The sound therapist and songwriter Simonanda is a great believer in the benefits of crystal singing bowls. She talks about the practice and her Sound Journey concert in Dubai.
What inspired you to become a sound therapist?
A strong feeling came to me while I was sitting in my garden, listening to the birds singing. I knew I needed to capture the beautiful, pure tones of nature and so, in 2008, I bought a set of seven crystal bowls. Instinctively I knew I was meant to use them as a tool for sound healing.
How did you learn to play the crystal bowls?
Well, I played my first-ever session in front of my friends and my voice intuitively spiralled around the pure tones of crystal bowls. Then, a year later, I trained for two years with a pioneer from Florida called Janice Williams. Her teachings are based on Renee Brodie’s The Healing Tones of Crystal Bowls. I also got inspiration from my dear friend Erik Berglund [the international harpist and healer] who passed away last September. He inspired me to open and heal my heart and help others to do the same.
How do the singing bowls “heal” us?
These crystal bowls are made of pure, clear quartz sand and each bowl is tuned to one specific note [such as F major]. They stretch from a halftone lower to a halftone higher and correspond to all the chakras in our body. When played together, the crystal bowls and my voice “heal” via sound waves that cleanse, unblock and harmonise our bodies.
What happens on an emotional or mental perspective?
On an emotional level, the sound can sometimes stimulate turmoil and chaos, so that you are able to let go of old, lower-vibrating energies to make space for new, positive energies. The sound-bathing delivers clarity and helps to delete self-sabotaging thought patterns, replacing them with kind and loving thoughts.
How has sound therapy helped you heal yourself?
I was diagnosed with skin cancer in January this year and have been on an amazing healing journey ever since. Besides medical treatment, I used my own voice and the singing bowls as a healing instrument. Thankfully, I am fine now.
What should someone expect to feel after your Sound Journey workshop?
Balancing and healing always take place, but everyone is unique in his or her vibrating frequency and so you always receive whatever you are missing. I recommend drinking a lot of water afterwards – and if you keep a glass of water during the session, it can be charged by the sound journey itself – so bring a bottle so you can have the concert in a liquid form again afterwards.
Aside from music, what are your passions in life?
Walking in the mountains and spending time with my family and our sweet dog Shimam, as well as our beautiful street cat Lucky.
What else is in the pipeline?
I’m releasing my second CD next month and so I hope I can open and heal more hearts. I dream of having full-house concerts and holding more Sound Journey workshops across the world.
• Simonanda's Sound Journey concert is on Saturday (September 27) at Eco Yoga Sanctuary in Dubai from 7.30pm to 8.45pm. The session costs Dh100. For more information or to book, call 04 385 6633 or email enquiry@eys.ae
