I recently had the opportunity to attend an online Sound as Medicine workshop with Phyllicia Victoria through the Omega Institute and it was a beautiful experience.
As you may know from my previous email, I have been going through the most difficult time of my adult life for the past eighteen months.
I have returned to the country many times to help my father through brain cancer treatment. All the while, I studied at my eldest son’s home, adapting to changes in my industry, and in recent months faced the distance from the closest person in my life.
Life was overwhelming and impatient, and I relied on self-care habits such as nature walks and pool readings to stay balanced.
After attending this workshop, I am now confident that bathing should be part of that routine.
The first is about Phyllicia — an artist, yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, and sound therapist. I read on her website that she grew up feeling lonely and unworthy of trust issues, and I felt an immediate sense of connection because I could communicate.
She began to facilitate the bath with the voice because she felt the voice helped to clear her mind and calm some of the conversation in her head.
That’s what this workshop did for me. The combination of Phyllicia’s soft voice, her uplifting words, and her soothing voice made for a wonderful experience.
After the practice, she guided us through some gentle movements and movements and then invited us to record what happened in meditation.
I begin by writing a few words that come to mind:
- Release
- Peace
- Scope
- Easy
- Clarity
- Tranquility
- Gratitude
And then I wrote the following:
I feel very relieved from the stressful thoughts that have haunted me in the past. The voice sent me in a way that words alone could not do. I felt a deep vibration in my body and it felt like they were clearing me of the noise of my mind and creating space for just without judgment.
When I heard other sounds – some that I thought were from her atmosphere and some in my body like my father was walking around and turning on the faucet in the kitchen – my mind was thinking, “No judgment – just a new sound.”
I was reminding myself to listen to them simply, mingling with the quiet sounds of the plate and her screams, and then unleashing them without thinking “should not” be part of the experience.
And I thought to myself, this is a great practice for life. We often hear more disagreement than harmony in our day, but sometimes it is the other way around. It is a great gift that can train the mind to listen to the chaos without getting lost in its story, so we can shift our focus back to what is beautiful and healing.
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The practice of journalism was over after this and I decided not to listen to the Q&A at the end of the workshop so I could be in the space I had created in myself for a while.
I read that taking a sound bath can not only calm the nervous system and reduce stress, but it can also help reduce stress and physical pain. And I can see why. I ended my session feeling relieved, both physically and mentally, and honestly was better at dealing with what might happen in the future.
I am grateful for my recent partnership with Omega because I really love what they offer.
I am also grateful that they have put together a page of free resources, especially for the small Buddhist community. You can access it here.
If you are interested in attending one of their seminars on campus in New York this summer, here are some that interest me:
And in case you missed my previous email, I would like to re-share some of the apps I introduced last month, including:
That is the picture from the campus above. If I could attend the seminar in person at this time in my life, I would be there with a heartbeat because I know it is a true sanctuary and a place for meaningful communication and deep healing.
If you feel like I was feeling recently, I encourage you to find out. Free ResourcesAnd if you decide to go to a workshop, I want to know what your experience is like!
