I hope this blog post finds you happy and well?
I have loved sound baths every since my curiosity got the better of me at the World Yoga Festival about 8 years ago. I loved it, at that time I was in an open sided tent with about 200 other people, lying on my yoga mat on very lumpy ground; I floated out of there feeling just the most relaxed I had felt for a long time – and that was whilst I was at a whole festival of yoga!

Since then I have sought out sound baths, and earlier this year I went to a New Moon gong bath (the new moon is associated with intention setting and new beginnings) I walked away feeling like I hadn’t really relaxed and settled in to the event. Never mind, I thought to myself, these things happen. I slept like a log, which people often do after a sound bath, and two mornings later I woke up and realised with absolute certainty that I wanted to do my sound bath training. This happens sometimes with sound baths, they bring some really great mental clarity a day or two later.
So here I am, after an eventful and very very packed training course where I got to have a play with all sorts of sound healing instruments. I loved them all, but I was most drawn by the Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls. They resonate at 432 hz, which is slightly different to the 440 hz of musical instruments. The sound is beautiful and it fills the room in a beautiful slow radiation, like a flower blooming! You can really hear that sound travels in waves with these instruments. When I realised that there are 7 singing bowls and they are aligned to the 7 chakras (or 7 main energy centres) in the body I really appreciated the link into the world of yoga.

Sound baths are not music – there is no tune – and this is deliberate, it stops the brain from engaging with the music and singing along, which helps move you into a relaxed meditative state. Cymatics (if you have a moment check this short and very cool video about cymatics out …. CYMATICS: Science Vs. Music - Nigel Stanford (youtube.com) ) is about the impact that sounds vibrations have on the physical world. These gentle vibrations are what helps us to enter a place of deep calm in body and mind.
Often sound baths are described as sound healing. In so far as in any healing process, emotional or physical, benefits from being relaxed, calm, in tune with yourself and well rested then sound baths will unquestionably support you in this. They definitely help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and have been demonstrated to help regulate blood pressure and heart rate and improve blood markers as well (this video here of an Australian study on this is fascinating....Live Blood Results After a 20 minute Gong Meditation (youtube.com)

Modern science has begun to recognize what the ancient traditions have said for centuries, that everything is in a constant state of vibration, and the most elemental state of vibration is that of sound. Everything has an optimum range of vibration known as resonance. When we are in resonance, we are in balance. Many medical processes now use sound, such as ultrasound scans, and I am sure you have experienced first hand the huge impact that music can have on mood.
So, I am absolutely delighted to be bringing sound baths to Earley!

Friday 28th June 2024 – Earley Crescent Resource Centre 630 – 7:45pm. Numbers limited.
A sound bath looks like this:
When you arrive, simply settle into a comfortable position lying on your mat with blankets and pillows, a short guided meditation will help you leave the day behind, then you simply rest - allowing sound to wash over you. You will be gently and slowly bought back and offered fruit and home made bliss-balls to help ground you before heading out into the night. (please let me know if you have any allergies!)
You will need: water, a pillow or cushion (or 2, one under the knees is lovely too) a yoga mat if you have one (if not let me know and I will bring one for you) a blanket and some warm socks. Even if it is warm outside your body temperature will drop quickly when you are still.
Sound baths are very, very safe practices, but in the name of caution – not for those who are pregnant or have epilepsy. All my yoga teaching is trauma informed, and this carries into sound baths too.
If this sounds like something you would like to try out then come and book yourself on here: www.emmasyogahut.co.uk. If you have any questions about it then emmasyogahut@gmail.com
With love,
Emma xx
(Emma runs Emma’s Yoga Hut in Earley. A tiny garden studio for small group yoga tuition. She is a yoga student and yoga teacher and has practiced yoga for nearly 30 years. She trained with the Traditional Yoga Association right here in Reading between 2016 and 2018 to achieve her 500 hour yoga teaching accreditation. She has additional teaching qualifications in Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra. She is an accredited Sound Bath Facilitator and specialises in Crystal Singing Bowls. She teaches Chair Yoga classes at local community centres where there is often time for a coffee and a chat after class. She is passionate about getting the beautiful benefits of yoga out to as many people as possible, Emma tries her best to practice yoga every day, which when the sun is shining means yoga in the garden - with the cats getting everywhere!)
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