Deep Relaxation Daytime Sound Bath

Peter Ison holds his monthly daytime sound bath at Lincoln Bishop University Chapel on Friday 20 November, from 11am to 1pm. It's part of a regular series that runs on the third Friday of every month, so if this one doesn't fit your schedule, there's another one coming up soon after.

If you've never been to a sound bath, the idea is simple: you lie on a yoga or padded mat, or sit in a reclining chair, and let the sound do the work. It starts with a gentle, guided relaxation to settle you in, and from there Ison plays a selection of instruments—gongs and singing bowls among them—to encourage the conscious mind to let go and the unconscious to take over. The aim is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your body that handles resting and digesting rather than fighting and fleeing. The session itself lasts about an hour, and you get a crystal to take home afterwards, with time to chat with the other people there before you head off.

People who go regularly talk about feeling balanced, calmer and more connected, with better sleep, more energy, reduced stress and anxiety, and a lifted mood. It's a welcoming thing for complete beginners, and it fits into a wider trend of sound healing—gong baths and singing bowl sessions in particular—that's grown popular across Lincoln, with studios, yoga centres and pop-up events often selling out.

There are a few things to keep in mind before you book. It's not suitable if you're in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or if you have deep vein thrombosis, certain sound sensitivities like some forms of epilepsy, or metallic implants such as pacemakers, defibrillators, stents or shunts. If none of that applies, it's £22.50 per person, and the session runs from 11am to 1pm at the chapel in Newport, Lincoln LN1 3DP.