Searches for sound baths have increased by 83%*, and fresh handmade cosmetics company Lush’s sound bath spa treatment has been described as “life changing”, “stress dissolving” and “a total body and mind rebalance”.
60-minute spa treatment The Sound Bath focuses on the scalp, ear and face, encouraging the client to tune out external sounds and listen within the mind and body, achieving a deep sense of stillness.
A deeply meditative treatment, the experience begins by opening a magical box containing two Alice in Wonderland-style vessels marked ‘Eat me’ and ‘Drink me’, to uplift and relax the client before the treatment begins.
The massage elements of The Sound Bath aim to relax all the small muscles of the face, ear and scalp which are often tensed to the point where sounds are being muffled – musician Simon Emmerson, who wrote and played music for the Lush Spa, likened this to wearing an “acoustic balaklava”.
Sounds are also played live by the spa therapist, as if a musician was in the room, using tuning forks which are then placed at sinus points on the heart chakra and ears, to bring the beautiful soundscape within.
Ear candles are lit, creating a warming and comforting sensation which stimulates the ear’s natural cleansing action. Simon Emmerson spoke of “this extraordinary sense of being aglow – you sense the heat of the candle and the light, so we wrote a song called Aglow which is the central part of the experience for me”.
When the candle is removed, so is the “sonic blindfold”, so sound is heard much more clearly – suddenly, sounds imitate super bright colours, with tuning and hearing becoming much more sensitive.
A head massage is accompanied by the sound of classic sound bath singing bowls – a cloud of sound, textures and vibration which are said to aid meditation and healing. Birdsong and flutes blend in a final track, which Simon described as “jamming with the birds”.
Clients leave the treatment room relaxed and with clarity of thought, to enjoy a fresh lemonade in the spa’s relaxation area to aid their grounding and return to the outside world.
With experiences described as ‘magical’ and ‘like entering another world’, Lush’s secret spas are tucked away above certain shops, offering a number of unique and theatrical treatments, way beyond the average massage – from the cosy, Beatles-themed stretching massage A Hard Day’s Night, to the spellbinding, reflexology-inspired foot and scalp treatment The Spell.
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Lush, 8 Union St, Bath BA1 1RW