Before your first session
What to expect at a sound bath
You lie down for an hour with your eyes closed while singing bowls are played around the room. There is nothing to learn, nothing to join in with, and nothing to get wrong. A place is £25.
What is a sound bath?
At Elevate Sound, a sound bath is 60 minutes of live sound, heard lying on a mat. The instruments are Tibetan bowls I play by hand, white crystal singing bowls, tingsha and chimes. It begins with breathwork and a guided settling and closes with rest and integration. There are candles for ambience, and no gong is played.
A sound bath class is simply the group version: you book a place on Eventbrite, bring your own mat, and lie down with everyone else in the same room while I play. Group places are £25 each, and private one-to-one sessions start from £55.
How long is a sound bath?
A sound bath at Elevate Sound lasts 60 minutes. If you arrive after the start, you cannot be let in, so aim to be early. It also helps you park: parking at the venue is free, at the back, and the spaces go to whoever arrives first.
What actually happens at a sound bath?
You lie on the floor on a mat, cover yourself with a blanket and close your eyes. For the next hour singing bowls and chimes are played around the room. You do not have to do anything at all.
There is a short guided settling at the start to slow your breathing down. Then the sound. Then a few quiet minutes to come back before anyone gets up. Most people lose track of time somewhere in the middle.
Is this a gong bath? The difference, and what I actually play
Is a sound bath religious or spiritual?
No. Nothing is asked of you and nothing is preached at you. There is no chanting, no prayer, no ritual and no belief of any kind attached to it.
Singing bowls are instruments, in the same way a cello is an instrument. They are played, you listen, and the hour is yours to spend however you like.
If you have been put off by how sound baths are sometimes talked about online, that is fair enough. This is an hour of live music while you lie down.
I have never done anything like this. Will I feel out of place?
No. You lie down and shut your eyes, and the hour is yours.
There is nothing to learn beforehand and nothing to get right. You do not need to be fit, flexible, calm, or good at meditating. If you can lie on a floor for an hour, you can do this.
What should I wear, and what do I need to bring?
Something loose you can lie still in, and layers you can add. Bring a mat, a blanket and a cushion.
The mat is the one people forget, because mats are not provided here.
What does it actually feel like?
Different for everyone, and different each time. Most people describe it as heavy, warm and very slow, the way you feel in the last few minutes before sleep.
Some people see colours behind their eyes. Some get twitchy for the first ten minutes and then drop. Some cry, which nobody minds and nobody mentions. Some feel nothing much on the day. None of those is the right answer.
Worth checking first
When a sound bath is not the right idea
- Sessions are for ages 16 and over.
- A sound bath is not suitable during the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Please get in touch before booking if you have sound sensitivity, epilepsy, or a health condition that may be affected by sound.
If you are not sure whether it is right for you, ask before you book rather than after. A sound bath supports rest and relaxation. It is not medical treatment, and it is not a substitute for care from your GP.
Ready when you are
The next session
£25 for the hour at The Falstaff Hotel, Ramsgate. Doors open ten minutes before we start, and there is no entry once the session has begun.
Still unsure? Send me a message first. I would rather answer a question than have you book something that is not right for you. If the question is a religious one, I have answered it at length on is a sound bath religious, new age or demonic. If it is the money, I have written up what a sound bath costs and what the hour includes. If you would like to know more before you book, read a little about me and my diploma.
Next session
Booking is through Eventbrite, which opens in a new tab. Doors open ten minutes before the start. There is no entry once the session has started.