Soundbath

What is a sound

-bath? a sound-bath is an holistic practice using sound to induce a state of calm, relaxation, meditation and more.

We all use sound in our daily routine to get through the day, be-it listening to music or people talking or simply being hynotised by the sound of a clock at the end of a busy day.

Sound has been used for thousands of years for healing, especially in highly developed, ancient civilisations.

The sound-baths I'm referring to are very different indeed.

I've just got back from one, so I thought it a good idea to make a blog about it to share my experience. I've experienced soundbaths before, so it was nothing new to me, but here is my experience of them.

My wife and I entered the building dedicated to the arts and crafts, known as 'The Old Printworks' in Balsal Heath, Birmingham.

Up a a couple of flights of stairs where a door lay ajar, we entered and spoke to the lady conducting the session. 'Take your shoes off and find a space' she said. We entered the next room where many mats were laid out for us to choose, so we picked two together and put our pillows down and lay on our respective mats.

In front of us was a range of gongs, all different patterns on the surface and a number of singing bowls on the floor.

There was about twenty of us, all in silence as we listened to the instructions.

We were told to get comfortable and relax our bodies, and as the sound would begin we were told that it would be natural for us to fall into certain sleep states.

The singing bowls were used first, copper, machined-turned bowls struck with a wooden stick and then rubbed around the rim to create an intense vibratory sound of which penetrated our ears and entered our bodies. Then the next singing bowl which complimented the first but

which was smaller and set at a different pitch, both were beautiful sounding. This set the tone and our minds were relaxed.

Next came the gongs, gently rubbed with a stick, covered at the tip with linen as the sound reverberated through the room. It became quite intense as each gong sounded slightly different to the last. Waves of musical patterns flowed through our bodies and at certain points throughout the hour I believed my spirit-body was beginning to rise up. The feeling quickly brought me back to the room as It wasn't the right time to leave, just yet.

The feeling of someone's hand across my forehead could be felt throughout and at times I wondered if it was lady who was conducting the session, then I realsied she was the one using the instruments, so it was a feeling created by my body. This could well have been my crown chakra opening.

The session lasted for a good hour, when it came to a close with the diminishing sound of the gongs followed by the sound of a rattle, much like that of a rattlesnake.

Overall the experience is that of a positive nature, and a must for those with busy lives and who find it difficult to put aside time to meditate or relax. A prescribed soundbath is perfect because its all set out for you, you have to simply turn up. It will set you back anywhere between £12 and £20 per hour.