What to Expect During a Sound Bath: Understanding the Experience

You are going to hear more about it, since even celebrities like Lizzo are touting their praises: sound baths. Perhaps you have run across someone playing the crystal bowls on social media. Or maybe you have noticed sound baths being offered at your yoga studio. This trendy option for self-care is becoming more main stream, and that leaves many of you asking: “What happens during a sound bath?”

During a sound bath a sound practitioner is going to invite you to lie down comfortably within a studio space of some kind. Sound baths can also take place online, in which case you will want to be comfortable in your home or work space, and you will want to use head phones for the highest sound quality. Focus on being comfortable and warm.

Instruments used in sound therapy sessions

 The practitioner will play instruments to help you relax. Depending on the space and the practitioner, crystal bowls, drums, chimes, gongs, Tibetan bowls, and many other instruments may be used. These instruments are those that have been used since time immemorial to create and enhance meditative states. The frequencies produced by these instruments are not music, per se, as they are not sound organized through time, meaning having rhythm. Instead, the frequencies and timbres, or tone qualities, themselves, are the focus of the experience.

Sound baths are an amazing opportunity for guilt-free self-care. Photo credit: Andrea Dodge Photography

Benefits of sound baths for relaxation and healing

As the sound washes over participants, many report feeling as if they are floating on the sound or becoming one with it. The sounds themselves have the ability to short circuit the brain out of its constant chattering to-do list and into a very deep state of rest and digest. This is the same mental state achieved by experienced meditators, but with a sound bath, this state is achieved with far less effort and time. 

Sound baths may last anywhere from a few minutes after a yoga practice to several hours, depending on the intent of the practitioner. During this time, you may notice less muscle tension. Your mind may begin to wander less. You may become very focused on your internal core state. Or you may feel like you are floating blissfully free out in the Universe. 

A sound practitioner may choose just one instrument for a sound bath, or the practitioner may opt for a cornucopia of sonic experiences. 

The frequencies created by sound bath instruments create shapes reflective of sacred geometry within the structure of their sound waves. The theory behind sound baths and sound healing is that these shapes overlay onto the frequency and structure of our own bodies. These sacred sound shapes have the ability to dissipate congested energy and even create new energetic structures within our bodies where things are in need of repair. Because of this, sound also has the ability to loosen and liberate stuck feelings and traumas. You may find yourself becoming emotional during a sound bath. If this happens, allow the feelings to happen, move through them, and let the frequencies help you release them. This catharsis may be uncomfortable in the moment, but on the other side of it, you may find a new sense of wholeness. If you find this confusing, speak with your sound practitioner after the sound bath. If you are worried if sound baths are dangerous, you can check out my blog post on that topic.

When the sound bath is over, most participants report feeling relaxed, euphoric, and peaceful. Many find the sound bath will improve their sleep that evening. Even if just for the stress release possibilities, sound baths can be a prominent part of one’s self-care routine. 

Looking for access to this ancient form of relaxation? Join us in the Rewild + Untame Community.

Tibetan bowls are highly effective for moving stagnant energy. Photo credit: Andrea Dodge Photography