When I first heard the word meditation I thought, this is something for the yogis, the dreamers, the people who have all the time in the world and that zen guy you can always find walking about with no shoes on. Working as a studio stylist back in the day I was always met with "wow that's so glam" and "what do you wear for work". Let me tell you it's not glam. Most days you're juggling rails and steaming the shit out of everything, not to mention the cold as fuck location shots and 14-hour days. I mean there were lots of perks don't get me wrong, but it wasn't the job for me, I was sleep deprived and tbh it was starting to affect my physical and mental well-being.

So I changed my job and also started to explore wellness. A friend invited me to a meditation class and after all, I had heard about it I was curious. So off I went with all the gear but no idea about my first meditation class. I was greeted by a room filled with some very happy people, a multitude of glimmering crystals, and a strong aroma of lavender which flowed throughout the space.

+The idea is simple, we meditate to relax, and quiet the mind, but all I could think about is, what am I having for tea? I just didn't get it and came out feeling a little bit stupid for not loving life and “feeling the vibe”

A few years passed until I came across something called a sound healing circle. I still thought it sounded random but my anxiety was having an absolute party, and my sleep was non-existent so I was game for trying anything to help get rid of the constant eye-bags. Similar to mediation you lay down and relax and then music is played.

When the music began something clicked for me, and my mind switched off. I began to dream which for me has been years, nothing insane came up but colours were going off like a firework display. I can't explain how I felt but I was lighter, calmer and definitely more sleepy for someone who wakes up every hour of the night.

WHAT ARE SOUND BATHS?

So to put it in simple terms it’s a type of meditation, with music. It comes from the ancient practice of Taoism. During a sound bath, you are introduced to Six Healing frequencies. Each sound is believed to help move internal energy (Qi) around our body. Each circle may be different and instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes, and tuning forks can all be used to create the sounds.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

The vibrations made by these instruments interact with your body's cells to create specific results: in this case, to encourage healing and well-being. These sounds are said to eliminate energetic blockages and rebalance or chakras. Addressing symptoms like stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, sleep disorders, and even physical pains.

 HOW DOES IT WORK?

So we have 4 states of being

BETA normal consciousness

ALPHA relaxed consciousness

THETA meditative state

DELTA sleep internal healing

Throughout a sound bath, the frequencies of the music help our brainwaves shift from beta (being awake) to delta (being asleep and healing), like we say our body needs sleep to repair and so does our mind.

 WHERE CAN I TRY IT?

Sound healing circles are becoming more available check out this Facebook link for ones in your area.

Sound healing facebook link 

If you are in Manchester visit @newsoundhealistics or @jessfit.

If you are reading a big thank you to YOU and I hope you have found what you're looking for with me.

SHE WRITES