There’s nothing like taking a bath when you’re stressed out. It’s a relaxing, wonderful, peaceful place. But it’s a little bit of a hassle. One, it’s hot as hades outside right now, so no one really wants to boil in a tub of soapy water for hours on end. Also, what do you do in a bath? Seriously, you can watch TV or read a book as well as anyone else, but you can’t pause it or flip the pages because your hands are all wet! So I propose a different kind of bath this week — a sound bath.
What is a Sound Bath?
Sound baths are a type of meditation that use sound waves to relax and de-stress the mind and body. You can find sound baths online or you can go to a local provider if you want to have a truly immersive experience.
The idea of a sound bath is that you’re getting ‘bathed’ in sound waves that are coming from singing bowls, gongs, or other instruments.
People have been participating in sound baths for ages, but the origins are unclear as to how they started. Some say sound baths originated in Tibet because singing bowls are often referred to as “Tibetan” singing bowls, but no one is certain about the exact origins.
Benefits of a Sound Bath
You don’t need to convince me to sit down for a bit every day and listen to calming music, but I did want to know what the exact benefits of a sound bath are. The sounds can help you fall asleep, reduce your stress, reduce your pain, and increase your creativity. Many people believe that certain sounds can help with processing emotions and unblocking the chakras as well. Healthline suggests that “Waves of soothing, echoing sound from traditional wind and percussion instruments, also known as a “sound bath,” may help with stress, fatigue, and depression symptoms, according to one study.”
While many people swear by these meditative baths, there is no evidence that they actually help medically, so maybe don’t cancel your health insurance just yet. There was a study done in 2020 where 105 participants took a 40-minute sound bath. These participants noted reductions in their negative moods and increases in their positive moods.
In order to begin, you want to lie down on a mat and listen to highly resonant, immersive music. This isn’t going to be like my experience with high vibrational music, where I had it playing in the background. A sound bath is all about immersing yourself into the experience.
Day 1
I was a little concerned that this week would be too similar to the high vibration frequencies one, so I went in hoping for it to be better, but knowing that there wasn’t actually scientific evidence that it would be. That being said, I loved my first sound bath. I listened to a relaxing sound bath session I found on YouTube and laid down on my yoga mat. I think the next session I do won’t be first thing in the morning because it was a bit of a rude awakening to finish my sound bath and have to actually start the day after I had been so relaxed.
The biggest difference I noticed between the sound bath and the high vibrational frequencies was that all my attention went to the sound bath, while the frequencies just played in the background.
I did feel myself getting a little antsy after 10 minutes, but I know that’s because my mind is always going. This might be the week I stretch myself and allow myself some much-needed rest.
Day 2
I know I said I wouldn’t start my mornings with a sound bath, but I felt stressed out and exhausted this particular morning, so I hoped aligning my chakras would help me out. I chose a sound bath that focused on aligning my root chakra, while integrating sounds and affirmations.
It took me a minute to settle in and let go of my day in order to get the full effect of the sound bath. I think the biggest struggle for me this week is going to be giving myself permission to lie down for 10-30 minutes a day to relax and reflect on my emotions. That being said, I did feel at peace and centered after the meditation, and I did appreciate the time I put into it.
Day 3
I decided to test if the sound bath would put me to sleep, so I found a video that was specifically for sleep and relaxation. Shockingly, the sessions I had listened to in the mornings were more relaxing than this was. For some reason, it sounded more like a siren than relaxing and meditative music to me and I turned it off after five minutes.
Day 4
Today I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and felt stressed right out of the gate. I knew I should probably slow down a bit before my day actually started and take some moments of mindfulness, so I did another sound bath in the morning.
I’m starting to love adding these little baths into my morning routines. They’re a good grounding practice to start my days off with and they let me be present with myself before I dive head-first into the day.
I chose a sound bath that removes negative energy — something we all need. I did something different today as well; I put the sound bath on in the background at first and finished some tasks, but then I laid down and actually did the sound bath the proper way. The difference I felt when I let myself slow down and just enjoy the quiet and peaceful time was wonderful.
Day 5
I wanted to try one last time to start my day off with a sound bath, so I looked up energizing sound baths. Sadly, the one I found wasn’t calming or nice — it was just a guy hitting the bowls. While it did wake me up, I chose to listen to a sound bath for chakra tuning and self-expression instead to balance it out and get a relaxing sound bath in for the day. I really appreciated the calming sounds, even if they were more likely to put me to sleep.
Day 6
I decided to try to go to sleep with a sound bath one more time this week, and this time it worked. I put on a sound bath for sleep that had a deeper tone to it and I passed out. One thing I’ve noticed throughout this entire challenge is that whenever I put on a sound bath, my cat instantly comes to me and cuddles me. This could be based on the high vibrational frequencies that emanate from the baths, but it always is a fun aspect.
Day 7
It’s the final day, so I began it with a sound bath. I chose a video that removed negative energy, hoping for one more cleanse. I always get a tingling sensation in my upper forehead when I listen to these sounds and it’s so wonderful. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m going to believe it’s just the sound bath working.
My Sound Bath Results
I was really concerned about this challenge, especially considering listening to high vibration frequencies not too long ago didn’t have wonderful results for me. But I was pleasantly surprised throughout this entire week. Every time I laid down on my yoga mat and got ready for a sound bath, I was excited and happy to do so.
I think it was the difference of saving specific time to be still, meditate, and allow my body to heal. I really loved these sound baths for both starting and ending my mornings.
I’m not sure if I’ll add sound baths into my daily routine because they do take time and I prefer my tried and true meditation app to anything else. But I think this week taught me how important it is to take time and slow down every morning. The sound baths gave me permission to be alone with my thoughts and root myself in my mind before I started anything else.
Have you ever tried sound baths? Are you going to now? Comment below!
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