The Sounds That Helped Calm my Mind

I recently had the opportunity to take an online Sound as Medicine workshop with Phyllicia Victoria through the Omega Institute, and what a beautiful experience it was.

As you may know from my previous emails, I’ve been moving through the hardest time in my adult life for the past eighteen months.

I’ve been back and forth across the country numerous times to support my father through brain cancer treatment. All the while, I’ve been homeschooling my oldest son, adapting to changes in my industry, and in recent months, coping with estrangement from one of the closest people in my life.

Life has felt heavy, overwhelming, and relentless, and I’ve depended on my self-care routines, like walking in nature and reading in the tub, to maintain a sense of equilibrium.

After taking this workshop, I now feel confident that sound baths should be a regular part of that routine.

First, about Phyllicia—an artist, yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, and sound healer. I’d read on her website that she grew up feeling broken, lonely, and unworthy, with trust issues, and I instantly felt a sense of connection because I could relate.

She started facilitating sound baths because she felt how the sound helped settle her thoughts and quiet some of the chatter in her head.

That’s exactly what this workshop did for me. The combination of Phyllicia’s soothing voice, her uplifting words, and the resonant, hypnotic sounds created a truly transcendent experience.

After the practice, she led us through some gentle movements and stretches and then invited us to journal about what came up in the meditation.

I started by writing a number of words that came to mind:

Release
Peace
Spaciousness
Ease
Clarity
Calmness
Gratitude

And then I wrote the following:

I felt a deep sense of relief from the stressful thoughts that had been gripping me earlier. The sound transported me in a way words alone could not. I felt the vibrations deep within my body, and it felt like they were cleansing me of the noise of my own mind and creating space to just be, without judgment.

When I heard other sounds—some that I think came from her environment and some in my own, like my father moving around and turning on the faucet in the kitchen—my mind thought, “No judgment—just new sounds.”

I was reminding myself to simply hear them, mixed in with the more calming sounds of her singing bowls and chimes, and then release them without thinking they “shouldn’t” have been part of the experience.

And I thought to myself, what a wonderful practice for life. Often, we hear more dissonance than harmony in our days, but sometimes it’s the other way around. It’s a tremendous gift to be able to train the mind to hear the dissonance without getting lost in the story of it, so we can shift our focus back to what’s beautiful and healing.

—

The journaling practice ended after this, and I decided not to listen to the Q&A at the end of the workshop so I could just be in the space I’d created within myself for a bit.

I’ve read that sound baths can not only calm the nervous system and reduce stress, but they can also help relieve tension and physical pain. And I can see why. I ended my session feeling deeply relaxed, physically and mentally, and honestly better equipped to handle whatever might come in the day ahead.

I’ve been grateful for my recent partnership with Omega because I truly love what they offer.

I also appreciate that they put together a page of free resources specifically for the Tiny Buddha community, which you can access here.

If you’re interested in attending a workshop on their campus in New York this summer, here are a few that caught my eye:

And in case you missed my previous email, I wanted to reshare some of the programs I recommended last month, including:

Omega’s emotional resilience workshops, which focus on training your mind for your best life possible, healing from betrayal and toxic relationships, and more,
And Omega’s nervous system regulation workshops, with programs focused on accessing neuroplasticity, healing your nervous system, and more.

That’s a picture from their campus above. If I could take an in-person workshop at this time in my life, I’d be there in a heartbeat, as I know it’s a true sanctuary and a place for meaningful connection and deep healing.

If you’re feeling the way I’ve been feeling lately, I encourage you to explore the free resources, and if you decide to take a workshop, I’d love to know what the experience was like for you!

About Lori Deschene

Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.