Clients at the George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery were treated to a one-of-a-kind meditative experience today, known as a sound bath. Musician Derek Weagle “bathed” the clients in sound produced by instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, and the human voice.
Derek Weagle, who came to Odyssey House through a visiting artist program organized by Expressive Art Manager Chad Porter, sees a sound bath as a healing experience, giving participants an increased sense of well-being and expanded awareness.
Approximately three dozen clients participated in the sound bath and were surprised by how the calming nature of the event affected them. Nicki W., a client in our women and children’s program, said, “I didn’t know what to expect, but it was powerful. I feel calmer and more present.”
For Frank T., a client in our ElderCare program, the sound bath was genuinely therapeutic. “I had a bad day yesterday, and I’ve been in my head ever since. This has started the healing process for me.”
Several clients were so relaxed they fell asleep. For Derek, this is common – and a good thing. “As someone who is chronically tense, when people are able to let go enough to drift off – I take that as a compliment.”