Last year I wrote about the theory behind sound and gong baths because I was intrigued by the idea - as a holistic adventurer I gobble up all alternative therapies and love to try them out. In the meantime, I have finally experienced a crystal bowl healing session.

The sound therapist had laid out a rug in the large studio where the session took place. Crystal bowls of various sizes (different sizes for different sounds, some quite large) and various colors (I don't think color makes a difference) were set up on the rug, and wooden mallets were set aside for producing the sounds.

After a long guided winding down period, or savasana (my daughter coined the term slowvasana), we were all deeply relaxed and receptive. It had been suggested that we come up with an intent, because the deep relaxation coupled with the healing frequencies channel the message of the intent into more easily into the subconscious, which guides - hold your breath - 95% of what we do (yes, indeed!). Then the sound therapist began to produce sounds by rubbing along the edges of the different bowls. There is no melody or pattern to the sounds, so the mind has no place to cling to, it can drift and let go. Not only my ears, but my entire body experienced the sounds - I felt with my body that sound is frequency. The deeper sounds of the bigger bowls were so powerful that the sounds filled the entire room and my entire body. Some sounds sent shivers down my skin, others appeared to travel from one side of the body to the other.

I ended up in a timeless space where the sound bath could have gone on forever, it was profoundly grounding and calming - definitely to be repeated.