While sound baths continue to make waves these days, they still remain a mystery to many. Sara Auster, a New York City-based sound therapist and meditation teacher who has facilitated a range of sound bath experiences, from one-on-one sessions to 10,000 people at a time, at The Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, SummerStage in Central Park, and more, recently introduced Sound Bath: Meditate, Heal and Connect Through Listening (Tiller Press) to help people discover the healing power of sound. In the book, she describes a sound bath as “a deeply immersive, fullbody listening experience that intentionally uses sound to invite therapeutic and restorative effects to the mind and body.”
Spas throughout the country are incorporating sound and vibrational healing into their menus in a variety of ways. Complete with a custom-designed 3D sound system that allows vibration to reach all bodies equally, Woom Center (New York City) is a healing studio that blends various ancient practices, such as yoga, meditation, and sound therapy. It even offers Sound School for practitioners interested in learning how to guide and facilitate a sound meditation experience. Miraval Arizona (Tucson, AZ) also offers a host of sound healing sessions, such as Himalayan Sound Bath ($150, 45 minutes), during which guests oat in water while sound bowls are played; Chorus of Crystals ($65, 90 minutes), a healing meditation that balances the chakra system with healing vibrations from Himalayan sound bowls and a quartz crystal harp; and Chrysalis of Sound ($215, 45 minutes), a group class in which guests are cocooned on warmed mats infused with amethyst and tourmaline and taken on a vision quest with the sounds of Native American drumming, chanting, planetary-tuned gongs, and Tibetan singing bowls.
“We believe that a sound bath is not a musical performance,” says Pam Lancaster, a master healer, spiritual guide, and intuitive healer at Miraval Arizona. “It is a ceremonial experience designed to shift the participant’s consciousness and promote healing. The intention is to create a safe space for participants to receive the healing vibrations that sound can offer.”
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