The Purest Essence
by AwA
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Art with Altitude.
Imagine closing your eyes, sound bathing you, triggering ancient networks in your body that signal all is safe, all is calm. Your breathing becomes deeper, your muscles relax and you feel anxiety slipping away.
Recent studies show that sound baths, a popular form of holistic health, can do just that, yet sound healing can be traced back to ancient civilizations in Greece, Egypt and India where vibrations were said to calm inner storms or chaos.
Steamboat Springs sound therapist, Kelly Conway, struggled with traditional meditation but was searching for a way to counteract the effects of a busy career, being a parent, aging and all the struggles that come with our overcommitted lives. Sound was something she resonated with so she got curious about the science behind it. She learned that sound vibrations tap into the parasympathetic system as the sound waves trigger theta brainwave frequencies most often associated with deep states of relaxation. She eventually bought her own sound bowls and got her certification to practice sound. Now she offers private sessions and hybrid yoga flow sessions that incorporate yoga and sound baths.
Vibration is the purest essence of music. As vibrations enter the fluid inside the inner ear, hairs on the cells bend which create nerve impulses that travel to the brain. As they travel through the brain via neural networks, memories come alive, emotions are triggered. “Sound is a powerful tool to work through,” said Kelly. During her sessions, clients set an intention, lay back and absorb the sound. “Sounds can create harmony or dissonance that is meant to take you through the journey of cellular massage that can polish our selves like a crystal. Humans are majority water and sound bowls are crystalized water,” said Kelly. Moods and emotions can be altered almost instantly often ending cycles of fight, flight or freeze. Sound baths can also help people move through blockages, where people may experience a cathartic experience that is very personal. In these sessions, Kelly becomes the vessel for tapping in deeper to one’s own personal experience. Private sessions usually last about an hour but the effects of sound baths can last much longer, helping with sleep and digestive functioning. “Think of it as a reset for what’s next in life,” said Kelly.
Elevate the Arts: Sign up for a sound bath with Kelly Conway at SteamboatSoundBath.com or look for her public sessions at Love, Yoga. AwA
