What to Know Before Booking Your Sound Bath
Sound bath meditation is the practice of lying on a yoga mat with pillow and blanket, to experience a deep meditation and deep rest, while meditative sounds are played live in the room. This is a wonderful way to promote the deep rest and relaxation necessary for self-healing. Studies have shown that just 20 minutes of the right kind of meditation, can provide the body with the equivalent of 3-4 hours sleep!
During a Sound Bath meditation, there will be no sound therapy instruments placed on the body, like there is during a clinical treatment. This is why you will not be asked to complete a medical history questionaire as you would be required to do in private for a clinical treatment. Sound Bath is a meditation for self-healing. You will experience pure gentle rest and relaxation as your mind and body are bathed in the wonderful soothing sounds of Himalayan singing bowls, Crystal singing bowls, Sacred Gongs, Shaman drum, chimes, handpan, flute and other sound therapy instruments expertly played live in the room.
What’s not to love about a sound bath?
Do You Have a Diagnosed Health Condition?
The deep rest, relaxation and self-healing provided by a Sound bath meditation is beneficial for assistance with the relief and prevention of all stress-related health conditions. The rest, relaxation and self-healing provided by the sound bath may also assist with relief and prevention of certain health conditions.
There are also some health conditions where Sound Bath meditation should be avoided, including:
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- During the last 4 weeks of pregnancy.
- Any high risk pregnancy where premature labour may be possible at any time for reasons unknown.
- Immuno-compromised – Any health condition where the immune system is very weak, including those who are undergoing Chemotherapy.
- Any health condition where your Doctor has advised against going out in public
- Organ transplant recipient – please check with your Doctor for recommendation – as the risk of organ rejection may be increased for some individuals due to the natural self-healing which occurs during a sound bath, The goal of sound bath is for the body to achieve homeostasis or perfect balance of all body systems which may not be ideal for an organ transplant recipient.
- Mental health disorder including personality disorder – where the individual may be triggered by an unknown factor.
- Suffering profound grief due to traumatic news or event – where the individual may be unable to sit within the stillness of their mind.
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If you have a diagnosed health condition of any kind (including pacemaker or heart problem) and you are unable to determine if sound bath meditation will be suitable for you, please ask your Doctor so you can be certain. Only your Doctor is legally qualified and fully informed with your medical history to provide you with the most accurate advice for your situation.
Except for the conditions listed above, an ethical sound bath facilitator cannot advise anyone with a diagnosed health condition if sound bath meditation is or isn’t suitable for them. Only general advice can be given, as advice given for individual case is strictly forbidden by law.
What we can say is this: “Sound Bath meditation is a great way to experience deep rest and relaxation, and is perfectly safe for healthy people of all ages”
Preparation – 1 Day Before
So you have booked your Sound Bath and are looking forward to it! Well done for giving yourself some much needed rest. To assist with this process there are some things you can to to prepare yourself.
Some preparation you can do the day before attending a Sound Bath meditation.
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- Drink adequate water. You should aim to drink the equivalent of one 250ml glass every two hours or equivalent to 8 glasses per day. Being sufficiently hydrated will greatly assist your body’s natural self-healing process, which happens when you are asleep, but also happens while you are meditating in the sound bath.
- Avoid Alcohol. Alcohol will dehydrate your body. The Sound Bath will trigger your body into self-healing mode, which usually happens when you are asleep. This includes the elimination of toxins which got there as a result of your daily metabolic processes in the body. If you are dehydrated you may experience a headache after the sound bath as your body won’t remove the cellular waste effectively.
- Get a good night’s sleep! This is essential as you don’t want to be snoring during the sound bath and have the Facilitator wake you up.
Preparation – On the Day
Some preparation you can do on the day.
- Drink adequate water. You should aim to drink the equivalent of one glass every 2 hours, and stop drinking water 1 hour before.
- Avoid eating eggs or baked beans. You may break wind during the sound bath and this would be so embarrassing!
- Avoid alcohol as this may contribute to dehydration.
Preparation – 1 Hour Before
Some things you can do 1 hour before the Sound Bath to ensure you get the best experience.
- Avoid food or drink less than 1 hour before the sound bath. This will ensure your digestive system can be fully relaxed so you will get the best experience from the Sound Bath meditation.
- Bring pillow and blank and a duvet for your comfort.
After-Care Information
After a sound bath meditation: Drink adequate water to assist your body’s natural self-healing process. This means the equivalent of 1 x 250ml glass of water every 2 hours, or 8 glasses per day. This is what you should be drinking every day.
Healing Crisis
The natural phenomena known as the “Healing Crisis” may occur for an individual after a sound bath meditation, if a significant balancing of the body’s energy and energetic “detox” or self-healing has taken place as a result of the sound bath meditation. This may appear as feelings of being unwell for the next few days, even catching a cold, as the body continues its self-healing process and adjusts its energies back into natural balance. This doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen from time to time.
To avoid any chance of a “healing crisis” it is essential to drink adequate water (for at least 4 days after) which is 8 glasses of pure fresh water per day or the equivalent of one 250ml glass of water every 2 hours is required for adequate hydration of the body and good health.
Emotional Release
Some individuals may experience an emotional release either during, or in the days after a sound bath, and may experience the need to cry. This is also known as a cathartic release. Crying is the body’s way of removing excess energy. Children do this naturally when a stressful situation gets too much for them and they become overwhelmed. This is a completely natural occurrence and is the result of your body’s natural self-healing process shifting and clearing stuck, dense energies which no longer serve a purpose. What should you do if you suffer an emotional release? Most importantly – breath slowly and gently and fully wake yourself up. Remind yourself that you are in present time now and you are completely safe. Eat healthy whole food (not processed) and be sure to get enough sleep.
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Disclaimer:
The information provided on this web page is for information purposes only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition and would like to know if sound bath meditation will be suitable for you, please ask your Doctor as we are unable to advise if sound bath is or is or isn’t good for you. Only your Doctor has your medical history and qualified to give correct and accurate advice for your situation.
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Author Sharon Quigley is a SHAI Registered Sound Therapist, RYT200 Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Professional Musician, and current student of Naturopathic Medicine.
Founder of Irish Academy of Sound Therapy and Senior Clinical Advisor to the Sound Healing Association of Ireland (SHAI)