Sound healer brings alternative therapy to Nashua

Jennifer Lamerand operates Vibrations South Bath Studio in Nashua. (Photo by Allegra Boverman)

After a year in business, Vibrations Sound Bath Studio, at its new location on Bridge Street in Nashua, is humming with activity.

During a recent session, a handful of people relaxed in zero-gravity chairs as Jennifer Lamerand, a certified sound healer, stood behind a long table lined with tuning forks and round glass bowls of varying sizes and in saturated, bright colors. Purple lights adorned the curtains, and two gongs hung on the seagreen wall.

Many participants had their eyes closed; some were sleeping.

Lamerand struck the bowls with a mallet, creating sound vibrations — some high-pitched, some low. Striking them in close succession created seamless layers of crystal-clear notes.

She used gongs and a crystal singing pyramid to help “wake up” participants and close out the session. One by one, they greeted Lamerand to thank her, and used terms like “amazing,” “clarity” and “centering.”

One participant said it was similar to being in a neutral buoyancy float tank, like you’re “floating in space.” Another said the therapy helps with her autoimmune issues.

“Very relaxing, and centering; transcendent. It’s rejuvenating,” said Mike Levesque of Hudson. This was Levesque’s second sound bath session.

Lisa Guidi of Nashua said, “It takes away the stresses of the week in our everyday life. I just love it. It’s like a quick vacation.”

Though sound healing has been used in spiritual and religious ceremonies for hundreds of years, Lamerand said the practice is still fairly new in New England.

“Sound bath is just beginning to take off in this area,” Lamerand said.

Sound healing is an immersive, alternative and holistic treatment in which gongs, bowls, bells, ocean drums, tuning forks and other tools create sounds that affect parts of the body where stress and pain are stored. These sounds alter brain waves to create feelings of calmness, peacefulness and relaxation, which can improve health and lower pain levels.

A 2016 observational study examined the effect of sound meditation on wellbeing, noting that low moods and elevated anxiety levels can cause heart disease, diabetes and mental health issues.

The 62 men and women in the study found that tension, anger, fatigue and other negative feelings were lessened after a sound bath.

Lamerand uses some of the same instruments mentioned in the study, and includes handouts at her nearly hourlong sessions that explain what each tool does.

According to one handout, chakra tuning forks produce pulsations that travel through the body to promote healing. Different chakras focus on different parts of the body. For example, the fifth chakra, heard at 141.27 hertz, encourages problem-solving, while the fourth chakra, at 136.10 hertz, is known as the “om” fork, and helps correct imbalances in the body to release negative feelings.

Lamerand related sound baths to listening to upbeat music: the more uptempo it is, the happier and more productive it can make the listener feel.

“Sometimes your emotions can be set with music. A sad love song will bring an emotion, give you a memory,” said Lamerand.

But it still depends on the person. “I tell them that you’ll get benefits just from being here, because it has been proven to lower stress and anxiety,” she said.

Lamerand was once in the same position as many of her clients. She attended her first class with some friends who were also curious about the therapy.

“The week before the event, I had learned of the passing of a close friend of mine. I went in there with just a lot of sadness, a heavy heart,” said Lamerand.

About an hour later, she said, she felt relief.

“I just felt so much lighter. A lot of the heaviness that I had been carrying from the loss was just lifted,” she said.

She thanked the instructor, who already seemed to know why Lamerand was there.

“She said, ‘Oh, maybe that’s why I felt I needed to play the heart chakra bowl longer today.’ This really piqued my interest,” Lamerand said. So, she got to work.

She received an online certification from Life Changing Energy, a site that offers sound bath training, and bought a set of crystal singing bowls. Lamerand’s landlord, Riverside Properties of Nashua, helped her find a studio using her “rainy day” savings, she said.

Though a new business, Lamerand said Vibrations is already seeing an uptick.

“My New Moon and Full Moon events tend to sell out, and the private bookings are really beginning to pick up as well. I also travel for sound baths onsite,” Lamerand said.

Helena Nassios of Lowell became interested in alternative therapies after watching a video about wellness healing that used crystal bowls.

“I thought it looked intriguing. I’ve done yoga classes over the years but nothing like a sound bath,” said Nassios in an email.

Nassios found Vibrations Sound Studio through Facebook, hoping it could help her achieve clarity and balance without medication.

“I’m 55, soon to be 56, and I’m going through a hormonal change that happens to women — menopause. My body, mind and spirit are off-balance and I feel very strange at times,” she said.

Since attending Lamerand’s session five months ago, “I’ve been hooked ever since,” she said.

“I feel rejuvenated and restored. It has increased my focus and clarity. I’ve also noticed the pain level on my right knee has diminished quite a bit from the vibrations. I can think clearly and not feel so overwhelmed. I’m definitely sleeping better,” Nassios said.

She’s now come to “embrace” sound baths.

“It opens my mind so that I get the most benefit from the bowls. The vibrations and sounds create a cocoon for me. It’s a fabulous feeling. I feel like I’m on Cloud 9 every time I leave Jennifer’s session. I just go into this incredible, peaceful trance,” Nassios adds.

And Lamerand’s approach keeps her coming back.

“Jennifer creates a safe environment for people who are looking for healing and balancing. She’s a huge reason why I continue to take her class.”

Helping people feel better is one of Lamerand’s many passions that she’s been able to channel into successful businesses.

At her photography business, Studio L Photographers in Nashua, Lamerand shoots engagement, wedding, maternity and family photos. Opening in 2015, Studio L covers much of Lamerand’s cost of doing business (CODB) expenses and currently is more profitable than Vibrations.

“While I am no longer photographing as many weddings as I was back in 2015, I am still photographing maternity, newborn and family photos in my studio and have a loyal clientele,” Lamerand said in an email.

But even as her sound bath studio gains traction, she has an additional retirement plan in place she calls “the dream.” In the next few years, Lamerand plans to offer another sound bath option: “Weekend Woodland Retreats.” The process is set to begin next year.

“This is very much on my vision board to become a reality once hubby and I have built our home. With over 40 acres of beautiful land that includes fields, mountain views, woods, streams and oodles of wildlife, I can hardly wait to break ground,” Lamerand said.

Sound baths are designed to lessen tension, anger, fatigue and other negative feelings.