I Went to a Sound Bath Meditation and Came Out Healed (Mostly)
One of my goals for 2025 is to deepen my spirituality. Growing up, church was a constant. In college, I leaped and converted to…
One of my goals for 2025 is to deepen my spirituality. Growing up, church was a constant. In college, I leaped and converted to Catholicism. But since then, my spirituality has felt like it’s barely hanging on, clinging to the edges while life barrels forward. Marriage, kids, work, and the endless suburban shuffle have all chipped away at the consistency I once had.
I still go through the motions — I pray when I remember, show up at church on Easter like a faithful holiday guest, and try to stay grounded in gratitude. But it’s hard to ignore that a big piece of my spiritual connection feels… absent.
Over the past year, though, I’ve felt this nudge — an undeniable pull to reconnect with God. But heading back to church in the traditional sense? That doesn’t feel like the answer right now. What used to be a refuge for me has shifted into something that feels too heavy. The thought of organized religion, with its rules and rituals, feels more like a system of control than a pathway to peace.
So yeah, I’m struggling.
Then, in the middle of a doom-scrolling session (because who doesn’t turn to their phone when they’re avoiding their own thoughts?), I saw an ad on Instagram for a local sound bath and meditation session to kick off the new year. Without overthinking it, I signed up. And a few days later, I found myself lying on my back in a dimly lit studio, eyes closed, surrounded by strangers, letting the vibrations of a gong and the hum of crystal singing bowls wash over me.
It was different. Different in a good way. For an hour, our guide took us on a healing journey. Her voice was calm and grounding, her presence reassuring. I let my mind drift, then pulled it back, then drifted again. I prayed, I wandered, I refocused. Rinse and repeat.
And then, she placed a singing bowl directly on my chest. The vibrations rippled through me. And suddenly, I was crying. Not the cute, single-tear kind of crying — the ugly, gulping-for-air kind. I couldn’t stop it, I didn’t even really know why it was happening. All I knew was that something buried deep was bubbling up, demanding release.
When the session ended, we shared our experiences, and to my relief, I wasn’t the only one who had turned into a puddle. Whatever I was holding onto, I wasn’t alone in it.
The rest of that day felt lighter, like I’d shed something I didn’t even know I was carrying. Even now, days later, that feeling lingers. I’m convinced — sound baths are my thing now. I’m adding them to my monthly wellness routine, right alongside pedicures and tequila nights with friends.
So, what’s the takeaway?
It’s this: Find your thing. Whether it’s a sound bath, a long walk, journaling, yoga, crystals, hitting the gym, or even just crying it out in your car — find what makes you feel whole. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. Just make space for it.
We’re all trying to piece ourselves together in a world that keeps throwing us curveballs. Sending you love and healing as you do the same. Let’s get through this year whole — one sound, one prayer, or one step at a time.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to connect with you. Visit www.shaunteyoung.com and follow me on Instagram.
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