Sound healer Audrey O’Connor chats to Michelle Dardis about the practice taking the self-care and wellness world by storm…
Audrey, some of our readers may recognise you from our Self Care Sessions, but for those who don’t, can you explain what it is you do…
I’m a sound healer and I work with Crystal Alchemy bowls which are different than Tibetan bowls in that they go to different frequencies and different levels. I use them to help move energy in the body.
Tell us, how exactly does a sound bath meditation work?
I love science so I want to make sure everything I do is science backed. With sound healing, you work with sound, frequencies and vibrations of a bowl to match the frequencies in your body and they start working together. If your body is in a highly stressed state or if you’re in a very blocked state, the sound waves start to work on a deep, cellular level to relieve stress, tension and energy out of the body. It’s like a deep tissue massage on a cellular level.
It’s quite a new concept for many, but it’s actually been around for thousands of years…
Yes! It started in Tibet and the Himalayas. You’d recognise the copper, brassy bowls that they’d use. I began sound healing using those bowls and then I moved to special Alchemy bowls which are infused with different crystals.
Audrey, tell us, how did you get into it in the first place?
I was a Quantity Surveyor in my twenties and worked in the industry for about seven years and became quite burned out. I felt a little bit lost. I didn’t know what my purpose was. I felt very run down, had very low energy, I was always sick. I started learning how to do Pilates and focused on movement to rehabilitate my back and the deeper I got into it, I realised I needed my body to find stillness. I was always recommended to try out a typical meditation, but I found it really hard. I didn’t enjoy it and it became quite a chore for me. My mind was so busy that even if I was trying to meditate, I’d think about everything else from whether I left my hair straightener on, or what I was doing later on, I just couldn’t sit still. I discovered sound healing online and found a ten-minute session using Alchemy bowls. I could never tap into my emotions, all I ever felt was happy or sad but nothing in between, so I started going into all the layers of emotions and I felt guided. I got so into it that I knew I needed to practise it myself.
Burnout is so common these days, people are overwhelmed, stressed, struggling to switch off, to sleep even, this helps, doesn’t it?
100 per cent. Burnout is so different for everybody. Even the idea of being in a WhatsApp group could overwhelm you. That’s how I felt. I started doing sound healing every day for 10-30 minutes and these changes of frequencies help release the noise in your brain so you can think clearer, and when you can do that, everything starts to make sense. You might feel more connected to friendships, you’ll start to consider how you spend your time and energy. When I was in a stressed state, I was always looking to other people for answers. I’ve now been able to look inwards.
Is there anyone else who’d particularly benefit from these sessions? Similarly, is there anyone who shouldn’t attend?
My clients range anywhere from 25 to 85. Everybody has something going on and they need to make time for themselves. Women especially are such carers and spend so much time taking care of everyone else. You have to make yourself a priority. Self-care doesn’t look the same for everyone. For some it might be getting your hair done, for others it’s a half an hour of quiet, some space for themselves.
You teach classes in-person, but also have a new virtual sound bath collection available, do people still get the same experience, does it work the same?
Absolutely, yes! I did in-person sound baths myself, but it was the virtual ones which resonated with me a lot more. I’d do it every single day. I’d do it in the morning, check in with myself before checking my phone. I used to scroll online first thing in the morning, I’d be taking in all sorts of information – good and bad – but now, I put in my headphones and do a sound bath for myself first and foremost. You can get really into them.
What’s your main take away point for anyone considering trying a sound bath?
Everyone has the ability to transform their life and the power to do it. If you can create space for yourself during a period of each day, it’ll help create patterns. I’ve been burnt out and low and got myself through it by simply turning up for myself every day.
Buy a membership for Audrey’s virtual soundbaths on corestatehq.com