Bathing in Sound

Recently, I got to try out a new experience I’ve been hearing about for a while now: Sound Baths. My friend up in Highland Park informed me that SoulShine Studio was offering a healing and grounding sound bath for folks, so I immediately signed up to go with her there.

Now I wasn’t sure what to expect but had an idea which primarily consisted of singing bowls in some mood lighting. And while that was part of it, I was for a treat with the variety of sounds.

To begin, there is a little mood lighting and everyone is laying on the floor on mats. In this version the facilitator mixed recorded audio with the various sound tools. She began by telling everyone to focus on their breathing, to relax, and fall into the music that was playing - now to my surprise, that was all of the guidance she provided, the rest was with the various sounds. It began with the singing bowls. Various soothing tones, melodiously ringing into the soul, taking your mind away from your body, and letting that sound rush over you. The followed this with a harp chime, that has such a whismical energy, light and refreshing that really lifted the spirits which quickly was followed by a rainstick (you know the ones that you tip from side to side that filled will pebbles or rice or beans), that created a cadence of sound in that space with that raised energy.

My body during the rainstick seemed to take a turn into deep rest while my conscious floated in the sound washing over me. I was aware of my body but it was separate from my senses. The rainstick went on for a while to be followed by a low quiet tapping of a gong. There was a larger gong at the front that was initially used but during this part of the session, the facilitator also went around the room walking with hand held gong and lightly tapped it at (I assume) every person. When she got to me, it was a sensation that resonating so much deeper down to my bones. This was I think one of the major sounds of release for energetic healing. The way the vibrations felt both physically and spiritually throughout the body and mind, like it was shaking loose and pushing away feelings of anxiety or fear and opening a new space to be filled.

And filled they were. The facilitator after completing the room, went back to singing bowls and let their various tones fill the body with peace and tranquility, almost building energy in the body to raise your vibrations and frequency with the universe. There were deep tone and higher tones all played in a sequence I couldn’t quite understand but my body reacted so well with it. There was a crescendo, then the harp chime, followed by a low but room filling gong to bring us back to present.

I couldn’t tell you where all my mind went during this. The body was responding, my consciousness was floating on the various sounds to all kinds of places within and without the mind. Coming to, my body felt like I had taken the perfect amount of sleep and I was waking from a dream. It was a very surreal but wonderful experience, and I definitely will be doing it again.

~ Clark