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Sound Healing and all its benefits, with Michelle Victoria McGrath
50 Plays11 months ago
Episode 8: This episode is with Michelle Victoria McGrath, a certified sound healer.
She brings a synthesis of unique frequencies combined with her intuitive energy channeled into each session to create a Sonic Meditative Journey of complete rest.
If you’ve never tried it they are beautiful experiences where you immerse your mind-body-energy into complete rest and deep relaxation using soothing tones and vibrations with gongs, singing bowls, chimes, drumming and tuning forks.
The benefits are discussed in this episode but include
- Less stress
- Release muscle tension
- Sense of relaxation
- Pain relief
- Improved mood
- Increase focus and clarity
- Improved sleep
- Feeling more centred and spiritual wellbeing
Her sound healing immersion sessions are weekly in Penarth in South Wales and you can book on via her instagram page @michellevictoriamcgrath.co
As always stay in touch with me via email info@pressing-desires.com or DM via the social media channels Instagram, Facebook or Threads @pressingdesires
You can see my website https://pressingdesires.mykajabi.com/ and sign up to my emails and get your free ebook there.
Let me know your thoughts on this show, I’m always keen to hear your views.
Love and light
Dr Liza
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to Pressing Desires, the podcast exclusively for women wanting to improve their health by unlocking their mind, body, spirit and sexual wellness.
00:00:19
Speaker
Join us on this transformative journey as we explore topics that touch your soul, invigorate your body, and reignite your passions. From cultivating a resilient mindset, nourishing your physical health, awakening your spirit, and embracing your deepest desires, nothing is off limits.
Embracing Desires and Wellness Journey
00:00:45
Speaker
Pressing desires is your go-to resource, featuring expert interviews, inspiring stories of triumph, and practical tips to help you unlock your true potential. Subscribe now, and together, let's embrace our pressing desires and create a life that exceeds all expectations.
00:01:07
Speaker
Get ready to ignite your passions and live a life with more pleasure. Yes, please. This is Pressing Desires, the podcast that empowers women to improve their health and go on a journey towards mind, body, spirit and don't forget sexual wellness. Hmm, I'm really looking forward to that last bit.
Meet Michelle Victoria McGrath, Sound Healer
00:01:35
Speaker
Welcome to this episode of the Pressing Desires podcast. Today we are talking to Michelle Victoria McGrath, a certified sound healer, so check out the show notes for all the benefits of sound healing if you're new to this, but it is an amazing experience if you've never had a sound healing journey before. I've personally experienced one of her sessions in South Wales so I highly recommend you check them out and you can follow her on
00:02:01
Speaker
instagram at michelle victoria mcgrath dot co to find her sessions and learn more about her but before we get into today's show we obviously start with our red amber green light so we discuss a sex act and you let me know if it's a red for you an amber or a green for you so red means not for now amber means you'd consider it with more discussion and more more research and green means you're totally ready and up for it
00:02:29
Speaker
So this week's sex act is going to be threesome. So let me know, have you tried a threesome before? Have you tried a threesome with your current partner or previous partners and what are your thoughts about it?
The Dynamics of Threesomes
00:02:42
Speaker
What was, you know, if you have what was beneficial and what did you learn from it or what would you not do again? Now threesomes can be wonderful addition to your intimate lives
00:02:54
Speaker
it can enhance the trust and the intimacy between you and your partner and helps you explore new fantasies together but there's quite a few things you need to be aware of so these aren't things that are recommended to just do on a whim on a night out with a random person that you meet it needs careful consideration beforehand so you need to have that mutual open and honest communication
00:03:16
Speaker
and check that you're both emotionally ready for it and explore each other's vulnerabilities and concerns and importantly boundaries and it's also important to actually get to know the other person that you are keen to include and learn about what their boundaries are and respect their boundaries and all be aware of what the expectations are and what you're going to do if you approach any hurdles that you weren't expecting so
00:03:43
Speaker
particularly emotional vulnerabilities or feelings that you weren't expecting at the time and also be ready for feelings of insecurity or jealousy and learn how best to manage them ahead of time and those feelings can often crop up for days afterwards so it's really important to build in the aftercare for the following days for you as a couple to enhance that intimacy and love between between you.
00:04:12
Speaker
so yeah let me know is it a red is it an amber or is it a green for you and as always DM me at pressing desires on the social media channels or email me on info at pressing desires.com but let's um i'll leave you with that to have a think about but let's get on with today's show and hear from michelle and her beautiful
00:04:35
Speaker
sound healing skills.
Understanding Sound Healing
00:04:37
Speaker
Good morning, Michelle. Welcome to the Pressing Desires podcast. I'm so excited to have you on today and talk about sound healing because it is something that I've had an interest in in a long time. How are you? How are you doing? Fantastic today. I feel really great, actually, full of energy. Yeah, I feel I'm really actually energized, but in a really, like, quite a calm way today. I feel really quite chilled and lovely. Good. That must be because of the sound.
