Have You Tried A Sound Bath? Gwyneth Paltrow And Kim K Swear By It

It was a long weekend and I was mindlessly going through stories on Instagram when I came across my cousin¡¯s update. The caption read ¡®So relieved after a sound bath¡¯. The journalist in me had a million questions. I quickly pinged her and there she was raving about an hour-long sound bath session that made her feel relaxed.

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To be honest, the mention of a sound bath conjured up images of a person relaxing in a bathtub with soothing jazz music playing in the background - well, it¡¯s not even close! There¡¯s no water involved (sorry to burst the bubble).

Anyhow that conversation peaked my interest and I was eager to try it too! Being someone who gets stressed at the drop of a hat, this seemed like a simple remedy. I scouted for centres that offered sound baths - either they were out of reach or I couldn¡¯t afford them (C¡¯mon Rs 3,000 an hour is steep). Finally, after a few months, the Universe answered my prayers (I can be spiritual too!) and I found a centre close to home. I instantly booked a session for the forthcoming week and trust me, I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement.

Tick, tock, tick.

As much as I tried, I couldn¡¯t keep calm all week - it felt like waiting for the Avengers Endgame (not exaggerating). Finally, the day arrived. The centre had sent me a decently-long list of to do¡¯s that very morning - to reach 10 minutes before the session, to wear loose and comfortable clothes, to hydrate myself before and after the session, and to carry a yoga mat (in case I want to).

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I reached the centre well in time and struck up a conversation with the manager - she told me this was one of their most popular sessions (now I know why). I was guided to a massive studio that was dimly lit - there were yoga mats laid all over and I spotted blankets too. Preeta, a wholeness coach and sound healer, was in-charge of this session. She chatted up with the few of us who had reached before time, and checked if it was our very first session. There were some like me, while for others, it was their third or fourth session.

In no time, the studio was packed - there were at least 20 more people. Preeta introduced us to the idea of a sound bath - ¡°Sound, is said to be the medicine of the future, and that future is now. Sound heals and heals at the cellular, and a sound bath heals while giving each cell in your body a vibrational wash. The cells have a spa.¡±

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This was the start of a rejuvenating mind spa.

It was my longest shower (and the best one).

After the brief introduction, we were asked to lay comfortably on the yoga mat, put on the eye mask (provided to us by the centre) and wear the blanket. Preeta then asked us to hum - first at a low level, then a little higher, and then at our highest pitch. All of us happily followed her instructions and the collective sound produced was magical. This was exactly how sound could heal (she told us).

We were then asked to set an intention and breathe life into it (by taking a few deep breaths). Through the session, Preeta played different sounds - some were produced by Tibetan singing bowls, others by gongs or tuning forks (that¡¯s what it felt like). I could feel the soothing waves of the sound travel all over my body - at a given point, my stomach began to rumble (I thought it was because of my weak gut).

On several occasions during the session, I felt the sound literally wash over me. There are really no appropriate words to describe the experience - all I can say is my body felt so relaxed that I didn¡¯t realise when I fell asleep. I did wake up on and off, but my attention was mainly focused on the sound.

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After an hour-long session, we were asked to gently wake up and sit on our mats. I think I felt really spaced out for about five minutes - there was no mind chatter and I felt quite different. I looked around me and the studio resembled a gaggle of babies waking up after a deep slumber!

¡°Relaxation and meditation are spontaneous and effortless, healing is intentional. Sound frequencies expand the vibrations of the intention and allow manifestation,¡± says Preeta.

The use of sound is believed to do many things, including ¡®realigning our chakras¡¯ and ¡®mind expansion¡¯. Preeta informs, ¡°7 minutes of sound makes the cells entrain, 20 minutes create manifestation and changes the composition of blood cells. 45 minutes transports you to a different realm.¡±

Is it worth the hype?

Believe it or not, it was a therapeutic experience and left me feeling energised. Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian swear by it (so do many people across the world), and for good reason. That night I came home and crashed in no time - studies suggest that this practice helps you sleep better, tackles depression and mental health issues, and relieves aches too!

I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true or not but it truly is a life-changing experience and certainly calms you down. By now, I have attended three sessions and I love the feeling every single time!

The writer is an independent journalist and writer.