Sound Baths, Yoga, Meditation and how they help with anxiety
What’s the point of trying a sound bath, anyway?! When I went to my first sound bath, it was a 90-minute breathwork and sound bath meditation. I was so scared to go, almost backed out and I didn’t know if it would be worth the discomfort of going. I am SO glad I went. It is one of the biggest things that I can point to helping me heal from both anxiety and burnout.
My first sound bath was the first time I felt like I had actually meditated. I consistently had multiple dialogues running through my head 24/7. I would just get frustrated with meditation. Practicing meditation during sound baths has helped me quiet my mind and get to that deep, restorative place of meditation that maybe I was just too anxious to get to! The soothing tones are able to quiet the noise and allow me to regain control of the thoughts I actually want to have, rather than being constantly inundated with unhelpful thoughts.
In a similar way, yoga has helped me gain that mental clarity and control. The slower the flow, the more room for your mind to wander, or better for practicing mindfulness! This can be intimidating and even uncomfortable at first, but it's well worth the time. I used to exclusively do high intensity training with the thought that I didn’t have time to do yoga because I needed the most calories burned for every minute I had to spare! In hindsight, it is no wonder why I later arrived at burnout. I would not allow myself to rest!
At that time, I couldn’t understand the spaciousness that yoga would create for me. Now, not only am I stretching, strengthening, and challenging my body, but I am able to do that for my mind as well. From this place of enhanced mindfulness, I am able to eat and exercise intuitively. I know that as much as you work out, you can and should "work in." Both are important for maintaining a well balanced life. I am fueling my body from a place of abundance instead of lack, and filling my body with self-love rather than self-hatred.
If you are hesitating to spend time meditating, at a sound bath or practicing yoga, I promise it will be worth it in the long run! If your goal is to be healthy and balanced, a great place to start working is with your mind. From our minds we make millions of decisions, often on autopilot without conscious thought. Taking the time to get your mind “set” where you are in control of your choices and decisions pays off in ways that we can’t always see, but that are felt deeply.
