Sound baths are gaining in popularity these days as more and more people are getting into meditation to relieve stress, anxiety, and clear blockages. Above all, sound baths are extremely sought-after due to its relaxing effects.
In sound baths, various sound healing tools are used like gongs, singing bowls, rattles, shakers, bells, wind chimes, etc.
Essentially, a sound bath is a meditation class that will guide you into a deep meditative state while you immerse into ambient sounds played by instructors or sound therapists. You may stay in a seated position or lay on yoga mats. Sound baths can be done as a group or individually.
In a sound bath, the sound therapist will use repetitive notes at different frequencies to help bring your focus away from your thoughts. Depending on the instructor, expect different flows of sound for every session.
Each sound healing tool used in a sound bath creates a different frequency that vibrates in the body. Using specific rhythm and frequency combinations will help shift a person’s normal beta state to an alpha state. The normal beta state is when you are alert and reacting, while the alpha state is when you reach a creative and relaxed state of mind.
It’s also possible to reach the theta state, which is the meditative state, and even delta, which is the deep sleep state where restoration and healing occurs. Similar to yoga or a regular meditation class, this takes time.
If you’re a beginner, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The moment you notice yourself leaving the normal beta state, then you can consider the experience a success. Just like with other meditative practices, give yourself time to ease into the practice.
What To Expect In Your First Sound Bath Experience
Now that you know the basics to a sound bath, it’s time to familiarize yourself about what you can expect from it.
The first thing that you will notice when your instructor starts playing an instrument is that as you go deeper into the practice, you will literally feel the sound in your body. It can create a full-body experience and can even bring your physical and subtle bodies into harmonious balance.
Next, don’t worry if you feel like laughing, crying, or sleeping while you’re there. It’s only natural for emotions to resurface when you’re in a sound bath, so don’t resist it. This is also one of the reasons sound baths are becoming popular because they are effective in releasing trapped emotions within the subtle body.
Remember, your body, mind, and spirit have all the energies you’ve collected from past experiences, and deep, permeating sounds to these energetic frequencies can shake things up.
It’s normal to feel at bliss one minute, and sad and uneasy the next. What you can do here is to observe these emotions as they come and don’t judge them. Allow your breath to guide you through.
Another thing you have to remember is sound baths don’t require you to have previous meditation experience. You can participate in one even without prior experience. Understandably, newbies are wary of trying it out because they have never meditated in their lives.
What you should remember here is that we all have a relationship with sound in some way, which will help you get through your first ever sound bath experience. Also, there is no discipline required to attend a sound bath. It could even be a significant first step if you want to embark on a meditation practice.
Last but not least, if you end up going to several sound baths, expect that every session will be different. Sound baths are unique because every experience will be different than the last.
Ready to immerse yourself in sounds?
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