background. As piano is overlaid,
the sphere begins to undulate; pinks
and blues pulse across it, like
a jellyfish. I’m entranced. Within
moments, I can feel my breathing
slow down. It feels good.
Now, life is busy. After 10 minutes
I need to get on with work – but I am sufficiently into the vibe
that I keep it open on my screen, the music still playing, and find
the equanimity the music seems to provoke continues even as
I work. Every day now, I treat myself to 10 minutes of engaged
musical relaxation (this year’s mindfulness?) before gearing up
to write. I find this process incredibly grounding, and easy to
achieve. And this is only the start of Wavepaths’ offerings.
The full Wavepaths app will ask questions such as how the
music makes you feel, then use artificial intelligence to tailor the
sound to you. As well as commissioning composers including
Mercury Prize nominee Jon Hopkins, Wavepaths will work with
scientists to learn about and improve the impact of the listening
experience. “We live in a time when we are disconnected from
each other, and from ourselves,” says Kaelen. “Music can help
people reconnect and deepen these relationships.”LISTEN and LEARN
TO R E L A X
There’s a growing interest in sound healing – the idea that the
vibrations of sound heal the body by helping to restore its natural
resonance (the frequency with which our cells vibrate). Miranda
Kerr is a fan, as is Russell Brand, who learnt to play the gong.
Good vibrations have infiltrated the fitness scene: at Sydney
and Melbourne yoga studio Humming Puppy, sweaty vinyasa
flows are accompanied by a low, constant buzz that mimics the
sound of the earth’s natural frequency. It’s designed to create
a sense of grounding, and instructors also use singing bowls to
increase the intensity of vibrations for a unique buzz each class.
Therapeutic sound is also a rising staple in beauty treatments.
Settle in for an om massage at Sydney’s Venustus and enjoy
a dose of chanting and singing bowls, which are used in
conjunction with incense and crystals to shift stale energy. Similar
experiences are also available at Kailo Medispa in Brisbane
and Miss Fox in Melbourne.
Perhaps the best thing about sound healing is that it makes
sense: we’ve all felt the uplift that comes from a really great
track, the nostalgia when you hear an oldie but a goodie and
the calm that the ocean waves bring. Now you can harness that
effect in a range of ways. The good news is that, even if your
neighbourhood is low on mega-facialists with singing bowls,
you can use Somnuva or Wavepaths wherever you are. I am
entirely hooked on the latter. For me, it has come to mean
serenity in a pair of headphones. E“WITHIN
MOMENTS,
I FEEL my
breathing
SLOW
DOWN”160