When I arrive at SpaHalekulani, I am, admittedly, in a frazzled state. As a working mom of two young children, sleepless nights have left me a bleary-eyed mess. Cold and flu season has recently descended upon our family, not to mention the school schedules to coordinate, ballet recitals to attend, and work functions still to be planned.
It’s why stepping into the newly renovated SpaHalekulani feels like a tremendous exhale. The spa lobby is awash in the hotel’s signature seven shades of white, creating an airy and calming vestibule enhanced by wooden accents and the soothing sound of trickling water—calling to mind Kawehewehe, the freshwater spring that originates in the Ko‘olau mountains, flows beneath the hotel, and releases into the ocean fronting the property.
I am greeted with a cool towelette infused with essential oil and offered a glass of coconut-filtered water while I await my appointment for the spa’s newest offering: a vibroacoustic treatment that pairs ancient sound therapies with modern technology. Exclusive to Halekulani, this vibroacoustic service utilizes vibrations and audio frequencies to slow mental activity, guiding the mind and body into a meditative, relaxed state.
The human brain houses approximately 100 billion neurons that fire electrical signals, enabling us to think, feel, sleep, eat, and move. Throughout the day, our minds cycle through various brainwave states, from energetic gamma waves, which fire at 30 or more hertz during bouts of intense concentration, to beta waves that bubble along between 13 and 30 hertz during most of our waking hours, to long, slow delta waves flowing between 0.5 and 4 hertz during periods of deep, dreamless sleep.
The vibroacoustic treatment works by influencing the frequency at which the brain operates, delivering sounds of varying frequencies to each ear through stereo headphones. Upon delivery, the brain adjusts to the frequency ranges it hears, resulting in a state of consciousness that allows for acute focus or relaxation. Subtle vibrations are simultaneously delivered through a specialized treatment bed, an experience that calls to mind the sensation of sound reverberating through the body during an action flick at a movie theater.
SpaHalekulani offers four distinct vibroacoustic treatments. “Focus” raises brain activity for improved cognitive function and memory. “Dream” produces a vivid, meditative experience. “Relax” provides stress relief and relaxation. “Restore” dips into deep delta wave frequencies of 2 to 3 hertz, where both the conscious and subconscious mind are turned off. I opt for “Restore.”
According to Philip Brito, Halekulani’s spa and wellness supervisor, who greets me before my treatment begins, “Awakening from one 22-minute session can feel like getting a full night’s rest.”
When Brito opens the doors to Nahe Wai, one of the spa’s three new private rooms, the space is illuminated in blue light, and a vibroacoustic table, made by the German wellness pioneer Gharieni, glows as if powered by some otherworldly technology. I slip under the covers and settle onto the heated water cushioning system that cocoons my body. Brito slides a pair of headphones over my ears. The sounds commence: long, deep hums and echoing drops of water. Closing my eyes, I try to relax, but my checklist of uncompleted tasks continues to occupy my mind.
Like many, I find it difficult to tune out and turn off my mind at the end of the day. I often lie awake in bed at night, thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow while simultaneously ruminating on mistakes I made today. While bouts of intense focus can make us feel accomplished, chronic states of high brain activity—such as those triggered in high-stress, fight-or-flight situations—can impair decision-making and lead to a host of harmful health issues, including cognitive decline, headaches, and mood disorders. Slowing the mind to experience the delta waves present during deep sleep allows the body to reset, promoting immune function and encouraging the release of human growth hormone—important for maintaining metabolism and regulating blood sugar—along with other anti-aging hormones.
The music streaming through the headphones begins to swell, and my mind disappears to some unknown place, as if I’m skipping through time and space and into the black. Then, before I know it, I am back, awakening to dissipating sounds so soft that I can’t tell if it’s the music still coming through the headphones or the muffled soundtrack that’s been playing over the speaker system since I arrived. I stretch and take a moment to gather myself. It’s only been 22 minutes, yet Brito was right: It feels as though I’ve gotten a full night’s worth of slumber. I smile, refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of my day.
