Recently, students and members of the community attended a free sound bath event at the Sordoni Art Gallery, hosted by Erin Banta of Mind Body Soul Healing.
“For many years, I was a stay at home mom,” Banta said. “After I got divorced, I decided to start my own sound healing business. Now I host events all around the area.”
According to VeryWellMind.com, sound healing sessions (also known as sound baths) are “a form of therapy that seems to have been practiced across almost every ancient civilization.”
The practitioner uses singing bowls and other instruments to make powerfully resonant sounds. These singing bowls are metal or glass bowls that emit a deep, ringing tone when struck with a mallet. Supposedly, singing bowls produce healing frequencies that can release stress and tension.
At the Wilkes event, participants brought their own yoga mats and sat on the floor waiting for Banta’s instructions.
First, participants laid down flat on their backs where Banta instructed everyone to take deep breaths, while tensing and relaxing each part of the body. She then used tuning forks which are used to tune musical instruments.
Sound healing practitioners believe that they also release positive energy. Banta gently pressed a tuning fork to the forehead of each person. The result was a brief, yet oddly soothing sensation.
Next, Banta told everyone to focus on their chakras. Originally a Hindu and Buddhist concept, chakras are widely used in alternative wellness practices. Healthline.com notes that there are seven main chakras corresponding to different parts of the body. The root chakra at the base of the spine, for example, relates to grounding and stability.
When focusing on the root chakra, Banta told participants to imagine that roots were connecting them to the earth.
The main event was the sound bath that lasted about half an hour
Sounds from bowls, gongs and chimes produced were very loud and deep; then there was a cascade of higher notes. Listening to a sound bath can be powerfully surreal.
At the end, Banta carried a large glass triangle around the room. She held it over each person and played it, producing a high-pitched chiming sound. Then she held up a big tray that was full of sand and shuffled it around which made a swooshing sound like ocean waves.
Finally, participants sat up and gathered their thoughts for a few minutes. Banta instructed everyone to drink lots of water for the next few days to flush any toxins out of their systems.
Sound baths may not be for everyone. But fans say that they can be deeply relaxing.