What to expect during sound therapy?

Enjoyable experiences

During Tibetan bowl and gong sessions, most people enter a state of deep relaxation. They often wake from this experience full of wonderful energy and fresh inspiration for life. It’s very common for participants to drift into a regenerative sleep. Some describe vivid visions during the sounds of the Tibetan bowls. Others say they were transported, quite literally, to distant places, or had what they call “the meditation of their life.” Many people, especially those with hyperactivity, experience profound peace. I’ve often heard that the sound and vibrations of the bowls eased headaches, joint pain, muscle tension, released unwanted emotions, and helped people achieve a sense of inner balance.

Less enjoyable experiences

Sometimes participants experience what we might call cleansing symptoms. Some react with unexpected tears and often, the tears simply cannot be held back. I know this personally: I’ve felt tears that washed through me, bringing a wonderful sense of relief, with every sob freeing me a little more.
Another common sign of cleansing is deep fatigue, a feeling that you have no strength left and all you want is to sleep. Some people become extremely hungry. I’ve even heard of brief episodes of irregular heartbeat.

Most of these more intense reactions tend to happen during individual sessions (sound massage), though they can also appear in group sessions (sound baths), especially in more sensitive individuals. I remember after my very first treatment,  which truly began my journey into energy work, feeling completely exhausted and almost cosmically hungry.

Where do these intense experiences come from?

During Tibetan bowl sound therapy, many negative emotions and long-blocked energies are released. Often, for the first time in a long while, a stressed body feels deep calm and can finally relax. Some participants struggle to describe what they’ve felt as it’s such a new state for them.

We’re all different, so of course our reactions vary. That’s natural. Each of us brings our own stories and emotional history to a session.

After a therapy session, the body often needs time to adapt to these new conditions, to new vibrations and energies. The best thing you can do is simply listen to your intuition, to your body. Accept whatever comes without resistance. Trust that your body knows what it needs.

Being in the present moment

No matter what specific experiences you have, there is one common thread: a deeper presence in the here and now.

This is a state many people find hard to reach. Caught up in the constant rat race, we rarely allow ourselves the luxury of not thinking about the future. We also drag the baggage of our past everywhere we go. The future and past often rob us of the joy available only in this moment.

We either worry over problems that don’t yet exist, or we dwell on situations long gone because we can’t quite let them go. But remember, the future doesn’t exist yet, and the past no longer exists. When we live mostly in the future or the past, we aren’t truly living at all.

If being fully here and now is new for you, at first it might feel strange or unsettling. You may notice a kind of confusion when the usual racing thoughts quiet down and the world becomes clearer, more vivid. You start to see more, hear more, feel more, all while your mind stays calm. You no longer fear the future, because you trust that you are blessed and that whatever happens will ultimately serve your good. You stop clinging to the past, because you realise it’s unchangeable, and everything that happened offered you lessons and experiences.

However unusual it feels at first, don’t worry. Being present is your natural state. 

Drink plenty of water

The sounds and vibrations of Tibetan bowls and the gong help cleanse the body of toxins and harmful by-products at a cellular level. To support this natural detox process, drink plenty of water on the day of your therapy and the day after.

Contraindications for sound therapy

Sound therapy is generally safe, but there are some important exceptions. Please inform your therapist if you have any of the following:

• pregnancy (first trimester),
• certain heart or cardiovascular conditions,
• congestion or acute inflammation,
• some mental health disorders,
• epilepsy or other neurological conditions,
• implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers.

Your safety and well-being always come first.