11/20 Yoga Journal

    Recently I tried Sound Healing after a yoga practice. I took this class through my yoga teacher certification program. The teacher's name was Christine and I took the class on Youtube for a little over an hour. This was my first experience with sound healing and it is the first time that I've felt this transcendental feeling from yoga in a long time. 

    We started the practice by doing a shorter, restorative inspired flow. Most of the poses were on the ground and they were very slow and gentle to the body. Once we did about 30 minutes of flow, we moved into 5 minutes of mindful breathing. We counted the lengths of our inhales and exhales in a comfortable seated position and then we moved into savasana. Traditionally I just take savasana on my mat but this time, since I knew I was going to be laying down for a while, I decided to take this pose on my bed with a blanket over me. I made sure I felt completely comfortable and made adjustments like taking off my glasses and adjusting my clothing. Christine started by using singing bowls and chimes. I did enjoy these sounds but then she moved into using a gong and it was a whole different experience. 

    When she used the gong I fell into the "sweet spot" of meditation. My thoughts were still present but I wasn't focusing on them, I withdrew from all my senses, and my body almost felt weightless. It was like gravity was giving me a big hug! The sounds of the gong were so ethereal and really helped me to just let go of everything, my thoughts, my body, and my mind. After the sound healing, we slowly moved out of savasana and took some time to come back into our bodies. This was the first time in a very long time that I felt this type of rebirth and spirituality through yoga. I never really feel this "divine" connection that a lot of yogis talk about and when I do it's mostly for brief fleeting moments. This time though, I truly felt connected with everything. I felt like I moved with more intention after the practice and it was like I was brought to another realm. I know it sounds cheesy and probably cliche but this experience really made me feel connected to the divine. Whenever I do a practice I do feel relaxed and more in tune with myself, but this practice just took it to a whole other level. I just feel so grateful that I found this form of healing and I can't wait to explore it some more. 

Have you tried a sound healing gong bath yet? — Rosan Cruz * Urban Energy Healer

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