L is for ... Love Sound Healing Session! Soul Stretch, Brixton

This year, for Valentine’s Day, I was single for the first time in over… 10 years.

And this melodramatic start to this very overdue blog post is not to inform you of my relationship status, but to tell you what I did on this marmite kind of day!

I decided to book myself onto a vinyasa flow class at my regular and favourite yogi spot, Soul Stretch Brixton, and stay on for the Love Sound Healing sesh with Holly and the shaman Anouska.

I had done a couple of sound healing and gong baths before, but when I arrived and found all the instruments nicely laid out in the centre of the room, I was particularly excited. Plus, I had never met a shaman before!

One of the things I love most about Soul Stretch is the cosy little studio: wooden floor, big window framed by twinkling fairy lights - the space could not have been a better backdrop to this perfect evening.

I had a few things on my mind, but the 75 mins vinyasa class tired me out enough to leave my chattering mind a little out of breath and me ready to lie down. Which we did, under lovely heavy blankets, lavender eye pillows at the ready. And after a short grounding and breathing exercise, Holly and Anouska were off. And so were we.

Crystal bowls, tuning forks, kalimba, drums, bells, chimes.. The works. But what got me the most was the full immersion of all senses that this particular sound healing catered for.

The instruments, together with the amazing voices of both Holly and Anouska, interwove and complimented each other as they twirled and danced around the space. In the state of deep relaxation we were in, you couldn’t really tell what was human voice and what was instrument. First soft, then louder, then high, then low: the sounds took you on a journey that was so much more than just audible, it was visual. You could see the waves under the ocean drum, or the sun shining through the leaves on a tree as a rustling sound came into your head space. The colours of the sounds surrounded and filled your inner visual field, painting breathtaking images.

It felt like a 10 hour trip, which too soon was over. After a winged creature (was that a bird or an angel?) softly fluttered by with wings that smelt like heaven, and a grounding foot rub, we were brought back to earth and welcomed with gorgeous tea by the lovely Leaf Collective (check them out, https://www.theleafcollective.co.uk).

Needless to say, that night I slept better than ever and woke up feeling energised and particularly positive and inspired.

Holly and Anouska were lovely, great hosts and guides, answered all our curious questions about the sounds, whilst offering hugs and smiles all around.

… So, when’s the next?

Holly and Anouska are preparing a “Full Moon Sprit Animal Sound Journey” Wednesday 20th March. You can book here!

Little side note, I love valentine’s day. Always have and always will. Of course love and loved ones should be celebrated everyday, but it also fills my heart with joy the idea that there is a special day dedicated to the most beautiful thing in the world, where shops put up hearts in their windows, red roses pour out of florists, and you see people everywhere carrying bunches of flowers, holding hands, dressed to the nines to go out and enjoy some quality time with the person they are with. And maybe these are things you see everyday, but on this day.. You just notice them more.

This day is a reminder to everyone to be grateful to have (or have had) that special someone, be it a partner, but also a friend, a sibling, your mom or dad or grandma, uncle, housekeeper, pet...that you are grateful for. That you wish all the best to. That when you think of what you feel for them, it makes you feel all warm inside. It’s a reminder to lean into that sentiment, to bask in its glory, to be grateful to be alive to get to experience all the love.

It is also a day to celebrate yourself. To love yourself a little more. To cuddle yourself. Buy yourself some flowers, eat those chocolates, go to a yoga class if you want, and have a glass of wine after if you want, and be grateful for the body you have that allows you to do all these wonderful things. And feel all the feels. Unapologetically. LOVE YOURSELF.

#wellness #brixton #soundbath #meditation #events #yoga