Sound Baths, Explained: What Happens When Rest Meets Resonance
Step into Stillness
Sound is one of the oldest medicines. Long before we measured stress hormones or mapped brainwaves, humans turned to rhythm, tone, and chant to soothe the body and focus the mind. Today, sound baths offer a modern expression of this ancient instinct — an immersive experience where harmonic instruments surround you, inviting deep rest and renewal during life’s most demanding chapters, and offering a practice that feels at once ancient and on-trend, right here on the Upper East Side.
What is a Sound Bath?
At its essence, a sound bath is a meditative journey guided by instruments such as crystal singing bowls, chimes, gongs, and percussive layers. These instruments are played in sequence, creating overlapping vibrations that “bathe” participants in sound. You recline, supported, while waves of resonance move through the space.
Unlike a concert, there’s no need to listen for structure or pattern. The sound itself becomes the practice — gently rewiring the mind away from stress and into presence.
Though sound baths feel contemporary, they draw from centuries of tradition. Tibetan singing bowls have been used since at least the 8th century, while Vedic chanting and ritual drumming trace back thousands of years. What we experience today in New York is a modern iteration of these ancient practices, supported not just by lineage but by science.
“The sound creates an environment where the body can soften and the mind can release control—something many of us rarely allow ourselves to do.”
The Science of Sound Healing
Research suggests that sound healing does more than soothe — it changes the state of the nervous system. Vibrational instruments can entrain brainwaves toward theta and delta frequencies, the same states linked to deep meditation and restorative sleep.
One study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine found that participants in a sound bath reported significantly lower tension, anger, fatigue, and depression after a single session. Another more recent paper explored the relationship between sound healing and emotional well-being, showing positive correlations between sound immersion and mood, spiritual connection, and reduced stress.
The body doesn’t just hear sound; it feels it. Vibrations resonate through muscle, fascia, and bone, creating a whole-body release that talk therapy or traditional meditation may not always reach.
As Katie Boysen, who leads A Journey in Sound at FLOK, explains:
“After my very first sound bath, it felt like concrete had been lifted off my body. I knew I needed more of that in my life. Sound is a medicine that reaches deeper than anything else—past the thoughts you can’t shut off, past the fear holding you back, past the stress you can’t release on your own.”
The FLOK Experience
At FLOK, our sound baths are intentionally intimate. Held in our Carnegie Hill studio, each session is guided by seasoned practitioners who layer tones from crystal singing bowls, chimes, and percussion. The atmosphere is curated to feel both elevated and grounding — mats, blankets, and bolsters provided so you can fully surrender.
Who benefits most? Boysen notes:
“Anyone who feels anxious, overstimulated, or simply in need of rest. Busy professionals, caretakers, creatives—people who say ‘I can’t meditate’ or ‘I hate meditation’ often find sound baths to be their way in. It’s accessible, powerful, and restorative for anyone willing to receive.”
Our calendar features immersive sound experiences like A Journey in Sound, a meditative exploration of harmonic layers, and Moon’s End Restorative, which closes each month with sound as its anchor. Explore our full calendar here.
Sound offers us a way back to ourselves. To pause. To breathe. To reset. Whether you’re seeking calm in the middle of a packed week or simply curious about the healing power of vibration, FLOK is your neighborhood sanctuary for sound baths and beyond.
Join us — and let the resonance carry you forward.