Long before wrapping yourself up in a crisp bathrobe or sliding tired feet into a pair of slippers, before sinking into an armchair and taking the first piping-hot sip of some kind of deliciously-good-for-you herbal infusion, before these actions of arriving at a spa slow you right down physically, a psychological shift will have already taken place.
Acoustic stimulus is the most immediately transformative element of any wellness journey and curiously also the one that you tend not to notice. The soundtracks in spas are designed to instantly shift your frame of mind but in a passive, non-invasive way. The power of that sensory moment is not to be underestimated. Whether it’s the low chakra-cleansing hum of Buddhist chants, a haunting sitar melody, perhaps a slow classical symphony or the deep vibrations of Tibetan bowls, this is music as medicine. The same goes for the chime of the Tingsha bells, for meditative binaural beats, and, of course, for noises from nature – falling rain, crackling fires, rustling leaves, flowing water, chirping birds – all of which are said to help decrease anxiety levels. Soothing ambient sounds are an incredibly effective tool. They signal the stepping away from the roar of the day to day, of taking time to look inward, preparing for self-care. They work to calm you down, rooting you at once in the mindset of healing and the openness to being healed. But what if you switch the speakers off?
