Can't quiet your mind? Here's why you should experience a sound bath
These days, it’s very easy to feel overstimulated. Even on days when you don’t leave the house, scrolling through your feed can leave you feeling drained and anxious. We've tried all kinds of activities to boost our mood—booking a massage, journaling out our thoughts, or going for a walk. But if you're looking for a new way to hit the pause button, there’s another practice worth exploring: sound bath.
If you’re new to the idea, don't worry. The first time you step into a class, it can feel a little awkward. You lie down on a mat surrounded by bolsters, blankets, and sometimes they dim the lights, feeling like you’re getting ready for a nap. But that’s kind of the point. You are there to rest and give your mind a well-deserved break.
Despite the name, there’s no water involved. A sound bath is a guided meditation practice that uses soothing instruments to create immersive sound waves and vibrations.
At Ohm Yoga's first anniversary celebration in San Juan City, participants got to experience a combination of Vinyasa yoga and sound bath.
"In a sound bath, we're not doing the physical movement part of yoga—it's focused on rest and breathing," explained Pat Santos, a teacher at Ohm Yoga.
A session typically opens with a few minutes of breathwork, allowing you to focus entirely on being present and listening. To help guide your mental state, instructors play instruments like Tibetan cymbals, singing bowls, and chimes. "We play the instruments to help put you into a releasing, relaxing state," Santos explained.
Finding stillness... and unearthing emotions
Research indicates that the sound of Tibetan singing bowls may help relieve occasional anxiety, promote deeper sleep, and reduce tension and fatigue.
While deep relaxation is the goal, Santos noted that a sound bath can also be a deeply cathartic experience, triggering an emotional release.
"Sometimes it might not put you to relaxation," she told PhilSTAR L!fe. "Sometimes [you experience] hyper-awareness, or a release of emotions you didn't know [were] there. It’s a lot of unearthing, and it helps you learn how to surrender—which I think we all need a little bit more of in a fast-paced world."
For beginners who struggle with sitting still, the sound waves provide as an anchor for your focus. "Sound bath classes help you come into stillness and just be comfortable [there]," Santos added. "It’s the only one hour where we actually get to slow down."
Why it's worth giving a shot
For Ezra Lacsamana, a regular at the studio, trying a sound bath is all about giving yourself permission to disconnect.
"It’s like your 30-to-60-minute escape from what's happening [outside]," he said. "You’re completely relaxed, your mind empties out, and you’re just focusing on your breath."
While yoga and meditation studios can sometimes feel female-dominated, Lacsamana strongly encourages men to give it a shot.
"I feel like [men] underestimate the kind of exercise or the kind of experience that yoga can give you. A lot of guys I know who lift weights when they go to yoga, they're challenged also because hindi din si hindi rin siya madali. It's actually very hard and hindi lang siya physical practice it's also a mental practice so it's more holistic."
Fitness enthusiast Martina Lao agreed that yoga and sound meditation serve as a great complementary practice to strength training.
"It's nice to spice up your workout routine with something a little slower, but definitely still more challenging," she said.
Describing her own sound bath experience, she added: "My entire brain was vibrating. So it kind of just gave me no chance to think about anything else but to be present in [the moment]."
Content creator Renee Pionso was also won over by the experience. "There’s a whole science behind how sound [frequencies affect] your brain," Pionso shared. "For anyone who [feels] overwhelmed and needs a rest, I would say, try the sound bath because it actually really does help your mind."
Santos echoed this, noting that sound waves naturally help shift our brainwave states toward relaxation, focus, or sleep.
Where and how to begin your practice
Ready to try sound bath? It's easy to do it at home. To get started, find a quiet space and set an intention to help deepen your practice. Settle comfortably onto a mat or the floor—feel free to use pillows for extra support—and close your eyes.
You can easily find sound bath tracks on Spotify or YouTube tailored for focus, deep sleep, or stress relief, Santos said. She suggests to use earbuds instead of just playing it in the background and begin with a short 15- to 20-minute session.
But while home sessions are great, nothing beats the atmosphere of an actual session. "Seeing the instruments and your teacher and others organically—there's a sense of community there," said Santos. "At least there you can really sit through it. You can't pause your YouTube video or your Spotify."
@philstarlife Feeling stressed and overwhelmed lately? This is your sign to try a sound bath class.
♬ original sound - philstarlife
Ohm Yoga offers Yin with Sound Bath and Vinyasa with Sound Bath classes alongside their yoga, dance, and Pilates offerings. For members like Pionso, it provides the ideal balance of tranquility and strength: "The space puts you in a very calm state of mind. I like how challenging the classes are. You actually get a good workout."