SOUND BATHS

WHO wellness writer Madison Bogisch tests out if this form of meditation is just noise

- MADISON BOGISCH

I for one am all for an experience that promises relaxation (must be something about being highly strung for most of my waking hours). Yet, when it comes to meditation, I suck. I find it hard to switch off, instead spending the session focusing on my to-do list instead of my breath.

That's why when I was invited to trial a Virgin Active sound bath, I was intrigued. As a meditative practice with endorsements spanning from Kendall Jenner to Robert Downey Jr., could relaxing to the sweet sound of crystal bowls replace the sound of me ruminating in my head? Here's everything you need to know about sound baths, and whether they actually work.

WHAT IS A SOUND BATH?

No, it's not a bath full of instruments - Virgin Active Australia's yoga head coach Mahsa Javam says that sound baths are similar to more general sound therapy practices. "A sound bath is an immersive experience where you'll be surrounded by the vibrations of the crystal singing bowls," explains Javam.

In theory, the vibrations from the crystal singing bowls activate your parasympathetic nervous system, taking you from a stressed fight-or-flight state to a calm and tranquil state. Javam says this can result in your breath and heart rate slowing, which sounds fairly Zen-inducing to me.

HOW DOES IT WORK?