Hi, I’m Lisa, the founder of Harmonious Healing. I’m sure you can guess that as a sound bath practitioner I’m a full-on proponent of the meditative power of bathing in sound. I wasn’t, however, always enamored with meditative practices. I admit, I have a hard time staying focused on the here and now, especially when I’m intentionally trying to do so during a meditation session. My mind likes to wander from thought to thought. But one day while taking a stroll along the streets of New York City during my recovery process, I came upon the Ohm Center with a sign in the window saying that it offered sound baths. I can’t explain it; I instantly felt the pull of a higher power. With the 11th step in AA being improving our conscious contact with God as we understand him through prayer and meditation, I felt that the universe was suddenly sending me a message to give a sound bath a try.
The first sound bath was it; I was hooked on the positive effects it has on the mind, body, and spirit. It helps me recalibrate, fostering feelings of peace, clarity, and rejuvenation. For me, a sound bath just takes meditation to a whole other level – giving me a much needed something to focus on and allowing me to enter a deeper meditative state. Each sound bath is different, and so are its benefits. Depending upon what I need, the vibrations and frequencies entrain my mind, reducing stress and anxiety, enhancing clarity, improving my mood, boosting energy, and more.
The amazing power of sound baths hit me at the same time COVID hit the country. I wasn’t about to give up on something that was having such a positive impact in my life, so I was grateful that the center remained open. Typically being the only attendee, the center’s sound bath practitioners became my family and have played an important role in my meditation journey. Because of my new appreciation for meditation, through AA and the sound bath healing, I dove deeper into meditative practice, including a two-year mindfulness meditation program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. Not everyone can participate in sound bath, but mindfulness meditation can be practiced anywhere and anytime.
The second “pull of the higher power” came when I returned home from a 7-day silent retreat, which was a prerequisite for my mindfulness training program. I picked up a copy of Greenwich Magazine and came upon an article about Susy Markoe Schieffelin, a Los Angeles based sound healer and founder of the Sound Healers Academy. After years of suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, and feeling lost, she experienced an incredible transformation because of sound baths, including sobriety, shedding emotional weight, and finding a new sense of purpose. Susy is originally from Greenwich, Connecticut (my hometown), and happened to be coming back home for the christening of her son and would be doing a sound bath. I immediately reached out to her, went to the sound bath, met with her, and decided to enroll in the premier and intensive training she offered. This divine intervention solidified my desire to help other people experience the transformational effects I felt from sound baths.
Evolving from a participant to a practitioner has been life changing. I never thought I would have a new career at this stage in my life, especially one in which I find so much purpose and gratitude.
Words cannot express the emotions I feel when my participants share their sound bath experiences. Humbled, joyful, thankful – these words only scratch the surface. The experiences that have left the most indelible mark on my soul and have underscored my passion to make a difference in the lives of others, are those of my children. Seeing how sound baths have changed my life, my adult children wanted to see if they too felt the incredible effects of this form of guided meditation. All five of my children took part in my sound baths, with four of them enjoying the experience so much that they continue to partake in them across the country! Below are some of their thoughts on sound bath meditation:
- I like sound bath meditation because unlike typical meditation where I am trying to internally calm my mind and get into a state of “inner silence”, the soothing sounds from the cylinders take care of that for me and allow me to enter that state with ease William Cooper, 27
- Sound baths allow me to retreat from the noise of my daily life and find time to relax. I often enter a sound bath feeling wound up, and leave feeling calmer and more positive. Plus, I’ll sleep like a baby at night. Marissa Cooper, 31
- I like sound bath meditation because it gives me a chance to turn my mind off and be surrounded by the sounds and good vibes. Whenever I leave a sound bath, I feel way less stressed and worried about whatever was on my mind pre sound bath. I always thought meditation was so hard, but this experience is so intense you have no choice but to surrender and let the sounds take over. Savannah Cooper, 25
- Sound bath meditation is the first form of meditation that I have found myself coming back to. The biggest reasons for this are that I feel as if there is no pressure on me to create the perfect serene environment for which I can focus. With traditional meditation, you have to sit upright and maintain a good posture. But with sound bath meditation, you are lying down and totally relaxing and comfortable. Matthew Cooper, 34
Their thoughts are echoed by my participants time and again. Experiences like these only strengthen my commitment to share the healing power of sound baths with others.
My practice truly is a journey, one on which I am blessed to help spread the power of sound and committed to honing my skills to provide the best sound bath experience possible.
Would you like to join me on this journey? Connect with me to learn about private sessions and upcoming events.
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