I tried a sound bath for the first time, and here’s why it surprised a sceptic like me 

To be honest, my itinerary for a self-care day usually does not start with sitting still of any kind. I’m someone who seeks my therapy in other forms – shopping benders, live music, getting a great lift at the gym – essentially, activities that drown out my thoughts rather than make me sit with them. 

So when I was told about the 60-minute Light Sound Vibration (LSV) Immersion experience at the newly opened Future Resonance at New Bahru, where guests “dry float” on waterbeds while being immersed in sound frequencies, light modulation and vibrational resonance, I was admittedly sceptical. Unlike the usual sound baths, where a practitioner sits in the centre as guests lie on mats around them, this experience took a more immersive approach. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – or whether simply lying still with a soundtrack of sounds would be enough to get my stubborn brain to play along.

Still, I was itching to find out. Could this be the missing piece to unlocking a truly restful state? Could it even give me one of those sudden, profound realisations about life that you hear about during meditation? Or would it simply end up being another “cool experience” to tick off the list?

I decided to find out, and what I found surprised me. 

Getting comfy

The moment I took my shoes off and stepped into Future Resonance, I felt my nervous system begin to exhale. The lounge area is enclosed by grey stone walls, with sunlight streaming through the windows and an open-air centrepiece filled with plants. Singing bowls and glassware are dotted around the space, while a faint aroma of incense lingers in the air. It feels like a serene little haven tucked away from the city. 

We were then led into a dark room for the session, with floor-to-ceiling blackout curtains, soft lights illuminating the instruments and beds, an ornate gong and eight individual pods fitted with waterbeds. 

The class was fully booked. After settling into the seating area, we were briefed on what to expect by an automated narrator. The session, we were told, was designed to support restoration, cognitive clarity, and expanded states of awareness, creating a deeply immersive internal experience. 

One thing that was emphasised before we began was the importance of setting an intention for the session. I wasn’t quite sure how to go about that, however. Rather than overthink it, I kept mine simple: I just wanted to clear my mind and have some quiet in it. 

We each had our own little bed, complete with a blanket, pillow and eye mask in case the light pulses were too bright. So as you can imagine, it was extra cosy. 

The experience

What surprised me most was how naturally the chimes, rings, nature sounds and music seemed to sync with my breathing and body. Coupled with the vibrations travelling through the waterbed, it almost felt as though my brain was getting a massage. 

The light pulses from above formed different patterns that I could see behind my closed eyelids. While I can imagine these being soothing for some, I found them slightly overwhelming at times. Putting on the eye mask helped me drift into relaxation more quickly, so if you’re sensitive to light, that might work better for you too. 

But 20 minutes of being fascinated by the water bed and the sounds later, I paused. Despite everything around me being designed to help me relax, my mind was still racing – ironically thinking about points to write for this very story. And the more I tried to get my mind to relax, the more I became aware of the fact that it wasn’t relaxing. You get the cycle. 

I shifted my body, put on and off the eye mask, adjusted the blanket, and even flipped my pillow over to the cold side. Eventually, I lay there and resigned myself to the fact that perhaps this just wasn’t for me, so I stopped trying. 

And that was when it started working.

Eventually, my mind emptied. And an odd but unmistakable sense of calm followed. I drifted into a slumber – though not an entirely deep one – where I could still faintly hear what was happening around me, but the sounds seemed to match my body’s rhythm so naturally that I remained asleep.

When I woke up, there were just five minutes left in the session. I felt more energised, and as the sounds gradually drew to a close, I realised that not only my mind, but my body, felt noticeably more relaxed. 

A calm throughout the day

The surprising part was that the calm stayed with me throughout the day and, perhaps most tellingly, carried into a restful night’s sleep.

But I will say this: I did not have a spiritual awakening.

I mention this because the aftercare guide sent to me post-sound bath made me realise that some participants may have deeper or more profound experiences. But for me, I didn’t emerge with a new realisation of my life. And looking back, perhaps that might not have been what I needed.

In fact, I wonder if setting an intention was almost counterproductive for me. The more I tried to seek out the experience I thought I was supposed to have, the further I seemed to drift from just relaxing into it.

Maybe that is the point, at least for me. I came in wanting to clear my mind and feel a little lighter. I didn’t achieve that by forcing my thoughts away, but by eventually giving up on trying to make them disappear.

So, while I may not have reached a deeper state of awareness, I did walk away feeling more rested, more relaxed, and a little lighter.

And I discovered a new form of self-care in the process – one I’ll definitely be returning to.