Setting Intentions for Your Sound Bath
How to get the most out of your sound Bath
What is a Sound Bath?
First… it doesn’t involve water or taking your clothes off… lol.
Sound Baths are a type of meditation practice that uses sound to induce a state of relaxation and healing. The reason it’s called a Sound Bath is that you are bathing yourself with sound… and you could say that it’s a way to cleanse your mind, body, and soul… without using water. :)
Sound gives you a focus while meditating and will take you to a deeper relaxed state, where you can explore, feel, and reflect. Each participant will experience something different whether physical or emotional. It is common to get emotional during a sound bath. And if that happens... that's OK... let it flow out... you don't want to try to stop it or keep it in. See if you can identify what made you feel emotional. Where you were feeling it in your body?
The goal throughout the sound bath is to simply listen and stay present with what you are experiencing with all the sounds that you are hearing. Which sounds do you like? Which sounds don't you like? Did the sounds that you didn't like trigger something? If so... what? Where did you feel it in your body? Etc.
A sound bath is an invitation to tune up and align your body, mind, heart, and spirit together.
Next…
During the sound bath the participants get comfortable by either laying down or sitting, while a sound practitioner plays a variety of sound instruments like Crystal singing bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, chimes, drum, tuning pipes, tingsha bells, etc. The sound practitioner may walk around the group while playing certain instruments… sometimes even playing them over top of your body. (If you think you may have a problem with that, it may be a good idea to let the practitioner know ahead of time.)
Listening to the sounds & frequencies of different instruments has a calming effect on the mind, body, heart, & spirit... and brings about a sense of peace and well-being. It helps you shift from a sympathetic nervous system state, which is the fight or flight state and always on the go… to a parasympathetic nervous system state, which is your rest and digest … and your calm, peaceful state… and that’s the state that your body can heal. It’s hard for your body to heal when you are in the sympathetic state… and it’s also hard to relax in that state. So sound baths help you move to that relaxed, calm state so your body can naturally start to heal itself.
Intention Setting for Your Sound Bath
Now that we have a better understanding of what a sound bath is… it’s time to look at how to get the most from your sound bath. Intention setting is an important aspect of sound bath healing. Setting an intention is like setting a goal or a purpose for your sound bath session. Just like working out in the gym… if you know what muscle you are training and keep your focus on just that muscle, you will get more out of your workout. So it’s good practice to think about what you want to get from your sound bath session before it starts. Intentions beforehand is a way of focusing your mind and directing your energy towards a specific outcome. Energy follows thought… so if you are thinking about all the distractions around you or on the shopping you still have to do, or picking the kids up, or on a work project, etc… that’s where your energy will go. Those kinds of thoughts actually take you away from the present moment and drain your energy. You are not trying to stop those thoughts, you just want to be aware of where your focus is going during the sound bath... and then continuously bring yourself back to the present moment by bringing your focus back the sounds or your breath.. That will help you have more energy for yourself and bring yourself back to your intention and what you want to get from your sound bath experience. By setting an intention, you can enhance the healing power of the sound bath and deepen your experience.
How to Set an Intention for Your Sound Bath
To set an intention for your sound bath, start by asking yourself what you hope to achieve or experience during the session. Do you want to release anxiety, stress, worry? Do you want to have more patience? Do you have a habit that you’d like to break? Maybe you want to connect to your inner self and gain clarity on a certain issue or problem that you have going on? Maybe you want to focus on taking deep, full breaths so you can get more oxygen in your body? Maybe you have a creative project that you are working on and need some ideas? Or maybe you just want to be totally present where you are right now and enjoy all the beautiful sounds? There are many things you can focus on and it’s up to you to decide what that is for you.
Maybe you can pick a mantra and focus on that throughout the session... and say it over and over in your mind while you are listening to the sound. Something like... I am so grateful for my life, or I love myself, or I am loveable, or I am worthy, or I am calm and peaceful, or I am well & healthy, or I am smart & creative, etc.
You can even focus on something physical like... a pain you have somewhere in your body or tension you have somewhere in your body. Put your awareness on that area, and maybe even a hand, and then breathe into it... feeling the tension and pain lessen. Visualize the sounds & frequencies going to that area and helping to clear any stagnant energy that is creating a blockage, and then feel it relax. Keep breathing into that area and then visualize and feel the pain leaving.
Once you have a clear intention in mind of what it is that you want to experience, you can focus your attention on it throughout the sound bath.
During the Sound Bath
Having your intention clear before the sound bath makes it easier to keep your focus in the present moment. If there are distractions in the environment during the sound bath and your attention is pulled to that distraction… this is where you notice that and then bring yourself back to your intention that you set. It’s a continuous practice of refocusing back to your intention if you get distracted. If your attention goes back to your work or you are feeling anxious and can’t relax… remind yourself of your intention. Bring yourself right back to the sound and the present moment.
If you hear a sound that makes you feel uncomfortable or emotional… sit with that emotion/feeling. You may want to escape it or run from it, but stay, and breathe, and look at it. Maybe ask why you are feeling that way? What emotion did it bring up? Usually when we are uncomfortable with something, we tend to breathe shallow or hold our breaths… so this is a sign to breathe through it. Sit with it and keep yourself in the present moment of that feeling and feel it without trying to run from it. Then bring yourself back to your intention for the sound bath.
Just know that it’s normal for you to get distracted. It’s normal if you don’t like every single sound or frequency that you will hear. Sound meditation isn’t about clearing your mind or liking every sound, it’s about that continuous practice of noticing that you are distracted in some way, and not present… and then bringing yourself back to the present and to your original intention. This practice carries over into your life… and helps you to stay more present in your life and to have a better focus on your goals and whatever you are trying to achieve for your life.
After the Sound Bath
After the sound bath, take a few moments to reflect on your experience. Possibly even get a journal for your sound bath experiences and write down what you experienced after each sound bath.
Did you achieve your intention? Were you able to stay focused and present? Did you get distracted alot? What distracted you? Did you notice any changes in your mental or emotional state? Were there any sounds that made you emotional? Which sounds did you like? Which sounds made you feel uncomfortable? Did you have any visions? Did you have an unusual experience? Did you have any insights or ideas that came to you? If you had tension in your body... do you feel more relaxed? If you had a pain in your body... did that pain lessen? etc.
By reflecting on your experience, you can gain insights and awareness that can deepen your healing and personal growth.
Sound baths/meditations aren’t just to meditate for the sake of meditating… it’s actually to help you to be able to handle life in a more calm and peaceful way. It can help keep you from getting stuck in the sympathetic nervous system and wanting to fight or flight when something uncomfortable happens. It helps you to handle everyday stresses so much easier. It makes it easier to respond to things rather than react to things in your life. The more you practice with sound meditation, the easier it is to stay calm in situations that may have been hard to keep your calm in the past.
Conclusion
Sound baths/meditations are a powerful tool for promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being. And it is a powerful tool for just getting better at LIFE! :)