I recently had the opportunity to attend an online Sound as Medicine workshop with Phyllicia Victoria through the Omega Institute, and what a beautiful experience it was.
As you can tell from my previous emails, I have been going through the most difficult time of my adult life for the past eighteen months.
I traveled back and forth across the country numerous times to support my father in his treatment for brain cancer. Meanwhile, I’ve been homeschooling my oldest son, adjusting to the changes in my industry, and dealing with being estranged from one of the closest people in my life these past few months.
Life felt heavy, overwhelming, and unrelenting, and I relied on my self-care routine, such as walking in nature and reading in the bathtub, to maintain a sense of balance.
After attending this workshop, I am now convinced that sound baths should be a regular part of the routine.
First, about Phyllicia – artist, yoga teacher, Reiki practitioner and sound healer. I read on his website that he felt broken, alone and unworthy, and had trust issues, and I immediately felt a sense of connection because I could relate.
He began to facilitate sound baths because he felt that the sound helped to organize his thoughts and quiet the chatter in his head.
This workshop did exactly that for me. The combination of Phyllicia’s soothing voice, uplifting words and resonant, hypnotic sounds created a truly transcendent experience.
After the exercise, he guided us through gentle movements and stretches and then invited us to journal what happened during the meditation.
I started by writing down a few words that came to mind:
- Expenditure
- Peace
- Spaciousness
- Easy
- Light
- Peace of mind
- Gratitude
And then I wrote the following:
I felt a deep relief from the stressful thoughts that had previously stuck. The voice carried me in a way that words alone could not. I felt the vibrations deeply in my body and felt them clear me of the noise of my own mind and create space to just be, without judgment.
When I heard other sounds—some from her environment and some from my own, like my dad walking around and turning on the faucet in the kitchen—I thought, “No judgment—just new sounds.”
I reminded myself to simply listen to them, mixed with the more soothing sounds of her singing bowls and bells, and then let them go without thinking that they “shouldn’t” have been part of the experience.
And I thought to myself, what a wonderful exercise for life. Nowadays, we often hear more dissonance than harmony, but sometimes the other way around. Being able to train the mind to hear the dissonance without getting lost in the story is a tremendous gift, so we can return our attention to what is beautiful and healing.
—
The journaling ended after that and I decided not to listen to the Q&A at the end of the workshop so that I could be in the space that I had created for myself.
I read that sound baths not only calm the nervous system and reduce stress, but can also relieve tension and physical pain. And I can see why. I finished the workout feeling deeply relaxed, both physically and mentally, and honestly more prepared to handle whatever the day might bring.
I am grateful for my recent collaboration with Omega because I really like what they have to offer.
I also appreciate that they have put together a site of free resources specifically for the tiny Buddha community that is you can access it here.
If you’re interested in attending a workshop at their New York campus this summer, here are a few that caught my eye:
And in case you missed my previous email, I’d like to re-share the programs I recommended last month, including:
This is a picture of their campus above. If I could attend a one-on-one workshop at this point in my life, I would be there in a heartbeat, as I know it is a true sanctuary and a place for meaningful connection and deep healing.
If you feel as I have recently, I encourage you to explore the free resourcesand if you decide to attend a workshop, I’d love to hear what your experience was like!
