Learn more about the 👉🏽science-backed👈🏽 benefits of sound healing and why we are offering this self-care activity at our studio/gym.
Sound healing is the practice of using instruments, such as quartz crystal sound bowls, to produce healing vibrations and low frequencies that slow down brain waves and relax the body to create a deep, restorative, and meditative state.
While you may be hearing about sound healing or sound baths for the first time, this is actually an ancient meditative practice that has been studied and found to be an effective way to infuse some rest and rejuvenation into your routine.
Yes, it's a bit woo-woo, but this woo-woo is science-backed and can be a beneficial addition to your existing self-care practices.
According to one study,
Waves of soothing, echoing sound from traditional wind and percussion instruments, also known as a “sound bath,” may help with stress, fatigue, and depression symptoms.
AND
"Since stress is associated with other conditions like diabetes and heart disease, engaging in sound baths might be a good preventive strategy to reduce the risk of chronic conditions, too."
Learn more here
Why Her365 Fitness is Offering Sound Baths
We have partnered with Nicole Reyes/Planted Energy to bring Sound Bath experiences to the Her365 sisterhood because we want womxn to feel empowered to experiment with new self-care activities in an environment that is comfortable and safe.
It's not easy to open yourself up to something new, especially when you are in an unfamiliar space among unfamiliar people. That is why I wanted to offer sound baths here in our studio/gym. When you are in a space where you already feel safe, it is easier to relax and allow yourself to remain open and receptive to the new experience.
Exercise and nutrition are key components of a balanced self-care plan, as are rest/recovery and stress management. That's where sound baths come in.
Her365 Fitness is not just a gym/fitness studio; we are also a wellness community meaning that we endeavor to provide affordable offerings that support not only your physical well-being but also your social and emotional well-being, as well.
Like most of my clients, I am juggling many responsibilities, and I can get so caught up in the hustle & bustle of life that I don't always make time for proper restorative and rejuvenating activities. It's difficult to make time when it feels like there is no time, right?
So, by collaborating with other wellness practitioners to offer activities such as Yin Yoga and Sound Baths at Her365 Fitness, I aim to provide a convenient way for 365ers (myself included) to slow down, rest(ore), and rejuvenate ourselves by taking a break from the stress of life and intense or fast-paced workouts to reset and reconnect with our inner selves.
This is especially important for those of us QBIPOC & BIPOC folks who experience high stress levels due to generational trauma and systemic racism & bigotry ON TOP of our day-to-day responsibilities.
But why SOUND BATHS...?
Sound Baths are a science-backed restorative activity.
I always seek new self-care tools, activities, or strategies to add to my toolbox. But before I try anything new, I spend time researching the potential benefits or results of this new to me "thing" and whether those claims are science-backed, meaning they have been scientifically studied. If they are science-backed, then there is a good chance (not a guarantee) that if I spend time consistently engaging with the practice as laid out in the study, I will also experience those same benefits or results. I prefer to engage in the activities that I know will be effective rather than jumping on every self-care/fitness/wellness bandwagon that rolls by.
When I find science-backed practices that introduce me to new, positive, impactful, and enjoyable experiences, I think it's important to share them with you so that you, too, can experiment with something you might otherwise have written off or ignored as an option for yourself.
I participated in my first in-person sound bath back in November. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about there being any difference between a live/in-person sound bath vs. hooking on my headphones and zoning out to some binaural beats streamed directly into my ears.
I regularly use pre-recorded music and binaural beats as part of my meditation practice and find them helpful in deepening my experiences. Generally speaking, I enjoy meditating in quiet or in the sounds of nature, but most of the time, because my mind moves at the speed of light, I use music to help give my mind something to hold on to as I settle into my practice.
Over the years, I've become curious about what it could be like to immerse my whole body in a live sound bath experience. After at least a decade of seeing sound bath events pop up around the Bay Area in SF, Oakland, or Berkley, I finally decided to give one a try because it was close to home in Rodeo AND it was affordably priced. (Sound Baths can range from $25 up to $300+/session...google it!)
Once I settled on my mat, cozy under my blanket in my comfy clothes and socks, properly supported by my yoga blocks and bolster, and closed my eyes to begin my meditation, I could immediately feel the difference in my body of being surrounded by the live, real-time sounds coming from the quartz bowls played by our sound bowl conductor, Nicole.
There's no obvious rhythm or particular melody that comes from the bowls as she sometimes strikes but mostly rubs a quartz wand around the rim of the variably sized bowls. Still, there is an undeniable resonance in the sound that pulls you into the experience whether you manage to stay awake and present the entire time or become so relaxed you drift off to sleep (yes, sleep! It happens and is totally okay and, believe or not, does not minimize the benefits at all. The sounds are still able to work their "magic" even when you're passed out on your mat.)
I could go into what this feels like in my body, but I won't because each person has such a unique experience, and I don't want to influence yours. What I will say is that each time we check in after a completed sound healing session, each person who shares, whether a sound bath newbie or a regular participant, has felt a dramatic, positive shift in how they feel after the session compared to how they felt before, myself included.
Experience it for yourself at our next Sound Bath.
Give your body and mind a much-deserved break and allow yourself to release stress and tension, and open yourself to the benefits of a more relaxed and grounded state.
Find out more about this upcoming session when you click Register Now below.
Learn more about Sound Baths
ABOUT MARISSA365
Hey there! My name is Maríssa Rivera-Davis (she/her). I am a PN-Certified nutrition coach, GGS-certified womxn's fitness coaching specialist, licensed Zumba® Fitness instructor, and the founder of Her365 Fitness, a studio/gym & wellness community for womxn.
I help busy and overwhelmed womxn develop intuitive self-care practices around eating, exercise/movement, and rest so they can finally break free from the harmful cycles of dieting and the pursuit of body-image "ideals."
My mission is to help womxn feel empowered to live authentically & more joyfully in the body they have right now.