1188: How Sound Soothes Your Nervous System
The Anxiety Coaches Podcast
Gina Ryan
4.6 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 26 October 2025
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In today's episode, Gina discusses the healing and soothing capacity of sound, specifically humming, for your mind, body and brain. The science behind the benefits of humming are discussed. Practical steps for integrating a humming practice into your daily routine are included. Listen in, start to hum and feel more peace and calm today!
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Quote:
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.
-Nikola Tesla
Chapters
0:26 Introduction to Humming
5:05 Humming in Daily Life
6:30 Humming and Chanting Connection
8:19 Guided Practice Together
11:17 The Simplicity of Humming
15:03 Seven-Day Humming Challenge
17:00 Closing Thoughts and Quote
Summary
In this episode, I delve into the art of humming, a practice often overlooked yet profoundly impactful in restoring balance to our mind and body. Humming, that natural sound reminiscent of simpler times, offers a way to engage our nervous system positively. It serves as a tool to activate the vagus nerve, our key player in the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for aiding our body in reaching a state of rest and relaxation. I explain how the vibrations facilitate a calming response, providing a sanctuary of safety for both the mind and body amid the chaos we often experience.
We explore the science behind humming, revealing how it lengthens the exhalation phase of our breathing—a crucial element in calming the nervous system. Given the significance of the exhale in the breath cycle, this simple act goes beyond just sound; it becomes a method of releasing tension, slowing the heart rate, and clarifying mental fog. Additionally, I present research from Lund University showing that humming can increase nitric oxide production significantly, creating a cascade of health benefits that enhance circulation, immunity, and overall vitality.
As we connect humming with the practice of chanting, I highlight the shared vibrations and intentions that both techniques harness to ground us. We draw parallels between humming and various forms of sound-based healing, emphasizing how these ancient practices resonate with contemporary experiences of anxiety and restlessness. The power of sound to transform our mental state becomes a focal point, reminding us that it's nearly impossible to occupy anxious thoughts while emitting a soothing hum.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the anxiety coaches podcast, a relaxing and informative show where we explore anxiety, panic, and PTSD, sharing how you can overcome them for life. |
| 0:23.1 | Aloha. |
| 0:24.2 | Welcome back to the Anxiety Coaches podcast. |
| 0:27.6 | I'm your host and coach, Gina Ryan, and I am so happy to be with you again today |
| 0:34.0 | as together we can consider the many ways to bring your mind and body back to its |
| 0:40.5 | natural peace and calm. In today's episode, we're exploring something wonderfully simple, |
| 0:48.5 | humming. Yes, humming, that small, natural sound that you may remember your parents or grandparents or maybe neighbors |
| 0:58.0 | doing while they were working or cooking or even just thinking and puttering around. |
| 1:04.9 | It turns out that humming isn't just a habit. It's one of nature's built-in natural ways to calm the nervous system, |
| 1:14.5 | to support vagal tone, and to bring the body into the parasympathetic rest and digest state. |
| 1:24.4 | We'll look at why humming works today and how it compares to chanting. Another thing I'm quite fond of, |
| 1:32.2 | in simple ways that you can use humming to ease your anxiety, to improve your focus and to bring |
| 1:40.6 | peace back into your day. As Krishna Das says, chanting or humming awakens the heart. |
| 1:51.5 | The vibration connects us with something larger than thought. And if you're not familiar with |
| 1:58.9 | Krishna Das and you wanted to hear some beautiful chanting, |
| 2:04.2 | you could look him up on YouTube, lots of free stuff for you to listen to there, |
| 2:09.2 | Krishna Das. |
| 2:10.5 | And he's absolutely right. |
| 2:12.7 | Chanting or humming does awaken the heart. |
| 2:15.6 | And the vibration connects us with something larger than thought. |
| 2:21.6 | And isn't that what we get hung up on often when we are anxious? Thought. |
| 2:28.4 | So let's talk about first why humming helps. |
... |
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