A SOUND MEDITATION WITH SARA AUSTER

Sara Auster is a sound therapist, meditation teacher and author I discovered this year while in lockdown. She has spent the past decade introducing sound baths to audiences and unique environments all over the world. Sara’s transformative experiences and original teaching method have made her a leader in the sound bath movement, helping deep listening and sound meditation go mainstream in a non commercial way.

At its core, Sara’s work explores how sound and listening transform space – both physically and psychologically – for the purpose of creating connection. She has curated intimate events in public schools, hospitals, boardrooms, nonprofits, and has guided large-scale mass meditations at iconic sites like MoMA, Lincoln Center, Central Park SummerStage and Madison Square Garden, truly an inspiration and someone who’s work we really tune into. Thank you Sara for this lovely opportunity. Her first book, SOUND BATH: Meditate, Heal and Connect through Listening, an unprecedented and comprehensive guide to sound baths, was published in November 2019 by Simon & Schuster. Make sure to check it out.

What can one expect from a sound bath?

We all have a desire to feel connected to ourselves and other people. A Sound Bath experience facilitates that in a simple, accessible, and powerful way. To me, this idea is exciting, and gives me hope for the future of humanity: that we can come together and get quiet, listen inward to connect to compassion and empathy, and express ourselves through our unique voices collectively to build with one another, to build community. 

The term " healing" is rather controversial in the wellness world, how do you feel about it?

Through Sound Baths, sound meditation, community events, education and corporate training, I aim to facilitate mindful and immersive experiences that allow participants access to improved focus, expansive creativity, and deep human connection through listening. That said, the healing you experience in a Sound Bath is of your own making. You are the one who is nurturing and opening a path to your own state of wellness. You are the catalyst for your own change, and it’s you who creates the magic of the experience. I am simply creating the space for you to do so.

How does one prepare for a session?

One can prepare by finding a comfortable space where you can be seated or lying down in a relaxed position during the Sound Bath. You could have a blanket and an eye mask handy and perhaps a piece of paper or journal and a pen in case you would like to jot anything down at the beginning or end of the session. 

The instruments used can vary, but some include singing bowls, chimes, gongs, and one you always carry with you - the voice.

Experiences from Sound Baths range from meditative to transformative. Here's an example from Anthony Demby, founder of Humbleriot:

“I was introduced to Sara by a mutual friend who recommended that I check out a Sound Bath she was leading. I found it to be very relaxing and healing while at the same time taking me into a deep space of meditation that I had never experienced before. It also brought to the surface some things that were seemingly unresolved for me.

Every Sound Bath experience since has been different for me. They always seem to offer what I need wherever I am in my life at that point. During a Sound Bath I straddle this space of being conscious and not, and often I disappear. Afterwards, I feel like my soul has been given a bath and I am cleansed of whatever I brought into the space when I arrived. I was surprised about how deep they take me; they have given me an awareness that there is a space within myself of stillness and nothingness that I can access when life gets chaotic."

How do you feel about how the pandemic has changed things?

The need for connection and deep listening are more necessary than ever before.

I’ve long seen the effect that sound baths can have on people to calm the mind, release stress and invite in compassion and connection. While sound baths are typically in person experiences, technology has allowed us to connect in new and innovative ways. Even though we aren’t together in a room, we are connected through a shared experience of sound. As the world feels more chaotic with each passing day, it’s even more important to find moments of pause, and that has been our goal with these virtual sound baths. Being able to access a moment of stillness internally when everything is rapidly swirling around outside of you (or perhaps also inside) can feel like a superpower. 

 Virtual sound baths have provided us with a unique opportunity to engage in a shared experience as part of a global community and feel deeply connected to others.

Initially, it was somewhat challenging to offer this experience virtually. In a typical live Sound Bath I am improvising by observing the energy and reactions of the participants in the space. A virtual experience forces a new way to think about the flow and progression of the experience. There is also a physical presence to acoustic sound that you just can’t replicate through the phone. Just like texting a hug emoji can’t replace the feeling of physically holding someone, hearing a singing bowl resonate live and hearing it through your iphone speaker isn’t going to feel the same. But the intention behind the sound is still felt, that invitation to connect is still there, and that is what's most important.  

Since I started offering virtual sound baths in early March, there has been a global outpouring of gratitude. Italy, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Netherlands, France, Germany, Brazil, UK, New Zealand, South Korea, US and more. It is an honor to hold this kind of space for people all around the world, and be able to connect with participants that may never have been able to travel to an in-person event.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I am offering a sound bath training course beginning in the new year. If interested in learning how to become a facilitator, sign up for my newsletter at saraauster.com to get on the list to be the first to know when it launches!