FAQ

Good hydration is always important. Please be sure to drink plenty of water in the days leading up to your session. Vibration travels better through a hydrated body. Wear comfortable clothing. You’ll remove your shoes, but otherwise remain fully clothed for your session.

If you arrive while a session is in progress, you’ll find the door locked. Enough time is scheduled between sessions to have the door open 15 minutes prior to each session.

Upon arrival you will be greeted and led into the session room. We’ll sit at a table and review your new client intake or discuss any changes since your last session. You’ll remove your shoes and place any jewelry on the table. Anyone wearing a bra will be given the option and privacy to remove it, if they choose to. This allows for better access in placing a bowl on the sternum. Then you’ll lie on the massage table as instructed by your practitioner. We’ll take a few minutes to make sure you are comfortable and settled before beginning your session.

The practitioner will indicate where bowls will be placed and demonstrate the placement for new clients. The session will begin with the single strike of a high tone bowl. Your practitioner will place bowls along your body (or off body as necessary for certain customized sessions) and strike them to produce gentle tones and vibrations. The practitioner will  gently move the bowls to different areas of the body during the session. Feel free to notify the practitioner of any need to stop or shift during the session. You may fall asleep during your session, and this is a normal response. You will not need to hold any of the bowls or otherwise balance them. Your practitioner will mind the bowls. The session will end with three strikes of the high tone bowl.

You’ll be given a few minutes of privacy to rise from the table and gather your belongings. We meet back in the reception room to process payment and book your next session.

We understand that some people are not comfortable being touched by a practitioner and this discomfort diminishes the relaxation experience. That is the last thing we want! The good news is that physical contact during a VST session is minimal and can be eliminated altogether. The caring and supportive connection between between practitioner and you is maintained by the sound and vibration of the bowls. Talk with your practitioner at the start of your session and relax knowing that your boundaries will be respected.

For beginners we recommend longer sessions (60 or 90 minute) for the body to become acclimated to the VST technique. People who repeat sessions regularly will find the body recognizes the sound and vibration and returns to a relaxed state more quickly each time allowing for deeper relaxation as new patterns are established in the mind and body.

The effectiveness of the sessions will also grow as the relationship between client and practitioner deepens. Each person will react differently to sound therapy, and certain approaches may be more effective than others. Repeat visits allow you to fine tune the sessions with your practitioner and receive the greatest benefit from your relaxation therapy sessions.

We offer 30 minute sessions for younger clients with bodies that are still developing or for people who prefer them.

For clients who are well acclimated to VST, a 30min session is a great “refresher” between regularly scheduled longer sessions.

Children/Young Adults will notice the benefits of relaxation as well as adults. We offer services for age 10 and up, with their guardian present in the session room. Sessions for clients under 18 are typically 30 minutes. Young clients (as well as adults) may see benefits including better focus and reduced symptoms of ADHD, improved ability to process and control emotions, including anger, and improved sleep.

Practicing relaxation techniques, such as VST, can have many benefits including:

• Reducing Stress and Anxiety
• Improving concentration, mood, and confidence
• Improving sleep quality, lowering fatigue
• Improved ability to process and manage emotions
• Reducing anger and frustration
• Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
• Maintaining normal blood sugar levels
• Normalizing blood pressure
• Improving digestion

Brain imaging studies have found that people who have higher levels of anxiety generally have decreased responsiveness and function of the parasympathetic nervous system. This part of the central nervous system is responsible for feelings of calm and relaxation. Normally, this system kicks in after the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response system) has been engaged for a while. Unfortunately, this does not happen as much in anxious people, prolonging the fight-or-flight response, and maintaining feelings of anxiety. Relaxation training can remedy this deficit by helping people learn to give their parasympathetic nervous system a jump-start. Studies have shown that over time, people who regularly engage in relaxation exercises are able to recover normal parasympathetic nervous system functioning.

Because physiological anxiety has an impact on thoughts, feelings, and behavior, many people trained in relaxation techniques notice a decrease in worry, fewer urges to avoid difficult situations, and an overall drop in feelings of anxiety in themselves.

While on-the-body sound work may not be for every person or situation, VST practitioners have received an amazing amount of positive feedback from their clients when working with the bowls in an on-the-body sound therapy structure.

Therapeutic singing bowls are one of a kind instruments. They are the first “singing bowls” designed as a tool to provide the application of vibration directly to the body. In Therapeutic-grade singing bowls, the metal mixture is modified to provide an extremely resonant alloy. They are engineered for vibration more than sound. The notable audible differences between a Therapeutic singing bowl crafted for vibrational sound and a modern Himalayan singing bowl can be found in the subdued volume and the purity of tone of the Therapeutic bowls. Due to the finishing process, the Therapeutic bowls will have a cleaner sound while still having a rich multitude of overtones.

The Vibrational Sound Association (VSA) focuses on the education of students in using unique instruments such as singing bowls for sound therapy through teaching, workshops, and training. The VSA is dedicated to the continued evolution of the Vibrational Sound Therapy (VST) modality. The continual input of teacher, practitioner, and client contribute to a partnership in furthering the goals of the VSA. The Vibrational Sound Association also acknowledges the importance of the tools of the method – singing bowls, bells, tingshas, chimes, and gongs. The VSA seeks to further the use of these ancient tools in a modern and structured modality that is an ordered and efficient relaxation system. Click Here to visit their website.