Sound Baths

A SOUND BATH IS KNOWN BY MANY NAMES —
SOUND MEDITATION, SOUND JOURNEY, SOUND HEALING —
THEY’RE ALL DEEP LISTENING EXPERIENCES UTILIZING SOUND.

WHAT INSTRUMENTS ARE USED IN A SOUND BATH?

The sounds are created by a wide range of instruments with different frequencies and overtones including pulse drumming with frame drums, Biosonic tuning forks, gongs, shruti box, Himalayan singing bowls, quartz singing bowls, mbiru, various percussion, chimes, and even overtone singing.

WHO IS A SOUND BATH FOR?

Sound baths are for individuals and groups where each person has their own personal space. The experience is helpful for anyone who wants to give themselves a moment of relaxation or gain the benefits from meditation, but has either not yet learned how to access that on their own or is interested in exploring a new approach to self inquiry.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN A SOUND BATH SESSION?

The experience begins with each person lying down on a comfortable mat often with a cushion and an eye mask. After a few minutes of breath work the remainder of the experience is filled with different sounds and frequencies being introduced in succession. The purpose—and our collective goal—is to listen in a more present way, encourage relaxation, and support exploration and personal inquiry.

HOW A SOUND CAN MAKE US FEEL

Everyone reacts differently to sound and vibration. A pleasant sound for you might induce anxiety for someone else. A sound bath is a transformative experience and it's important to note that there are moments where you could feel a sense of bliss, and there are other moments where a sense of uneasiness might overcome you. Our body, mind, and spirit hold the energetic imprints of all of our experiences, and sound vibrations have a way of shaking things up. Because of this, unsettled feelings can happen. So if you attend a sound bath and an unsettling feeling washes over you the most important thing you can do is to bring your attention to the rhythm of your breathing; deep inhales and deep exhales. If these feelings do
arise it's happening because the environment is promoting a release, so just breath through it rather than letting yourself be submerged in it.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOUND BATH FOR YOU

This experience can be very powerful and since many people are extremely sensitive to sound you should make sure that the facilitator has studied sound healing. Even though some musicians and djs might have the best intentions when they use words like ‘sound healing’ or ‘sound bath’ to promote their events, it's extremely important to understand that facilitating a sound bath should not be about an individuals’ desire to express themselves to an audience. A good facilitator knows how to relinquish the notion of self, in favor of serving the community in a selfless way and it’s very important that the environment feel safe. Only a well-studied certified facilitator knows how to create and hold a safe space while introducing sounds.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS & SIDE EFFECTS

• Ease Depression

• Stress Management

• Reduce Anxiety

• Pain Management

• Help with Sleep Issues

• Release Trauma

• Possible Irritability

• Emotional Release

• Overactive Mind

• Fall Asleep

COMMON SOUND BATH QUESTIONS

Is It Entertainment?

It is very important to understand that sound baths are not a form of entertainment. This experience is not a concert in the way a traditional music concert requires your attention and observation. A sound bath strips away the condensed structural elements that music has such as rhythm, arrangement, and performance. It's not about analyzing any these elements; it’s a facilitation into a deeper state and an opportunity to unplug from this hyperactive reality to gain perspective with what's going on within you. The practitioner is not performing, rather utilizing various instruments as tools to facilitate a shift in the participant's consciousness. When this is properly executed the result is a slowdown of your brainwaves, shifting from a more active state (Beta) to a more relaxed dream-like state (Alpha). If you enter a sound bath with the intent of analyzing what instruments are creating the sounds it could ultimately take longer to settle into that relaxed state.

Do I Need To Know How To Meditate?

No experience is required which is what’s so remarkable about sound baths. Everyone has a relationship to sound and in the right environment achieving a shift in your state of being is possible. Sound is immediate and has a way of directly impacting our whole being and it doesn’t require the discipline that meditation does, which, for many people holds them back from pursuing it. In fact, a sound bath can be a gateway to meditation by introducing you to what it feels like when a calmness enters your mind.

How Often Should I Go?

It's a great way to quiet the mind so it's always going to be beneficial in that way, and considering how overstimulated we can be, regularly introducing an experience that addresses the overactivity can definitely have a positive effect. Each time you experience a sound bath is going to be different due to a variety of elements, namely: environment, individual (you), and community, and how we exist within each on any given day. Each new experience will teach you more about yourself. Sometimes you might have a visual experience and other times it may impact the way you feel emotionally, or even distort your perception of time. All of these contribute to your personal growth.

BE YOUR OWN WITNESS

Hear yourself, heal yourself

A lot of people are seeking out ways to bring balance into their lives. There is so much competition for our attention and it all just seems to become noise, and then when we can't hear anything, how can we expect to hear ourselves? Sound baths are a great way to get in tune with yourself. And you don't have to have a regular meditation practice or be well disciplined with yoga or another self care practice to have a profound and positive experience with sound.