With the holidays around the corner, it's time to focus on the things that matter most, reach out and reconnect with the people we care for and spend some quality time on ourselves so we are our best around the people we love.
On a personal level, my move to another continent and a fresh professional start were followed by a very stressful adaptation period which was topped off by a family member loss and a very demanding travel schedule to take care of loose ends. I found my -usually very together- self, helpless, disoriented, weak, discouraged and seriously hindered in dealing with the simplest everyday tasks. I tried to meditate, but couldn't get myself to even do that, not to mention my reluctance to workout, which has been my go-to daily routine to clear my head and feel good for more than 20 years. That's when I realized that this time, I could not do it on my own, and I needed help.
I'm a firm believer that -in most cases- the strength, the solutions, and the answers are within us, and we just need some magic to bring those to the surface, when we cannot manage ourselves. That is why I decided to follow my gut, and try something different: Vibroacoustic Sound Therapy -sounded like the magic I needed- is a treatment that I was lucky to have been introduced to through a few good friends I made since I arrived in New York.
I will spare you the technicalities, you can get the details from their website tournesolwellness.com. What I will try to do, is describe in a few lines my experience from the sessions and what I feel the outcome was, for me.
I didn't need much convincing on what effects different sound frequencies have on our bodies and minds. I already knew all that from my DJ mixing/sound production studies and my personal experience of how I could "manage" club crowds with my selection of music, when I was up in the booth, spinning. What I was about to find out though, was that floating on isolated sound frequencies -that is exactly what a vibroacoustic sound therapy session feels like- coupled with some energy work by Carey Davidson, would help me get rid of all the black and darkness in my head and surface all the green, the blue and the light, which was the exact visual I had during the session with my eyes closed.
So, imagine being reposed on a waterbed mattress, in a quiet room, dark, -as I chose- or dimly lit if you prefer, with your eyes shut. Some ambient relaxing music comes from a set of surround speakers, adding to the -floating in sound waves- setting. The heart of the process is a device below the water pad emitting sound waves which gently go through your body, restoring the path along their way. A while into my session I started meditating, surrendering all my senses on a mission to absorb every little detail the experience had to offer. It was the first time I was able to initiate -from within my stillness- a controlled shiver upon my entire body that felt so good, lifting the weight, relieving stress, tension and leaving me relaxed and happy. That was a pretty cool feeling/sensation.
Three things worth noting here:
The device can be set to focus on certain parts of the body (to address muscle pains or specific issues on body parts) and also has multiple intensity levels from mild to intense.
As I was being set up, Carey asked about the sound level for the ambient music and when I said “I prefer it loud enough so I can...” and we finished each other’s phrase with the same words "...go towards the music". I knew just then that the treatment would be right for me.
During the first few minutes, I had some energy work (my first time) done by Carey which I, later on, realized set the foundation for the transition from dark and black to colorful and bright blue, greens, etc. Yes, you will see colors, no substances involved, just a discreet lavender essence in the air)
My description might tempt you to think that I was tripping, but I wasn't. My second session, a couple of days later, was equally amazing and fulfilling and I'm already looking forward to my next one. I got the kick I needed and have found the strength to get myself back to my workouts and -slowly but steadily- I am regaining control of my days. I'm very grateful I had the option to try this alternative treatment as I didn't want to burden my organism with anything involving medication.
I know that many can be skeptics when it comes to new, alternative treatments, but it's always a great idea to try for yourself and see what it can do for you.
Check out their website for seasonal promotions or specials. Even if Vibroacoustics is not what works for you after all, at Tournesol Wellness they offer a variety of modalities by a team of professional practitioners that Carey has put together. I know all that because I helped them redesign and organize the content for their website and had the chance and the pleasure to meet a few of them in person.
Happy holidays everyone! All the best in health and love!