonic experiences intended to calm the nerves and rejuvenate the spirit.
For years, the medical community has been using music to help reduce stress levels. Hotels, wellness retreats and private members’ clubs are increasingly following that lead, offering audio-engineered sound-based experiences on stages, in spas and in purpose-built domes.
The luxury retreat Golden Door introduced the Circle, a 360-degree open-air immersive stage, last August on its 600-acre resort near San Diego. The Circle pairs surround-sound live musical performances with art projections to produce rejuvenating results. “It was relaxing and meditative, the stars above, immersive visuals and the cello harmonizing with nature’s own night music,” said Bradford Bricken, 45, from Memphis, who was a guest in September.
Last April, in Koh Samui, Thailand, the Kamalaya wellness resort presented Neuro-Sync, a “vibroacoustic” therapy that uses low-frequency sound vibrations delivered through zero-gravity loungers, with synchronized audio played on headphones. In Singapore, the newly reopened Grand Hyatt offers vibroacoustic spa treatments that use specialized beds and headphones in which guests not only hear, but physically feel, sound that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping travelers cope with jet lag and cognitive fatigue.
Retreats are also betting big on sound domes, structures that use acoustics, lights and other therapies to produce a sense of calm. Next month, Tulah, a 30-acre retreat in Kerala, India, will unveil the Sonorium, a 2,691-square-foot sound dome featuring harmonic proportions; custom vibroacoustic flooring, in which audio signals are converted into subtle physical vibrations that travel upward through the body; and low-frequency-tuned live musical instruments. This summer, the Vessyl will open a copper dome in Costa Rica, blending spatial sound, a vibroacoustic floor and 360-degree projections to guide up to 30 people into a more restful state. “We believe tech-enabled vibrational frequency is the new psychedelic plant medicine,” said the founder, Josh Stanley.
Private members’ clubs are also tapping into sound healing. The Well Bay Harbor Islands Club, in Miami, (opening in March) has teamed up with Myndstream, a wellness audio company, to bring therapeutic music into its infrared sauna, while Stylus in New York City, will open this spring with daily 30-minute sessions of 40-hertz sound and light therapy, intended to sharpen cognition.
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