Sound Bath at Roots Gloucester

Welcome and thank you!

Thank you so much for choosing to be a part of this event. Everybody who attends contributes something to the overall energy of the experience and so I am grateful for your presence and look forward to meeting you!

Arrival

Roots Gloucester provides a wonderful welcome to the space. Tea is available in the downstairs cafe, providing a space to land, chat and relax before the sound bath itself so feel free to arrive a little early.

I will be creating the space for the sound bath, infusing it with sound, scents, light etc conducive to a relaxing experience for all. I then look forward to welcoming you into the main space from around 19:00. The sound bath experience itself will begin at 19:15.

Time will be created at the end of the event for tea, conversation and community but on entering the space, the invitation is to leave conversation at the door as much as possible - helping to let go of busy minds and to begin to enter into a state of relaxation. 

With that said, life throws many things at us that are beyond our control and this is intended to be a relaxing and beautiful experience. So, if you know that you are going to arrive late then it may be helpful to let me know (WhattsApp is probably most effective on 07849421328), but I can’t promise to respond at this time.

And so, more importantly, if you do arrive late then please feel free to quietly enter (ensuring that phones are turned off) and join the sound bath without feeling the need to communicate anything to me (I am likely to already be lost in the wonder of the sounds!). You are very welcome and the intention is for this to be a non-judgemental and safe space. I will endeavor to create space(s) close to the door to allow for this eventuality so that you can join with ease and without interrupting the experience of others. 

What is a Sound bath?

Both a quick search on the web or a deep dive into the research will reveal many different answers to this question! In part, because in communities of the world that give high importance to scientific evidence, there has been relatively little research into the science of a ‘sound bath’.

But, in essence, a sound bath is typically experienced lying down, allowing the waves of sound from various instruments to be received by the body. 

A useful analogy might be to consider your body as a musical instrument which may become ‘out of tune’ due to factors such as the stimuli received living in an industrialised society, or the ever changing complexity of human experience (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual…). A sound bath can help to ‘re-tune’ the body. 

In essence, all musicians, music and sound affect us in different ways (we experience this every day - hence why in one moment we can crave punk rock and in the next moment relax to something calm and classical). When facilitating a sound bath, my intention is to create a meditative, calming and relaxing experience, immersed in the sounds of the wonderful instruments that I am blessed to be able to play on a daily basis. 

[If you are interested in diving deeper into this topic then please do feel free to contact me to discuss. On a daily basis I am experientially and intellectually researching the questions implicit in what is written above, and would be more than happy to share sources of information and ways of knowing that might be of interest to you.]

What to expect…

To create an immersive environment and experience, my sound baths typically include the following:-

• Welcome and beginning of relaxation, often including an invitation to use essential oils, ‘smudging’ and / or other sensory relaxation techniques on arrival.
• Time to create a comfortable space for yourself (with mat, pillow, blankets etc) 
• An introductory talk covering any ‘housekeeping’ issues 
• I usually share some words of inspiration - poems or prose that feels fitting to the time of year, location and intention of the experience. 
• A short guided meditation to aid relaxation
• The Sound Bath - typically of around an hours length
• I will make it very clear when the sound bath has ended so if this is your first time, please feel safe in this knowledge - for the duration of the sound bath you can completely let go of the need to track time, knowing that you are safe, held and that your future self will thank you for allowing yourself this nourishing experience!
• Time for tea, conversation and community before departing. 

What to bring…

As above, a sound bath is typically experienced lying down (although please do contact me if for any reason you would prefer an alternative approach - there is no right or wrong here and my priority is that you experience the sound bath in comfort) 

But typically it is recommended to bring:-

• Something to lie on (yoga mats and camping mattresses are ideal)
• Warm blanket and loose, relaxed layers of clothing (This isn’t because we won’t heat the room for you! - many people experience changes in temperature during a sound bath and so warm clothes and especially the comfort of a blanket can be beneficial)
• A cushion to support your head (some people prefer additional cushions, for example to place beneath the knees)
• A bottle of water is a good idea, although I do intend to provide tea at the end of all sessions. 
• Many people find that sound baths create a wonderful environment for reflection and contemplation and so notepads / journals are very welcome.

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Host or Publisher David Shyen Green at AwiKanta