The sound of wellness

Singing bowls. Sound gardens. Silent clubs. A wave of wellness and lifestyle trends and community initiatives are using sound-and the lack of it-to be heard over the constant buzz of a noisy, overstimulated world

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On a September evening, yoga mats share space with clothing and jewellery displays at Amala Earth's store in Delhi. The conscious lifestyle marketplace hosts various events at its Vasant Vihar flagship, and the day's fixture is a yin and sound bath session. Yoga and wellness expert Riya Vyas takes a dozen or so participants through a2-hour session, with a plethora of bronze and crys tal bowls which, when played, seem to send sonic waves vibrating throughout the body. I feel heightened by the sound, as if my nerves and muscles are being hauled out of my skin. Surely how Doctor Strange must feel in the astral plane.

According to Vyas, the experience differs from one to another. Participants at the session exemplify her observation-one speaks of feeling relaxed, another says they felt entranced, and a third participant mentions how the sound evoked memories of their mother. Pankhuri Dhanjal, assistant marketing manager, Amala Earth, notes that sound bath sessions have received a positive response from visitors and are becoming a regular feature at the store.