00:05:05
Speaker
That's a good sign, I think, if you're a sound healing practitioner and you feel good in the morning. That's good. So we want to talk about sound healing today, what it is, all the benefits and how people can get involved or experience it.
00:05:20
Speaker
Can you start with just explaining what sound healing is in case someone's never heard of such a thing? Just give us the basics. What is sound healing? How does it work? What does it feel like? OK, fab. Yes. Well, thank you for having me today. It's exciting to be here. So I'm a trained, certified sound healer and I use it online and I also do it in group sessions.
00:05:46
Speaker
which are very quite different really. So the group sessions if we look at that, with that setting I use gongs, singing bowls, chimes and basically what it is is when you lie down and
00:06:02
Speaker
it's such a lovely experience you just literally lie down for it could be half an hour an hour and when I'm playing those instruments the sound waves and the vibrations will be absorbed into your body so if you think about when we hear music you can hear the basics through your ears but actually when you're doing sound healing it's actually absorbed through your skin you're breathing in it's actually the whole senses
00:06:30
Speaker
And it's actually affects 100% of your cells. So it's not just kind of always listening to nice music and that's it, it's going to be relaxing. It's a physical thing that's happening on your body. And I think that it can do different things with different tones. So the singing bowls can be one tone, and then the gongs can maybe feel a bit more intense.
00:06:53
Speaker
the chimes can be more delicate and it's this beautiful exquisite, well, exquisiteness of sound that encapsulates your whole body whilst lying down and I think that... Sounds like pure indulgence, definitely right of my street. I feel so lucky to do what I'm doing, I really do, I feel really grateful because, but it's kind of, the message I kind of want to say is that
00:07:21
Speaker
It's kind of the things that are working in the background, you know, that I think we really need to focus on. So it's like making sure that we are resting, we are kind of relaxed and all those things. But also with the sound healing, it is working in the background, you know, kind of feeding all the cells with beautiful gorgeousness of vibration. If you think about the body itself is made up, I mean, around 70% of water, isn't it?
00:07:51
Speaker
So basically then what happens is that the sound waves travel four times faster in water than it does in air. So basically with our bodies then it's almost like the only way I can describe it is when I have a sound bath my body just opens
Benefits of Sound Healing and Personal Journey
00:08:10
Speaker
up. It's like this non-verbal language that your body just absorbs and it's doing its thing as well.
00:08:20
Speaker
I'm trying to say that in basic level, but also I feel so passionate about it. I'm kind of in another way, it takes you down to the restful state, which is kind of theta state. Now in that area is where your intuition resides.
00:08:39
Speaker
innovation, creativity and also like solution finding centers. So we're able to deal with things much better and I think in this go-go-go world where everything is kind of like you know so fast-paced you know with our phones we can access any information literally within seconds
00:09:00
Speaker
but we're not very good at resting because we don't know how to. I think we've lost that process of resting and it's so important for our bodies. So by having the sound healing, it's doing more than just relaxation, like so much more. And I feel that it impacts not only on the physical, but the mental, the emotional and the spiritual and energetic side of it as well. So it's like this,
00:09:27
Speaker
and it is gorgeous you know it's an hour of gorgeousness you know kind of um and you're kind of like you've got a little blanket and you you know sometimes some people wear eye masks as well you know to be in complete darkness um and during that journey of the hour that you have the sound healing some people go into a meditative state where they can see colors or some people say they're on a beach
00:09:54
Speaker
Some people then say that they don't think of anything, you know, it's different for everybody. A journey, I guess.
00:10:02
Speaker
OK, so it's done in a room then with these instruments all around and you move from one instrument to the other then and they lie down with a blanket on them. Can they do it like sitting if they can't get onto the floor? Yes, you can do sitting. I would say for an hour, you know, there are sound healers that do, they have got like
00:10:25
Speaker
you know upright chairs if they're doing one-to-one for example you can get those chairs that you can do but mine are all mainly lying down really.
00:10:34
Speaker
But I suppose that yes, you could do it on a chair, I don't see. And does it have to be, so what about people who will say like, oh, meditation isn't really for me or I can't meditate? Like, do you have to be someone that is experienced at meditation? Or can you be someone who's never done meditation or never got on with meditation or didn't feel like meditation was for them? Is this like a different process similar in that it can cause similar brainwaves, can't it? But
00:11:04
Speaker
Is it open for anyone no matter what your previous experience is with getting your brainwaves into those meditative states? I think it's a great starting point. I've had so many people that have come to my sessions, they've never had sound healing before. And I think they love the fact that they're lying down. I've had moms come to me, they've just left the house and their children are hanging onto their leg and they literally are able to lie down for an hour without being
00:11:34
Speaker
you know and they and they do and it is it's like a starting point I think because I do think meditation isn't for everybody there's different types of meditation there's loud meditation or there's like just music that you can play
00:11:50
Speaker
But I do think that even if you fall asleep with the sound healing, your subconscious is still doing work. So it is not in work. I guess you're still getting the benefits, aren't you? Because the sound is still going through all those cells. As you said, it's moving through all the water throughout the body. So you don't need to be awake for that. It's not like you have to do anything consciously to move the sound rays through your body.
