The Gifts (and Challenges) That Come Up In A Sound Bath
I’ve been into sound baths for almost five years, and I’d like to address something that’s usually shied under the rug.
Sound baths are immersive, meditative experiences where practitioners lie down to listen and listen deeply to the sounds around them.
These experiences are meant to be relaxing, and they usually are. I’ve seen so many people walk out glowing with peace, clarity and serenity. A few even report profound spiritual awakenings and visual experiences. But like any activity that’s meant to raise your awareness, sound baths can bring to light some challenging emotions.
These emotions are gifts. To recognize, feel, and breathe into these feelings- that’s where the magic happens. That’s the growth spot.
The trick is not to fight these emotions, but to soften into them. Here’s a few that might come up for you
Anxiety
I suspect the anxiety we experience in a sound bath is our own perpetual nervousness bubbling to the surface. There’s nothing wrong, unusual or shameful about experiencing anxiety. We’re monkey-descended creatures who had to remain vigilant to stay alive. Ours is a much safer, yet still uncertain world, and our monkey-minds go fight-or-flight quite easily. Remind yourself that you’re safe, that these feelings will go away, and lengthen your exhale to soothe yourself.
Restlessness
Restlessness hits me a lot. Practically, if I’m having trouble lying on my back, I’ll switch to my side. Or sit up to meditate. Sometimes I’ll even twist into a restorative yoga pose. That kind of restlessness is okay, maybe. I’m talking about the kind of restlessness where you just can’t wait to get out and do/create/make/get x. That happens.
Sound enables and deepens a meditation practice like nothing else. I have a strong preference to showcasing gongs in a sound bath, as these lower resonances help ground me, and “clear the mind”. Nonetheless, every sound bath is a mediation, and meditation is challenging.
Sound can help you, and it can even carry you sometimes, but you must do some work as well. Soften into the present moment, focus on your breath and turn inward. The first few breaths are challenging, but it gets easier. Learning to “turn off” the mind- or at least turn it down- is a powerful skill.
Sadness
Most of us don’t take the time to feel our sadness. We distract ourselves away with stimuli. Or at least I do, more than I would like.
If you drop into your heart for the first time in a while, and it feels like it’s got some holes in it — — that’s okay. Feeling fully is the first step to healing. Have compassion for yourself, the same way you would have compassion for anyone you loved who was feeling hurt. And carry the same hope you would have for a good friend as well.
During a sound meditation, there’s also a lot you can do to encourage your body to relax- and get those juicy experiences that everyone keeps talking about.
First off, get up front, closer to the instruments, or go to events where the sound is amplified. We put gongs & singing bowls all over the room at our shows. And work with a sound engineer and an array of speakers to make sure everyone is having a surround-sound experience.
Bring something to cover your eyes (eye pillows are often provided at such events, but tend to run out).
Make sure you are warm, and comfortable. Being nourished helps. Bring a pillow and a blanket. Put a bolster under your knees. Wear your softest sweater, or whatever you like.
Focus on your breath. If you know a pranayama that serves you, play with that. Breath deeply and nourish yourself with your inhale and cleanse on the exhale. That’s the most important part.
Written by Simona Asinovski.
Curious about Sound Meditation? Our most well-known event is “The Holistic Chamber of Sound”, led by Guy Douglas. The next one is on September 22nd, and themed “Decompression”.
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