The Art of Sound Bathing
by Tara Semple with Dr. Julie Zepp

Listen deeply, the Sound Field awaits. This is your personal invitation on a journey to self. Can you hear the call to step up and try something new?

The Sun Series is about gathering community, giving rise to a new energy, one that invites us within, through the practice of sound bathing, music, and inspiring spoken word. The focus of this series is to follow the natural energies of the Sun, following her full circle around the Earth. Winter Solstice, Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumnal Equinox. It is about inviting in the messages that lie within this natural cycle. Are we in balance? Are we feeling the warmth of life? Can we sit in the darkness?

This is an invitation to hear your own inner whisperings. This offering holds space in the frequencies of sound. A Sound Bath is taken while lying down tucked in comfortably with a blanket and pillow. A soundscape is created with overtone-emitting instruments including crystal singing bowls, drums, gongs, sansula, shruti, and more. The deep listening in a sound bath allows your brain waves to slow, shifting from an active state to a state of relaxation, accessing a more dreamlike state of being. An opportunity to unplug from our usual external stimuli and gain awareness of what our inner world has to offer.

Sound Baths have roots in many traditions that long have known the restorative powers of sound. In our busy, stressful life situations we are in need of this inner journey. The rising rates of anxiety, depression, and a general disconnect with ourselves is at an all-time high. Sound is a gentle way to allow participants to slow down their brain waves and explore their inner world. Creating space to disconnect from our phones, computers, and endless to-do lists. Exploring what our inner thoughts are, when the mind is held in the frequency of sound.

This is our second season of following the Sun and listening to her wisdom. Our series involves three areas of focus.

The Concert—Music sets the stage for our inner journey. Tonal offerings from the heart. Beautiful music, specifically curated for stirring the emotions of soul.

Inspired Word—Dr. Julie Zepp is an inspirational seeker of deep inner truths. She not only teaches this path, she lives it. Her daily practice of self-exploration is truly inspirational and participants feel changed from her deep emotional dives. She finds a way to connect our own spiritual journeys to the messages of the seasonal changes. She listens deeply to her own inner voice and allows these messages to come forth to inspire anyone who shows up for themselves. In setting the tone for each event, it allows the participants an entry point for their own inner journey. 

The Sound Bath—Tara Semple is the alchemist in the Sound Field, working with resonant instruments, improvising, and responding to the sounds that are called forth. The instruments used in a sound bath are chosen for their rich harmonics, resonant tones, and rhythmic possibilities. Some sounds are used to break up stuck energies, while other sounds are to support deep relaxation. Some instruments hold rhythmic patterns that attune the listener, allowing for a gentle slowing of the brain waves. Deep listening invites us into a deeper state of relaxation.

This is your invitation for self-care, to take time for your own personal journey. Are you curious to what your inner whisperings might say? We hope to see you in our Sound Field.

Our next Sun Series offering is the Autumnal Equinox held on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7:00 pm, Knox-Metropolitan United Church Gym, 2340 Victoria Ave., Regina, SK. Tickets are limited and tend to sell quickly! Available on Eventbrite, $25.00.

This summer, on August 25 and 26, you will find Tara at the magical Manitou Waters (at Manitou Beach) with hosts Sussanna Czeranko and David Schleich. Please join us for our second season of Summer Soundings. There will be a few offerings of Sound Bathing in Nature, with a special hands-on class “Awakening the Gong.” More information can be found at www.manitouwaters.com.

Tara Semple is the owner of Shunyata Sound Studio where she hosts sound baths in her studio at Knox-Metropolitan United Church, 2340 Victoria Ave., Regina, SK. She works in a beautiful resonant space where she offers private sessions or group sessions for up to 20 participants. She is a classical/baroque flutist by day and in responding to her own dark night of the soul, has transitioned into the world of Sound Healing. She is a lifelong learner and is leaning into all the sound world has to offer. She is passionate about using sound for deep inner work and thanks to the Saskatchewan Arts Board, she has recently spent an entire month sounding in a community school from K–8. Please check out her website for more information at shunyatsoundstudio.com.

Julie Zepp is the owner of Prairie Sky Integrative Health, the multidisciplinary health clinic in which she runs her naturopathic medical practice. She has been a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine since January 2005, giving her close to 20 years of clinical experience in the field. Through her work with clients, she has discovered the utmost importance of healing on a deep soul level, in order to bring about optimal physical health and wellness. This knowledge has driven her to widen her skillset to include not only the traditional naturopathic medical modalities of nutrition, acupuncture, orthomolecular and botanical medicine, but she is also a Reiki Master, an Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed practitioner, and has studied and practices intuitive healing, shamanic journey work, and is an avid student and teacher of A Course in Miracles. In addition to working in private practice, she offers a variety of classes, workshops, and retreats. Please visit her website at www.drzepp.com.