“Sound is really unique because it provides this vehicle that people can hop onto and easily get into those states of meditation,” says Megan Marie Gates, playing crystal singing bowls at the We Thrive wellness centre in downtown Belleville. Photo by Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
By Olivia Waldriff [1]
BELLEVILLE – Megan Marie Gates [2] has always loved music, so when she was introduced to the world of sound therapy she was able to turn that love into a life of healing.
A setup for a sound bath at We Thrive includes cushions and yoga mats. Photo by Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
“I think it’s brought a re-enchantment into my world that I didn’t have with music before,” said Gates, a Prince Edward County sound practitioner. “It’s just allowed me to find my own voice, which has been deeply healing for me … and it’s affected me just in seeing how it’s affected other people,”
After a five-year career in musical theatre, the B.C. native moved to Toronto, where she met a sound practitioner at a yoga teacher training course. He introduced her to sound therapy, and she ended up studying it for four years.
She has been offering it professionally across Canada – including in the Quinte area – for four years.
One form of therapy Gates offers is sound baths.
They “are really lovely experiences, where folks will come and they will be immersed in very beautiful frequencies and music set to primarily the crystal singing bowls,” she explained.
“When you listen to them really deeply, your brain waves will start to shift into slower modes. So people often will come to sound baths and become very deeply rested. They may have visions or have dreamlike states they get into. And sometimes they’ll fall asleep because everything slows down.”
Her latest sound bath was at We Thrive [3], a wellness centre located in downtown Belleville, on Tuesday.
We Thrive opened in 2017 and has events related to mindfulness, including reiki, psychotherapy, yoga and meditation. Photo by Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
Stef Bourke, the studio manager at We Thrive, says they’ve had her come in every few months since August 2018.
At the sound baths, Gates uses quartz crystal singing bowls and her voice. But she’ll also use chimes, bells and a gong occasionally. It all depends on what kind of experience she wants to give people.
“It would be really beneficial for those who want a restful experience that’s still active,” Gates said. “It requires you to listen and to be present.”
“Just being able to rest is so important for people right now. It’s vital because our nervous systems are burnt out.”
Sound baths can help people not only mentally also help them physically, she said.
“There’s people that will come who are deaf in one ear, and they say they can hear out of it during the sound bath.”
When Gates isn’t practising sound therapy she is teaching yoga, putting out a weekly newsletter, hosting movement practice or writing poetry.
“Music is just awesome,” she said. “Sound brings people together.”