The incredible power of sound

Review: Sound Bath Savasana @ Studio 71 Yoga

*Before you read this review, please keep in mind your experience with a Sound Bath (should you choose to partake in one), will NOT be the same experience as mine. Everyone experiences it differently.*

WOW! THAT…was trippy.

A few months ago I was leafing through Vogue magazine when I came across an article about Sound Bath Savasana. I have experience with yoga and pairing that with the words “Sound Bath” peaked my curiosity. I googled “Sound Baths in Winnipeg” and the only place that offered it was Studio 71 Yoga.

It was a dreary, rainy night in Winnipeg as I climbed the stairs to the Aromansse meditation studio. The lights were low and the studio felt warm, clean and inviting as I took off my boots and jacket.

A pleasant woman named Jeannine welcomed me to the studio and explained the layout of the room and where I should place my mat.

I sat on my mat and watched more women arrive, joking and laughing with each other. They were all happy and friendly and I felt very comfortable.

Jeannine introduced me to percussionist, Todd and we had an engaging conversation about his three gongs as well as other percussion instruments he would be using for the Sound Bath.

Then we got started with some simple yoga moves. I haven’t done yoga in years and I missed the feeling.

A little bit about me: My world was shattered this past year by loss, especially in the last four months with the sudden death of my Father. I’ve been sitting a lot, trying to stay as still as possible in the hopes that everything will stop spinning around me. I think I’m carrying a lot of stress, sadness, anger and anxiety in my neck and shoulders because they’re really stiff and sore.

The yoga was brief, but it felt nice and I made a mental note to get back into it sooner, rather than later.

After the stretches we laid on our backs on our mats with our heads facing the rack of gongs. I brought a pillow, a blanket and extra socks because my body temperature drops while lying in the Savasana position (lying on your back on the floor).

We were given little eye pillows to keep our eyes closed and then Jeannine guided us in breathing exercises to relax our bodies. Near the end we did a mental body scan to make sure we were relaxed and then she played the brass bell to start the Sound Bath.

Up until that point I was completely relaxed. As soon as I heard the brass bell, I started to panic. What was going to happen? How was I going to react? My heart raced as Todd hit the first gong.

I tried to concentrate on my breathing to settle my heart. I repeated over and over in my head that I was safe in that room and I would be ok. Slowly, my heart and anxiety settled and I listened to the gongs.

I thought about being completely engulfed by the sounds and almost instantly, my body hovered off the floor and then ripped across the galaxy at warp speed. Stars were one big blur like in Star Wars when they go into hyperdrive.

It only happened for a second, but I came out of it totally freaked out. My brain went: “WHAT…WAS…THAT?! Let’s do that again…”

At one point, Todd played an instrument with a higher pitch. I could feel that pitch at the top of my scalp. The sensation grew and I saw a ball of white light form just above my head. He stopped playing, the ball exploded, and tiny bits of sound gently rained on my face. He did that twice and it happened both times. It was amazing.

There was such a variety of sounds. Twice during the Sound Bath he played really loud and fast. It felt like a huge, thick wave of sound flying at light speed inches above my body. I could almost feel the wind from the speed. It was an exhilarating rush, but a bit unnerving at the same time.

Another time he played an ocean drum which felt like a soft ball of yarn sloshing around in my brain. That was a cool feeling.

I sensed we were nearing the end of the session and I was pretty excited about the whole experience. Then Todd played one of the gongs super loud and fast and the sound felt dark and scary and then he immediately stopped and the sound vanished from the room. I was so freaked out that I had to open my eyes under the eye pillow to center myself back in the room. I was actually quite frightened.

He played softly again, but I never really shook that feeling.

Jeannine brought us out of our “deep sleep” by having us wiggle our fingers and toes and we gradually made our way to the seated position on our mats again. My body felt heavy from sleep and I had trouble focusing my eyes.

The whole experience was incredible. There was so much movement around and through me and yet, I was lying completely still and relaxed on the floor. Nobody and nothing in that room touched me, except for the power of the sound.

After the session was over, Jeannine, Todd, and some of the other participants asked me what I thought of the experience. The word “trippy” immediately came to mind and many of them thought that was a good way to describe it.

Todd brought me over to the rack of gongs and struck them so I could feel the energy and vibrations coming off of them. I LOVED that part.

If you’re at all curious about this experience, sign yourself up for the next one in March. If you’re open to it, it’s quite the trip.

Check out Studio 71 Yoga’s Facebook page for more info.

Good night.

TicketMOMster is a Rock and Jazz-loving Mom; single-handedly keeping Ticketmaster alive in Winnipeg. Follow her musical journey here: www.facebook.com/TicketMOMsters