Top Tips For Running Your First Sound Bath

One of my favourite parts of my job is watching people grow. I usually start working with my clients when they are just getting into sound healing. I run an event where they experience sound healing for the first time and/or help them pick their first singing bowl or set. 

Then as they get more confident and comfortable with playing, they expand their sound healing tools and bring in different techniques. Often they start sharing the wonderful sounds of singing bowls with others in their own sound baths. I couldn’t be more proud to see them take this step and be a part of a positive ripple effect! 

I’ve been running sound baths for over 6 years now and learned a lot along the way. So, whether you’ve been part of this community since you first started exploring sound healing or you’ve just come across I Know This Girl, here are some of the things I wish I knew before running my first sound bath.

7 steps to prepare for your first sound bath

This is a mix of practical, emotional and wellbeing tips to help you set up the event and create a wonderful experience for your clients and yourself.

1. Don’t worry about impostor syndrome

Firstly, it’s inevitable you’re going to feel nervous. Butterflies in your stomach are completely normal! I still get a bit nervous before events and doubt myself sometimes. The nerves don’t have to get in the way of your goals and sharing your gifts with others. I have a whole blog on dealing with impostor syndrome as a holistic practitioner - check it out. 

It’s one of those things that once you’ve done it, you realise it wasn’t as scary as it seemed and you can do it. Something people find reassuring is that everyone is at a sound bath because they want to be. They’re eager and willing to receive. Honestly, I’ve met the loveliest people at sound baths. So you’ve got a great audience.

2. Give yourself time to set up

Set aside at least 45-60 minutes to set up before your sound bath starts. It seems like a long time but it goes quickly, especially as people always arrive early to get settled. No one wants to be rushing around flustered as they try to get everything ready. When organising a location for your sound bath, book extra time to set up the space.

3. Always do a sound check

During your set-up time, do a sound check of your bowls to make sure they are positioned in the best way for you to play them during the sound bath. Here is how I set up my singing bowl set. 

You’ll notice that I’ve left enough space in between them that I can comfortably play them all without accidentally hitting the other bowls. I always test playing the bowls to make sure that they are all evenly and firmly on the centre of the O-ring. I don’t want them to be wobbly or a bit off and then have to reposition them in the middle of the sound bath. 

4. Activate the senses

Once I’m happy with my singing bowl set up, I move on to creating a sensory experience in the space where I’m running a sound bath. What this looks like depends on the venue, what they have included and what you can bring along with you. I like to use candles and fairy lights to create a soft glow and bring incense and palo santo to add calming scents.  

Laying out blankets is a really nice touch because the body temperature drops during sound baths. Finally, I put on a playlist I’ve prepared so there are soothing sounds as people enter. I want them to start feeling relaxed as soon as they set foot in the room! 

5. Find calm and set intentions

Don’t forget to leave a bit of time to get into the right headspace. Do something that will bring your mind and body into a relaxed state, so that you feel calm and grounded before everyone arrives. It could be playing the bowls for yourself for a bit, or a short breathing exercise like box breathing to calm the nervous system.

When you’re ready, set intentions for yourself and the group. What do you want to receive? I adapt this to the theme of the sound bath if there is one. Intentions are a powerful part of singing bowls as I explain in this blog. 

6. Protect your energy

Holding space for others can be a drain on your energy, no matter how wonderful the experience. So, in the past, I’ve found myself getting a headache and struggling to sleep afterwards. Now, I always plan to do something to protect my energy. See it as spiritual caretaking! 

I usually do a visualisation before everyone arrives into the space. I imagine a translucent bubble forming around me and then set an intention that no negative energy enters my energy field. Also, after the sound bath, I have a shower or a bath to ground myself, which helps me to feel energetically cleansed afterwards! 

7. How to start and end the session

The final thing I want to mention is thinking about how you pace the flow of your sound bath. I play intuitively while being intentional with the journey I create for participants. I like to start with grounding tones to get everyone nice and calm before moving up to higher notes and chakras. 

During the sound bath, I play a set of around twelve of my Quartz Singing Bowls, a Crystal Pyramid, Zaphir chimes and my grounding 8” Practitioners Singing Bowl. All together they create an immersive soundscape.

At the end, I create a transition to gently bring people out of deep relaxation and back to alertness. I play my final note 5-10 minutes before the session is due to end to give us plenty of time. Initially, I leave 2 minutes of silence after I’ve played my final note. During that time, people can still hear and feel the resonance of the bowls. It’s integrating into their nervous systems. Then I’ll help bring them back with chimes, my voice and other happy and energising sounds. 

This is my checklist for running a sound bath. It’s routine to me now and soon enough you’ll find your flow with sound baths too. Just make sure to give yourself time to prepare everything as you get the hang of it. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

For some more hands-on support in preparing for your first sound bath, you might find a workshop helpful. In my advanced workshop, we practice different techniques, including layering sound bowls, and go over practical tips for playing for clients. The workshops take place at my showroom in Bristol and you can book a time here.