Monday Musings: Sound Bath and Island Time
Happy Monday, ladies. I hope you had a great weekend. We took the ferry over to Vancouver Island for some family time which also included a sound bath.
Sound Bath
A sound bath is meant to be a soothing, meditative, and healing experience where you are immersed in soothing, therapeutic sounds.
During a sound bath, the facilitator plays a variety of soothing sounds using singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, crystal bowls, chimes, or drums. The vibrations and frequencies generated by these instruments are believed to have a calming effect on the nervous system, which is intended to reduce stress.
We all lay on yoga mats, with a bolster under our shoulders, covered with a cozy blanket. Having not experienced one before, I had no idea what to expect, but I assumed it would be a calming hour. Nope! Our practitioner played her bowls and instruments so loudly that I was often startled, and it felt like I was jumping out of my skin. Then she began to sing weird songs which you couldn’t quite hear the words to, so I found myself straining to understand. All in all, it was anything but soothing. Afterward, we all chatted, and very few of the ladies liked how this one was done. Some mentioned the loudness, some felt anxious, and no one relaxed. I’m going to look for one elsewhere because I love the concept. Have you ever experienced a sound bath?
Bayside Resort
When we visit family mid-island, we like to stay at the newly renovated Bayside Oceanfront Resort in Parksville. It’s a boutique hotel within walking distance of many things, with spectacular views of the coastal mountain ranges and the Parksville beaches. I left my travel mirror stuck on the sliding door during our last visit, which they saved for me. In the meantime, I purchased this new one which I prefer.
It has three suction cups on the back, which hold it very solidly to any window or mirror. This mirror has 10X magnification plus a backlit LED light which my old one didn’t have. The older my eyes get, the more light I need to see things clearly, so this one is pretty cool.
We awoke the second morning to a blanket of smoke from the horrific wildfires burning all across B.C. The province is under a state of emergency as these wildfires ravage towns and necessitate massive evacuations as people run for their lives. My heart breaks for so many who are affected. This tragedy is heartbreaking.
Loft Looks
(the white marks you see on the outfits are smears on the dressing room mirror, not the clothes)
I tried this outfit on at Loft the last time I was in and thought it was really cute. I didn’t get enough outfits for a full-on DRD, so I’ll just share a few here. This denim jacket is a nice twist on the typical shape and feels a bit more dressed up to me. The wide-leg pants are a great proportion with the cropped jacket. I love the paisley print on this mixed media top for a classic red, white, and blue outfit. The jacket is too large on me, so looks rather oversized, but it’s meant to be a fitted look.
This is the polka dot shirt I bought and have been wearing a lot! These wide-leg trousers come in four colors, in regular and petite lengths. The petite is about perfect on me. I tried the look with a long cabled cardigan on the left and a shorter crochet cardi on the right. Both are cool-toned shades for fall. I prefer the proportion on the right because it helps make my legs look longer.
PS- I’m still awaiting the lab results from my visit to the Trichologist, but she was very, very knowledgeable, and I feel so much more hopeful. More on what I learned soon.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to wear what makes you feel confident.
I’ve never heard of sound baths! Very interesting! Thanks for sharing the mirror. I find it so difficult to get good light from any mirror. I surround my large mirror with two Ott lights just to get my makeup on, so you can imagine how difficult it is to travel! I do hope the fires are out soon! They have been devastating across Canada and my heart breaks at the impact on all of us here and beyond. Take care!
I’m the same with light, and my makeup. It almost can’t be too bright.
Hi Jennifer , I like your travel outfit…especially your tote bag.
You may have already reviewed the Athleta pants , since you don’t mention anything about them. I’m always skeptical about the breathability of polyester, and would love your opinion. Also the pant that comes up is the Brooklyn ankle pant, which has a much narrower ankle than the ones you are wearing.
I am wearing the Brooklyn ankle pant. I assume the model is wearing a teeny size which would make it appear narrower on her because she’s probably tall too. I don’t find these hot at all! This fabric is so comfy, I love it.
I have been to several sound baths and they each had a theme. Some are meant to sooth and relax and some are meant to awaken your spirit. I prefer the soothing and calm ones. But they are quite loud as the experience is not just for your ears but for the nervous system with vibration, and it needs to be loud for the vibration. But mine were combined with a soothing guided meditation. They are wonderful to experience and I’m happy you are not turned off but willing to find another. They always leave me feeling light and calm.
I love the outfit with the short cardigan. It looks great on you. Thank you for this blog. I love looking at all of your choices and your descriptions. On of my favorite pastimes with my mom was to go shopping and try on lots of outfits and critique them. Your blog makes me feel connected to her.
That’s so sweet. I feel honored it helps you feel connected to your mom! Have a great day.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for your blog. I enjoy the clothes, fashion and beauty tips and the health tips too! I really enjoy meditation, I got into it during my Alcoholics Anonymous Zoom meetings. I go to a prayer and meditation group and our meditations are found on U-Tube. We just pick any ten minute meditation either guided or self-guided, and sit back and enjoy. I especially enjoy hand pan music meditation. It’s a type of drum in which the person gently hits the drum with his hands. You may find it enjoyable. Just type in hand pan meditation on the U-Tube platform and give it a listen. Until you find a local studio, I’m sure you can find something on U-Tube. Good luck, and thank you for all your work. I’m a big fan of J.Jill.
Thank you for the recommendation, Tamara. I will look for this on Youtube!
The closest I could get to a Sound Bath would be on YouTube! I love the trousers and short cardigan on you, good choices. The fires now burning in Washington and B.C. are a terrible blow to the environment and the all who must breath the toxic air! I worry about my granddaughter and her family living in Port Orchard.
It is horrific!!
What a nice idea a collarless denim jacket . I’m going to check the jacket out today.
It’s really cute