Sonic Bath Meditation May Be Your New Favorite Meditation

After months and months of incessant bad news, we all feel overwhelmed and look for ways to release our stress and focus. Have you thought about meditation? Sound baths can help you stay focused while meditating – and you can even do them at home. Here’s how.

Start with basic meditation

“Meditation is simply a practice to draw you inward and be present,” says Tara Atwood , a sound bath and meditation specialist in New England. “This is often quite difficult as our thoughts wander.”

Let’s get real: It’s hard to stay in the moment when it’s so tense . From a pandemic to global warming to domestic and global politics, things seem to be a mess right now, and it can seem utterly impossible to tear your mind away from all this fear. However, you need it for your own well-being. You must find joy and self-realization. And for some, meditation is indeed the key to that.

If sound baths seem intriguing to you, try a simple meditation first. You don’t have to go full blown into it and start showing up at your local meditation center every day YouTube is full of simple, guidedmeditations that you can do anywhere, anytime, and experts like Atwood have their own available , too.

At its most basic level, meditation is about focusing on mindfulness, paying attention to every breath that enters and leaves your body, and noticing where your mind is wandering as you do so. It doesn’t have to be intimidating – just close your eyes and take a few minutes to breathe. Atwood points to lower blood pressure, lower levels of anxiety and stress-related pain, and increased happiness and creativity as some of the many benefits of meditation.

Okay, what is a sound bath?

Sound baths and sound therapy are used in meditation to help you focus and stay present, Atwood explains, “Every sound, tone and note brings you back to the present moment.”

“Sound healing therapy uses aspects of sound and music to improve physical and emotional health and well-being,” she says. “Rich audible tones and invisible frequencies are heard and felt, and our bodies naturally resonate with frequencies radiated into space, restoring normal vibration frequencies from disharmonious parts of the body, mind and soul, while promoting deep penetration. a state of relaxation and healing. The frequencies of sound and sound tones have a profound effect on our breathing, blood flow, cell movement, biorhythms, thoughts and brain waves. “

Atwood uses ancient Tibetan singing bowls and pure quartz alchemy bowls for his sonic baths, but you can start a little less. She said that you can even use your voice to hum and vibrate.

Also check out online deals: Amazon sells singing bowls, as do independent specialty stores . Some bowls only cost around $ 35, so you don’t have to go broke – and financially stress yourself – in pursuit of less anxiety.

Once you receive the singing bowl or vessel, rub or hit it (usually with the supplied instrument) to induce the desired vibration.

What to expect from sound baths

We live in an era of chaos and rarity, so it may be difficult for you to get to the desired area. Do not worry if you are greatly mistaken at first. Keep working hard to focus on your breathing and body.

“A sound bath (both virtual and personal) requires you to be in a quiet and safe place that allows you to completely relax and be present without distraction,” says Atwood, who recommends finding a safe and quiet place by turning off your phone after making sure that the temperature in the room is moderate, and lying on the floor in a comfortable position with pillows.

If you are doing guided meditation, she adds, “you will be asked to first be present in space, focusing on your breathing and breathing. You may be asked to do a body scan to connect with your physical body and help focus your mind in the here and now. ” Relax your body completely and make sure your hands and feet are not touching anything.

Again, don’t worry about going to personal meditation centers if you don’t want to – or if during a pandemic you are intimidated by deep breathing around other people.

“It’s perfectly okay to participate in virtual sound baths,” says Atwood. “In fact, before the pandemic, I personally practiced this way because I couldn’t play live for myself, and instead I just listened through the speaker to replay the previously recorded session. Having experienced sound baths personally in India, daily during training, and now practically at home, I found that the experience is essentially the same and leads to similar and comparable results. “

If you choose to go this route, record your sound bowls and then listen to your recordings with headphones while you meditate.

Finally, don’t worry about being wrong. The goal here is not to worry, but instead to embrace the peace. If you feel like you are relaxing and connecting with your mind and body, you are doing it right. Case is closed.