Spotlight on...soundbaths
Sound therapy is gaining a lot of attention at the moment. Sound therapy is claimed to help deepen the meditative state, offer a therapeutic experience and even counter stress. I decided to try it!
The studio where I regularly teach is unique, not just for it’s small, cosy nature but because it is owned by a sound therapist. This means that sound baths are a regular occurrence at the studio, with a timetable that not only has yoga classes several days a week but sound baths for different needs and treatments including reiki and sound healing.
I have previously tried two gong baths. And I’ll be honest, I found them to be challenging experiences. They were in large spaces, as part of whole-day wellness events and were mainly using large gongs. I found the crashing, repeated crescendo of the gong overwhelming and even stressful. I was left feeling a little dazed and jittery.
But after hearing from Victoria the different range of instruments that can be used in a sound bath, I realised that there was a gentler approach which might just be my thing.
Situated in White Harmony studio, there were just four of us practicing that evening. And on top of our yoga mats were given padded, cushioned mats that were more like mattresses. We were also given two bolsters - one for our head and one which I placed beneath my knees. Then, we covered ourselves in blankets. We were super comfy. There was to be no being distracted by the normal aches and pains that can come from lying on the floor or a mat for a long period of time. Next, we added eye pillows.
Victoria began the session with a guided meditation. I had just finished teaching a yoga class and was humming with the adrenaline rush I always experience after teaching yoga. This meditation helped me to slowly ease down into my mat, to slow my breathing and to focus in.
I will say that I would love to try another sound bath having been in a yoga class as a student, as I think this would have deepened and changed the experience. It would be really interesting to make the comparison!
Once we were all settled, our breathing even, our minds in a shallow meditative state, the sound bath began.
I would find it a challenge to guess which instruments made which sounds. I know that there were singing bowls, crystal bowls, a gong and more. I know that straight away I connected with the deeper sounds and found these drew me further in a relaxed and restorative state.
I experienced a lot of flashes of purple in my minds eye.
I also experienced very tangible physical sensations relating to certain sounds. Chimes led to popping sensation along my skin, particularly my scalp. There was a fantastic crackling sound that felt like I was having my scalp massaged. The low singing bowl seemed to resonate in my chest. The gong brought a moment of surprise, almost anxiety before I was able to relax further down into my meditation.
The hour whizzed by.
I felt as though I really ‘lost my edges’ and when I came to move my fingers and hands, my skin felt extra sensitive to the blanket and mat.
When I removed the eye mask, it was a shock to still be in the studio. I had felt far away. The lights were a surprise after the deep, darkness of meditation.
How did I feel afterwards?
Like I had been in a really deep, restful sleep even though I had been conscious of the sounds and the experience throughout.
And guess what? I slept really well that night.
Others in the group experienced the sound bath differently - from relaxation to giddiness to ‘feeling the most relaxed I’ve been in forty year's’. I don’t think you get a better review than that!
I am curious to learn more about the science behind why this is such a restful and restorative experience, but for now I’m going to enjoy the restfulness I still feel this morning. I am definitely going to book another sound bath soon and think combining yoga and sound has proven to be one of my favourite wellness experiences so far.
What I love about sound is that it is truly accessible for everyone.
It helps to deepen your meditation practice so that you can more quickly access that deeper, restorative level of meditation.
It led to some great conversations around meditation and mindfulness.
It is a great way to relax if you are not someone who enjoys a massage or other hands on therapies.
If you would like to check out Victoria’s fantastic sound baths, you can find her full timetable here. I am so excited to be incorporating sound into some of my upcoming yoga workshops and learning more about this beautiful practice.