The Pursuit of Relaxation: Sound Baths

A brief trip into sound, silence, and something else.

Welcome to The Pursuit of Relaxation, a paid series where I’ll recount experiences, classes, or strategies aimed at achieving a level of zen — whether they worked or not.

I never thought the most relaxed I’d ever feel would be lying in a room with five other people. In December of 2023 when we arrived in Walland, Tennessee, a young man gave us a tour of the Blackberry Mountain property. “And that over there,” he pointed, “is where they do sound baths.” I could tell he wasn’t your typical wellness type based on aesthetics alone — something he admitted moments later.

“I don’t normally do this kind of stuff,” he told me, “but if you do anything on this trip, you need to do a sound bath.”

Had I not already been sold, his endorsement alone justified my excitement despite having no idea what a sound bath actually entailed.