How to Listen
A suggested approach from the creator of Magnetic Sound® on how to hold your own deep listening sessions.
This guide will help you explore active listening and sound meditation with Magnetic Sound®. Developing your own listening ritual can help you tune in to your thoughts and aspects of your subconscious. Many participants claim that sound baths help decrease anxiety, stress, or help sleep. For some, a group sound bath is a way to connect with peers and help cultivate a sense of community.
Whether you are building larger group sound baths, or just want to hold sound meditations alone as part of your own lifestyle, this tutorial will help get you started.
Find a Safe, Quiet Space
For an impactful meditation, we strongly suggest that only people directly engaging in the listening experience are in the environment.
This means no one is talking, using smartphones or laptops, or walking through the space.
Just one group that shares the intention to listen and to rest together.
Adjust your Environment
Scent
Some choose to integrate different scents into the experience using incense, herbs, or aromatic oils.
Lighting
It is usually best to turn off or remove any sources of bright light, or even practice in darkness.
Because of this, candle light is popular, and some choose to wear eye masks during the sound bath.
Find a Comfortable Position
Find a position that feels comfortable, and will feel comfortable for a long time. There is no "wrong" way to listen, and different positions will feel appropriate for different people.
Most people enjoy a sound bath while lying down on their back, similar to the yogic "shavasana" pose. This is a great position if you are seeking a deep rest or sleep in your session, or if you are interested in exploring your subconscious in hypnagogia.
Activate the Artwork to begin the Sound
Open a Magnetic Sound® app on the touch-screen interface.
If this is your first session, we strongly recommend starting with one of the guided compositions such as Infinity.
Users with more experience may wish to control the sounds directly using the Soundscapes app.
If you do not have a Magnetic Sound device, you can use the sample audio file at the bottom of this webpage.
Explore Rhythm of Breath as you Listen
To approach the experience as a meditation, try breathing with the sound. Observe how the rhythms of your breath coexist with the rhythms of the vibrations.
Listen. Breathe in through your nose. Listen. Breathe out through your nose. Repeat.
Don’t be afraid to exaggerate your breaths while you do this; anything that helps you maintain a focus on the cycles of your body and the sound.
Active breathing can become an anchor for your listening experience. You can return to this repeatedly throughout the meditation.
Try a Sample Meditation
If you don't have access to one of our Magnetic Sound devices, you can use this audio sample to hold your own sound meditation. This is a brief excerpt from one of our live group sound baths:
