The Healing Is In The Listening – Experiencing a Sound Bath

International Museum of Surgical Science
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By Sarah Meyer

Sound is all around us. Every day in every way. It’s noise we often don’t even notice. But did you know sound can have healing powers. Rather, the relaxation the sound brings to the body and mind can have healing powers. A sound bath lets you soak in sound in an entirely new way.

My sound bath healers, Cassandra and Jason, instructed us to set an intention. The ultimate goal is that the sound relaxes you so much, your body can heal. With an intention set, you help your mind from wandering as you listen to all the unique sounds, many of which mimic water – fitting as it’s the symbol of cleansing and purifying. Our busy lives often lead to wear and tear on our bodies. With our minds focused on a million tasks at once, our bodies don’t have time to release, relax and restore. A sound bath, also known as a sound healing is a great chance to step out of your own head. 

The session lasted an hour, and when the chimes dinged, signaling the end of the sound bath, I was shocked at how quickly the time went by. Clearly I had focused on the sound and didn’t let my mind wander. The healers said to think of incoming thoughts as clouds – see them, acknowledge them and then let them pass. Following the sounds made the time pass easily. I felt refreshed upon rising from my mat. I then wondered, what truly just happened, what is sound healing? Is it meditation? Is it relaxation? Is it letting go? Is it healing? The whole point is simply that it’s what you make of it. As you sit listening to the sounds, and feeling them, the ultimate goal is to open your body and your mind and see what happens. This is a time to allow yourself to let go, and be under the “control” of the sound healers. 

Ironically, this particular session was set in a place that is dedicated to letting yourself go into the hands of healers, the International Museum of Surgical Science. The juxtaposition is strong, as one is highly curated, Western medicine, while the other is considered new-age and alternative. Both have times and places in our lives and can be equally as healing. This unique museum has been around since September 1954. The IMSS features exhibits on surgical science around the world and across time.  In addition to temporary exhibits, they have permanent exhibits too, including beautiful paintings that at first glance just look like beautiful art, but upon closer inspection depict surgical and medical activity. The most interesting aspects to me were the old tools used to treat ailments, like the iron lung for polio – eerie and incredible at the same time. This beautiful museum, situated in downtown Chicago right on Lake Michigan was the perfect setting for a sound bath. In a room of beautiful old architecture, towering statues and lake views, it was easy to surrender to the sound. Now let’s hope the healing begins!

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Sound healers, Jason & Cassandra completed their sound therapy training through Yolanda Healing Hearts in 2018. They are also certified in Shamanic Crystal Healing, meditation and reiki. Jason and Cassandra both teach yoga at SoderWorld Wellness Center. They both reside in Brookfield, IL. 

Photos are courtesy of Sarah Meyer


 

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