If your body feels “out of whack”, you can realign and re-balance things out through body movement and utilizing the power of sound in crystal bowl therapy. The best part of this modality is that it is fully customizable – it creates a harmony within that is unique to you.
Zoe Mitchell is a movement and sound practitioner who found these modalities when struggling with her imbalances. You can learn more about Zoe and her work here:
About Zoe and her work:
Hello, My name is Zoe, and I am a Yoga instructor and Sound Healer. I like to create a safe space of healing in movement using yoga, meditation, and Crystal Bowl sounds to bring you to your balance and well-being.
My career started within the travel industry with nearly 18 years working as a long-haul cabin crew member, but it was through traveling the world and living life out of hotels and in different time zones that saw me craving some grounding.
Living a jet-lagged life with a diet fuelled by coffee and quick naps when I could, I needed to find something that would feed my soul with goodness.
I absolutely loved my job, giving me all the opportunities to be in unique countries with different cultures and experiences. During my travels, I found my love of yoga and sound baths. This form of movement and relaxation kept me healthy, both in the body and mind.
When Covid happened and the aviation industry came to a standstill, I had the time to explore the sense of well-being more. So I signed up for my yoga teacher training course, which saw me practicing more and becoming connected to fellow teachers. It was during this time I attended my very first sound journey. Coming away from this magical moment of meditation, I felt so connected and wanted to learn more about it and how I could share this with others. I completed my level 1 sound and couldn’t wait to share what it brings.
Suffering from anxiety and stress during this period brought my attention to knowing and understanding how to harmonize the nervous system naturally. That’s when I decided and work on combining body movement via the power of yoga and being still in the present moment whilst relaxing down to the sound of energy waves.
From this, along with my passion for looking after others and now knowing how to create this form of relaxation and calm, I couldn’t wait to share my knowledge and offerings with others.
About movement and sound therapy:
So many aspects, but the one thing that brings me so much love and joy is the feeling of knowing you have created some new feeling of harmony and balance. Noticing that after feeling a sense of calmness created within others. That they go home feeling connected to themselves.
First, welcome into a space that is created for you to relax and enjoy.
After a brief introduction to what the session holds, you will be invited to some gentle movement in stretches to the sounds of soothing music before coming to stillness to take a few deep breaths before sinking into the magic of sound healing.
The vital job of getting yourself cozy, snuggling under a blanket, popping on an eye pillow, and closing your eyes as you head for a journey of peace and harmony. Then, there is nothing for you to do but relax completely. Through a gentle focus on your breathing and some soothing words, I’ll help you press the pause button on your busy mind, let go of your worries and fears, and become fully present in the space.
Once you’ve settled, I guide you through a journey of sounds, where healing vibrations, frequencies, and sensations which will weave their magic over and through you.
I use a selection of beautiful instruments, mainly m Alchemy crystal bowls, each of which is designed to treat a different wave of healing, helping you melt into deep relaxation. You may experience several other sensations, such as a shift in emotions, a form of releasing, answered questions, inspiration, a sense of deep connection with intuition, physical vibrating/tingling, and deep relaxation. Of course, you may also experience none of these things and have the pleasure of lying still for a while, being bathed in healing sounds and vibrations!
Once the session ends, I will guide you back into the present space and bring you back to a place of grounding with soothing words and movement.
What it’s beneficial for:
The best way to describe it is to imagine you and your body are an orchestra. Different body parts, including the mind, comprise different orchestra sections. As you know, before an orchestra can perform to its best achievable level, it has to do some tuning to harmonize. So if you feel out of balance or out of tune, this therapy could be effective.
It’s something that you make your own. From 5 minutes in the day to 50 minutes, Just knowing and understanding that you are in control of your day and that you can stop, pause, and let go of what is not serving you at that moment. Take some movement, listen to something soothing, and connect back to you. It’s your own personal Control-Alt-Delete.
I never have a set plan. It’s about how you feel on the day and what you are open to receiving. For some, it could just be the peace; for others, it could be a fully immersive experience. My technique is to enhance and encourage the energy to receive.
From the patient’s point of view:
Every one of us will have a different experience within the practice of Yoga movement and sound journeys. For some, it’s a burst of energy to get them going; for others, it’s a place of harmony and peace.
Never say never until you give it a try. It’s okay to be skeptical; we are different in how we want to treat ourselves and look after ourselves. It’s about what works best for you, but I always encourage an open mind. It’s like medicine; you never know if it works until you try it. It’s often about accepting and embracing a process, so if anyone is skeptical when meeting me and talking to me about it, that’s fine; it’s not the right time for them. As long as I can provide you with the right tools and understanding of my possibilities, that’s the first step to understanding.
Zoe’s wellbeing tips:
Find work that works for you.
When I would struggle with jet lag and being stuck inside aircraft for hours, I would crave the outside. Nature is a natural healer with a free offering.
I start my day with what I call the 3 Ms…..
ME TIME, MEDITATION, AND MOVING.
What I mean by this is from waking up, give yourself time before you reach for the phone, rush for the shower and dash out the door to go about your day.
I take just 5-10 minutes in each of these sections.
For me time, I grab a book to read or pop the radio on and feel calm at the start of the day. Then I will head to the kitchen, put the kettle on, and whilst that’s boiling, I take myself outside (mainly barefoot for grounding) and close my eyes as I take 10 deep breaths and listen to the noises around me (meditation time.) Once I’ve had that first cuppa of the day, it’s time to move. This isn’t always a 5k run or 60-minute gym session; for me, it’s just a 5 – 10 min session to wake the body, 10 minutes, or a few star jumps, whatever gets the body flowing.
Don’t struggle alone. Speak to someone you feel will listen and tell them exactly how you feel. A problem shared is definitely a problem halved. If it’s getting too much, stop, take some time to breathe, and reset. Be kind to yourself.
Zoe’s resources:
I am such a big fan of books and podcasts.
BOOKS –
- How to Fail – Elizabeth Day – who also has a brilliant podcast.
- Bigger Than Us – Fearne Cotton – Another with a brilliant podcast called Happy Place.
- The bridge – Donna Lancaster
- The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
- The Salt Path – Raynor Winn
Something to watch on Youtube is a mini-movie called the Earthing Movie.
E Squared – Pam Grout
A Pocket Full of Happiness – Richard E Grant.
It’s helpful to think of all the systems in your body as an orchestra that performs its best when each working part is in harmony with one another. This is what movement and sound therapy can do to help you balance and harmonize.
Zoe Mitchell is a practitioner of movement and sound, working from her own experiences. You can learn more about her and her work here:
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