Feel Good Friday: My First Sound Bath
Good morning and Happy Friday to you!Have any fun plans for the weekend?! We are mailing our wedding invites, I'm seeing some friends, and just kickin' it!I'm happy you're over at the blog today, because I have a real treat for you that I promised to talk about in Monday's post.Exactly one week ago, I went with Sam to my fave yoga studio (One Down Dog) to check out their monthly sound bath workshop led by the awesome Jamie Bechtold. I’ve always wanted to go each month when her class—“Gong Alchemy Soundbath"—is offered on every last Friday, so I was pumped to finally check it out in person.
Pre-class!Before going to class, I had a basic idea of what a sound bath was... meditation, gongs, crystal bowls, resting, mindfulness, breathing...It sounded perfect to me and I was open to learning/experiencing more.If you’re not familiar with what a sound bath is, here are some basic facts:
- It’s a group experience where you simply lay down and relax.
- The leader plays a specific combination of gongs designed to relax and guide self discovery.
- The instructor works with different gong frequencies and crystal bowl combos to yield consistent results.
- The experience is different for everyone every time—some people fall asleep, some feel vibrations in their body, some may twitch time to time, some go in and out of meditation, some may feel anxious/calm/happy/emotional... anything goes.
- Most sleep very well the night after a sound bath.
- You can feel the vibrations circle around you through one ear and out the other.
- The more times you go to sound baths, the quicker and deeper you can dip into your meditation.
- Bring blankets, pillows, eye masks, and layers with you for added warmth and comfort.
When our sound bath first started, I couldn't quite relax. The vibrations were intense and it took me about 15 minutes to fully settle into the sounds and feeling of laying still on the ground.Then, I really got to experience the sound bath for what it was. I could feel myself moving into a deeper meditation and focus on the layered rhythms of bowls and gongs. Jamie had some really interesting techniques, where the two sounds played off of each other in an intense, almost eerie way.I started to smile when some people around me began to snore. I wasn't quite that relaxed but getting there.My favorite part was the last 15 minutes. I could feel that I was in a state of bliss as the vibrations grew and my mind settled into the sounds rather than my busy thoughts from the day. I was so relaxed, in fact, that when Jamie stopped playing her final gong, it took me by surprise.She's done? That's the whole thing? It went by so fast.After what can be an intense experience for many, she allowed us five minutes of silence to readjust our minds and bodies back into the space. We all rose to a seat and opened our tired eyes.It was an interesting sensation. I truly felt like I had taken a nap. I was yawning, stretching, and just felt so so sleepy. And, Jamie was right—that night, I slept like a baby. 12 hours, people. 12! I can't remember the last time I ever slept that long as an adult, haha.Anyway, if there's a sound bath offered where you live, I wouldn't hesitate to check it out. Since the experience is different for everyone, you never know what you might walk away with.I say, go for it!For more information about Jamie and what she does, visit www.sound-bath.com.Stay still,Ari
If you liked this post, you may also like:– Feel Good Friday: Melt Away Stress With This Body Scan– Feel Good Friday: Let’s Meditate– Feel Good Friday: DIY Spa Day– Feel Good Friday: How I Found Yoga– Feel Good Friday: How To Boost Your Mood