Sound Medicine

From a leading neurologist, neuroscientist and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, comes a rigorous scientific investigation of the healing power of sound, showing readers how they can use it to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Why does a baby's cry instantaneously flood a mother's body with a myriad of stress hormones? How can a song on the radio stir up powerful emotions, from joy to anger, regret to desire? Why does sound itself evoke such primal and deeply felt emotions? A vibration that travels through air, water and solids, sound is produced by all matter, and is a fundamental part of every species' survival. But there is a hidden power within sound that has only just begun to be investigated. Sound Medicine takes readers on a journey through the structure of the mouth, ears, and brain to understand how sound is translated from acoustic vibrations into meaningful neurological impulses. Renowned neurologist and Ayurvedic expert Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary explains how different types of sound impact the human body and brain uniquely, and explores the physiological effects of sound vibration, from altering mood to healing disease. Blending ancient wisdom with modern science, Dr. Chaudhary traces the history of sound therapy and the use of specific mantras from previously unknown texts—traced back to the Siddhas, a group of enlightened yogis who created a healing tradition that served as the precursor to Ayurvedic medicine—to explain the therapeutic application of sounds for a wide range of conditions. Sound Medicine offers practical, step-by-step lessons for using music and mantras, whether you're a beginner or searching for a more advanced practice, to improve your health in body, mind, and spirit.

Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary is an integrative neurologist, neuroscientist, and the former Director of Wellspring Health at Scripps Memorial Hospital; she is a pioneer in the field of Integrative Medicine. She received her Internship in Internal Medicine at UCLA and her Neurology Fellowship from UCSD. She has participated in over twenty clinical research studies in the areas of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Chaudhary is committed to bringing national awareness to the need for a paradigm shift in medicine that focuses on patient empowerment and a health-based medical system and as such is the co-founder of Habit Change, and now serves as the Chief Medical Officer for New Practices, Inc. With this work, she is transforming allopathic medical practices into healing centers that use compassion-based health coaching, meditation, and integrative medicine to combat chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease, depression, and more. She also oversees ongoing research in the management and reversal of chronic disease through lifestyle intervention.