Celebrities swear by them, colleges provide them for staff and students, recovery centres use them for addiction, trauma and now pain – but what exactly is a sound bath and will you have to get wet?
They may sound like a revolutionary new age wellness trend, especially with city sessions selling for around £70, but sound journeys have been embraced for thousands of years by many cultures from tribal drumbeats, chanting, flutes and strings in Ancient Greece and Egypt and singing bowls in Nepal and Tibet to name a just a few.
But is it yoga? At the risk of the wrath of some teachers, I’d say not. It is a form of meditation, a different flavour to other styles of meditation that can work well for many having sound as an anchor as opposed to silence. Think of it as meditation with melodies. Not everything is yoga and yoga isn’t everything and that’s OK.
However, the yoga sutras of Patanjali do tell us that ‘Yoga is the restrictions of the movements of the mind (and) these can either bring affliction or be free of affliction.’
I am also careful to not call anything therapy or healing, dangerous territory to claim and not in the remit of anyone who isn’t a medical professional, even if sound sessions are conducted in clinics, spas and on retreats.
How does it work? The vibrations and sounds are believed to shift the brain from a beta dominant state (focused/attentive/hyper aware/stressed) to an alphabet dominant state (rest/relax/restore) allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to take over from our fight or flight responses. Signs of this can be feeling restful, slower breathing, slower heart rate and a pleasant relaxed sensation.
How will I feel? Some people may feel very little, some may feel emotional or sleepy- it is personal to the individual and no reflection on the participant if it isn’t your cup of tea. (For example, I love a crystal bowl session but find gong baths awful and jarring for me personally) There are many types of meditation and sound sessions may not be the one for you but with Meghan Markle, Robert Downey Jr and Fearne Cotton all fans of soundscapes and singing bowl sessions they are back on people’s radar, even Kendall Jenner posted her collection of bowls recently and singer Adele credits them with getting her through her anxiety.
What to expect. You are generally encouraged to dress wrapped up in layers because as the body relaxes, your temperature cools. You will be invited to lie down or get comfortable as it suits you with lots of props and supports, often cocooned in blankets whilst singing bowls, chimes and other instruments bathe you in sounds designed to facilitate relaxation and meditation. It is ok if you need to move and the host will signal the end clearly with words or ringing chimes so don’t worry if you nod off. Do not worry about being watched or observed, it is physically quite exhausting playing the bowls, making decisions on sound and watching each instrument (which can cost hundreds of pounds per bowl) carefully so I can tell you from experience that the very last thing the host is doing is staring at you.
I offer a quiet space in a noisy world, using pastel coloured crystal singing bowls and gently tinkling koshi chimes to help you follow the call to rest and to come home to yourself in comfort and calm.
I facilitate these at my private yoga studio for you alone or with a friend.
£20 30mins £40 60mins
