Top 5 Tips to Create an Ideal Sound Bath Experience at Home with Darren Austin Hall
Darren Austin Hall is a sound healer, ceremonial musician and spiritual teacher. He tours internationally, sharing his healing music with the crystal singing bowls and his array of spirituality and wellness workshops and courses.
His performances, workshops and teachings are devoted to evolving human consciousness and inspiring a sense of universal truth and unity as well as invoking spiritual activism. He has just released his brand new album titled Songs of Source. Featuring the powerful healing sounds of crystal singing bowls and shamanic chanting, each song is a channeled prayer with sacred intention to take the listener into a healing and meditative space. The music inspires spiritual awareness, deep relaxation and is ideal for shamanic journeying.
Darren is also the founder of Conscious Masculinity Toronto and facilitates a men’s group devoted to raising the consciousness of the masculine. He is also the creator of the 4-part course for men “Heroic Consciousness” which involves deeply working with masculine archetypes. He is the creator of the 75HR Source Resonance Training in Sound Healing, Sacred Music & Vibrational Philosophy. His new album of ‘Songs of Source’ is available now.
We asked him to share his advice on creating the ideal Sound Bath experience at home, in hope you can enjoy the many benefits it can bring:
Sound baths are trending and are popping up all over the place as people are beginning to utilize the healing power of sound to bring peace and tranquility to our busy minds. Relax the body into natural healing states and also foster inspired states of consciousness through the beauty of the celestial tones of crystal bowls and other salving instruments and sacred song.
I often encourage people that having a crystal bowl, even just one, is an excellent wellness tool to have on hand in one’s home. Not only is it a great support for meditation but the pure tones of the crystal bowls also have a cleansing effect on the energy of a home. I liken it to a sonic smudging. Here’s my 5 tips to creating a beautiful soundbath experience at home.
1. Begin with a sonic smudging of the home space
Higher tones are said to be the most excellent at clearing negative energy from a space, but any crystal bowl will do. Move around the home with the bowl in hand, singing it with the mallet or hitting it percussively.
2. Get Comfortable
Create a place to centre with a comfortable cushion to sit upon, and surround yourself with your crystal bowls or even just one before you. Lighting a candle is a traditional way to evoke spiritual energy.
3. Set an Intention to Connect with your Bowls
Place your hands on the bowl or each of the bowls and connect to them with your energy, infusing them with an intention you wish for them to transmit, such as peace, hope or love. Quartz crystal is a natural amplifier of consciousness and hold the frequency of our intention. Crystals are also very much alive energetically so treat them with loving respect and gratitude as you intimately connect to them with touch.
4. Maintain Concentration + Deep Breaths
Maintaining concentration on the intention you wish to emit through the crystal bowl, allow your breath to deepen into the belly. Be relaxed and allow the sounds to take you to a centering place of deep internal harmony.
5. Singing & Vocal Toning
Singing or vocal toning with the bowls is a most beautiful and empowering activity. Even just one bowl supplies a wonderful drone sound that can offer a nurturing support for the singing voice. Simply vocal toning of vowel sounds such as OOO, AAHH, or UUU foster wholeness in our being. Allow your voice to tone along with the bowl for 5 minutes or more, continuing to invoke your intention, now with the added transmission of your singing voice. If you are musically inclined, eventually allow yourself to be carried even into spontaneous song if the inspiration arises. This can be a deep and wonderful experience of free creative expression that will leave one feeling even more vitalized and wonderful.
When you are finished, bring the hands together in a prayer gesture before the heart to unite the masculine and feminine energies in your being. This furthers our sense of wholeness. Feel gratitude for the crystal bowl, for your own efforts and what supports your life.
Another added element could be singing the bowl, to send long distance healing energy to a loved one or someone in need. Simply repeat the steps but this time have the intention of connecting to that individual and sending them sound healing vibrations. You can even sing a prayer to them.
Connect with Darren Austin Hall: Online | Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
Main Image Credit: Miz Monday