I tried a Sound Bath for the first time – and half an hour just disappeared

I had never even heard of a sound bath until an email landed in the Express & Star inbox inviting us along to try one.

I deliberately resisted the temptation to Google it beforehand. I wanted to experience it exactly as someone completely new to the idea would.

On a warm July evening I headed to The Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge, where around 20 people had gathered for the session run by holistic therapist Jo Gallagher, the founder of Spirit of Essence.

Jo believed the turnout would have been even higher were it not for the warm weather and the FIFA Club World Cup. Fortunately for me, it happened to fall on one of the competition's rest days between the round of 16 and the quarter-finals, thus making it an ideal arrangement.

She explained that her previous sound baths had sold out incredibly quickly, including sessions at The Cosy Bean in Sedgley and The Glass Cone in Wordsley, while more are planned at Bantock House in Wolverhampton as she looks to bring the experience to historic venues across the West Midlands.

Before we began, Jo explained to me that everyone's experience is different, and I would get out of the experience what I put into it. I assured her that my intention was to throw myself in at the deep end, despite this sort of thing being well outside my comfort zone.

"For some people they can switch off straight away, and for others they say they enjoyed it but their thoughts were still there for the most part," Jo said. "People that come and are sceptical of it don't tend to get as much from it.

"We live in a really stressful world right now, don't we? I think a lot of people want a way to escape, chill, and let the sounds and the vibrations do the work for you."

I was not particularly sceptical, but I also was not expecting any kind of life-changing spiritual awakening. I was simply there because I was curious. Could I really experience ‘zen’ for the first time?

The session began with everyone lying down in a comfortable position while Jo guided us through some slow breathing exercises.

She spoke calmly while gentle sounds resembling rainfall, wind and other noises from nature filled the room. It was relaxing enough, although to begin with my brain clearly had not received the memo.

I am someone who has always struggled to switch off. I rarely nap and if I am not genuinely tired, I will not sleep. If you do not have that problem I envy you, especially after my failed attempt at a midday sleep prior to England’s World Cup clash with Mexico in the middle of the night.

For the first 10 minutes or so my mind wandered everywhere except where it was supposed to. The more I tried to empty my thoughts, the stranger they became. Random sportsmen's’ names. People I had not thought about for years. Odd memories. Completely unexplained thoughts that made no sense whatsoever. I could try and explain them, but there really is no point - it was very confusing.

Then came the singing bowls.

Using a small instrument, Jo struck bowls of different sizes, each producing a lingering tone that seemed to hang in the air before blending into the next. The sounds layered together in a surprisingly soothing way, filling the old warehouse with gentle vibrations.

Somewhere around that point, something changed. My thoughts became quieter. And then... nothing.

I do not remember drifting off, but I must have done. It was not a deep sleep, yet somehow the next thing I remember is hearing the sounds of nature again as Jo gently guided everyone back into the room.

The session had lasted an hour, but it genuinely did not feel like it. It was as though half an hour of my life had simply disappeared.

I do not remember dreaming during the session. In truth, I very rarely remember dreams at all – I could probably count on two hands the number I have recalled throughout my life.

Curiously though, when I went to bed that evening I slept well and woke up the following morning remembering a dream. Whether that is connected to the sound bath or simply coincidence, I could not possibly say, but for me it was certainly a rarity.

Jo, who worked in the NHS for more than 15 years before focusing full-time on her holistic therapy business, believes sound baths can have a profound impact on people, particularly those experiencing stress or anxiety.

She is now hoping to hold more sessions in historic buildings across the region.

"They're beautiful buildings and the acoustics are amazing," she said. "I think people feel a sense of calm when they go into them because they're so old and there's a stability about them. You feel safe."

As for me? It was certainly outside my comfort zone, but that is exactly why I am glad I went.

Will I become a regular? I doubt it, but that is probably more down to time and my own inability to properly switch off than the experience itself.

Would I recommend giving one a try? Absolutely.

Even if, like me, you have never heard of a sound bath before, it is an interesting way to step away from the noise of everyday life for an hour and simply allow yourself the chance to relax.

And if half an hour mysteriously disappears along the way, do not be too surprised.

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