I run sound baths at Rosslyn Hill Chapel in Hampstead, London, every couple of months – please check the Events page on this website and subscribe to my newsletter if you’d like to get updates about this.
I can also do private sound/gong baths at your home and at intimate venues all over London, as well as in offices – it’s an excellent treat for couples and a different get-together with your friends as well as a great option for wellbeing days in all sorts of corporate environments.
What is a Sound Bath?
A sound bath is a listening experience that can be used for many purposes, from relaxation/meditation and gaining insights into specific personal issues.
It can last from around an hour to an entire night or day, depending on the purpose that the therapist sets for the session.
It is delivered by combining one or more types of instruments, ranging from Himalayan singing bowls to gongs, flutes, drums.
The key component of this experience is that in addition to the musical appreciation for the sounds of the instruments, the participants get stimulated also from the physical effects of resonance – creating a sort of gentle massage. This happens because most of the instruments used are vibrational – meaning that the soundwaves that they produce also have a strong manifestation in the form of physical vibrations.
In my sound baths I generally use Himalayan singing bowls, gongs and crystal singing bowls, as well as a number of gentle percussive instruments such as chimes, rainstick and egg-shakers.
What is a Gong Bath?
A gong bath is similar to a sound bath except for the fact that I only use gongs and a Therapeutic Percussion kit towards the end of the session.
In these sessions there is less variety of sounds and this usually results in a deeper experience of the sounds of the gongs.
My sound baths and gong baths are usually for Relaxation or Reflection purposes.
Relaxation
In these sessions, you just lay down and enjoy the sound pouring over you. This is a moment to let go of whatever is stressing you, in the wider sense of the term. The basic principle is that these instruments are going to do the work for you and put you in an altered state of consciousness (ASC), which has been scientifically proven to be beneficial for our brain and bodies. In particular, in ASC your brain runs almost free of conditionments, in a dream-like state, helping you to make sense of anything that happened to you in the far or recent past. Soundbaths for relaxation are a treat to look forward as well as a profound experience that changes every time – no matter how many you have.
Reflection
Sound baths and gong baths with reflection are essentially the same than the relaxing ones, except for the fact that at the beginning and the end of them I guide you through a simple exercise to encourage you to make use of the session to gain insights on a feeling or situation that you are living with at the present moment.
I use the BAST method to invite you to better define your issue or focus for the day, which we call ‘construct’. This method includes simple visualisations and generic questions that are asked to the entire group and only require an answer within yourself – no need to share with the group, especially before the sound section of this session. I welcome comments and questions either before or after the sound/gong bath and please feel free to ask for a 1to1 chat with me if you feel the need to, either in person or via email.