When Rest Doesn’t Look How You Expected: My Soundbath Experience
Today, I was meant to be hosting one of our Breathe & Bathe events with the wonderful Nicky from House of Butterfly. Unfortunately, the uptake wasn’t what we’d hoped for.
Rather than cancel on Nicky, I decided to do something different. I booked her for a private soundbath for me and my husband instead.
And honestly? It turned out to be exactly what we needed.
It’s not often that I get the chance to be on the receiving end of these kinds of practices. Usually, I’m the one holding space, planning, teaching, guiding. So rather than feeling disheartened by the lower interest — which could simply have been timing after Easter, busy diaries, or lots of other offerings around at the moment — I chose to see it as an opportunity.
An opportunity for my husband and I to slow down together.
To pause.
To receive.
Two Very Different Experiences in One Room
Within seconds of Nicky playing the first crystal bowl, my husband was asleep.
Not drifting… fully asleep.
At various points he even started snoring, which if I’m honest, I found deeply irritating.
Perhaps I found it more frustrating because while he had effortlessly surrendered, I was struggling to soften at all.
As someone still on my own sound healing training journey, I initially felt curious about everything Nicky was doing. I wanted to know what bowl she was playing, what technique she was using, what was happening next.
When I told myself to stop analysing, I then found myself somewhere else entirely: in my own head.
I fidgeted.
I felt uncomfortable.
I felt anxious.
At one point I even felt breathless, as if I was suffocating, and had to let out a huge sigh to release the feeling.
It was not the blissed-out, deeply restful experience I had imagined.
But perhaps… it was the one I needed.
Sometimes Healing Doesn’t Feel Peaceful
We often think healing practices should feel calm, dreamy and effortless.
And sometimes they do.
But not always.
Every sound journey is unique because every person arrives carrying something different into the room.
Sometimes the instruments create harmony in the body and mind instantly. Other times, they stir things up. They shake loose what has been sitting beneath the surface. They reveal tension you didn’t realise you were holding.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t working.
It may mean the opposite.
Yesterday’s experience reminded me that healing isn’t always about floating away into serenity. Sometimes it’s about meeting discomfort, noticing resistance, and allowing something to move through.
The Medicine of Simplicity
After the soundbath, my husband and I realised we still had a little unexpected time without our girls.
So we went for a coffee (decaf for me), and then took a short walk in the forest.
Being surrounded by nature felt grounding, calming and quietly restorative.
And yes… we hugged trees.
Both of us.
It felt surprisingly nourishing — until we noticed a few passers-by and immediately became self-conscious.
But for a few moments, it was exactly what we needed.
If You’ve Never Tried a Soundbath…
I can highly recommend it.
And I don’t see yesterday as a negative experience at all.
I see it as information.
A reminder that there was something in me asking to be acknowledged. Something ready to shift. Something I still need to work through.
Would I have loved to drift into deep, dreamy rest?
Of course.
But there’s always next time.
Curious About Sound Healing?
If you’re new to sound healing and would like to know more about how I can work with you 1-2-1 or in a group setting, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a message here or check out some of our upcoming offerings here.
And, if you’d like to explore the beautiful work Nicky offers, do check out House of Butterfly (linked above).
Sometimes the sessions that challenge us most are the ones that offer the deepest healing. 🌿