00:12:14
Speaker
does its own thing yes it does it's does what it's meant to do and and you and what's incredible is your body knows what to do with that because you know sound is an ancient language you know it's been you know um and it's used not only kind of obviously in the west it's used
00:12:29
Speaker
you know, kind of in one way, but it's also used in medicine, you know, in some other countries, you know, and they do use it, you know, kind of very in a big way, it's, you know, and it has been used for, you know, communicative language, if you think about like the Aborigines and how they, you know, kind of used to use it, you know, via communication. So I do think that
00:12:56
Speaker
it's like an ancient language that our bodies know and that's the only way I can describe it is that you don't actually have to figure anything out you just need to lay there and just absorb the gorgeousness you know kind of just enjoy it oh yeah yeah and also have the rest you know
00:13:15
Speaker
But no, you don't need to, I wouldn't say that I've had so many people who don't meditate at all. And, and they're very new to tuning into themselves, you know, also, I have got people who are, have done it all their life, you know, as well. So I suppose on both spectrums, it brings the two levels together and you're unified, which is, which is amazing. So, um,
00:13:42
Speaker
It's obviously an unusual job. How did you get into it in the first place? Like what drew you to becoming a sound healer? So it was actually a point. So I actually randomly I picked up my first singing bowl 20 years ago, which was great. And I've always been in tune with myself. And but I suppose
00:14:03
Speaker
it wasn't a calling then, but it was about five or six years ago. I, you know, I was going through a bit of a tricky situation in my own life, you know, and I think that when you're going through challenging situations, you've got to dig deep, you know, and you've got to look at yourself and how, you know, I'm a single mum now, so I had lots to plan, I had lots to figure out, I needed to make sure that I was okay myself.
00:14:31
Speaker
And I think that that was the first part of my journey was I put my daughter to bed and I listened to sound healing. And it was just online, you know, that I listened to, but I used to do it every night. My body, it was like,
00:14:47
Speaker
I wanted it. It was welcoming in and this is what started off and then I started to really begin to with myself then I you know I was meditating again and I basically then I had like a little calling inside to say you need to train in this. This is this is what you need to do for people because I've always my mum kind of has done healing before I've always been around meditation all my life you know
00:15:16
Speaker
I used to do reflexology and aromatherapy 20 years ago so I've always been there in some form but sound healing. I trained then and everything made sense. It was like this incredible
00:15:32
Speaker
Yeah, it was this calling. I couldn't, I can't really explain that any other way where you're in tune with yourself so much. And it was a definite 100%. Yes, I need to do that. So I did. And that's, yeah, that's how I kind of came about it. But it was through the challenge in time that it was, that it kind of, and digging deep and really exploring the in-adapts of myself that that was when I, that's when it came about. That's what it came to. Yeah. Isn't it interesting how,
00:16:01
Speaker
you know, you get these challenges in life and then
00:16:04
Speaker
there is like a glimmer of inspiration in those moments if you do sit there and just kind of absorb how you're feeling and have the courage just to feel whatever you're feeling. And often the body will just say, actually, this is what I need. And then if you just keep following that, it just becomes clearer and clearer, doesn't it? Exactly. And there's so many different modalities that you can do with tuning into yourself. Like I do a lot of, I call it the daily download. So I do a writing.
00:16:34
Speaker
I do voice notes as well, so I voice note into my phone, mostly in the car. I always talk in the car, like kind of voice note. And it just is that thing where you're getting rid of the useless information that I don't need to think about. And then what happens then is that you start getting like, you know, you start knowing yourself, you know, and knowing, oh, actually,
00:16:58
Speaker
you know, that is what I want to do. This is what I've always wanted to do. And then you start carving out the life theme that is your signature, you know, because we've all got our own signature way. And, and this is what I teach people as well is that, you know, through through tapping into your signature, the action that you take is different because you're not doing it for
00:17:23
Speaker
someone else's success or, you know, or what will they think, you know, you're not taking action because of that, you're taking action because of yourself. And, and it's a game changer, I think. Yeah. And that's the thing is so many people will, especially women, so many women will say, I just don't feel like myself anymore. I've forgotten who I am, or I've let myself go at some point, I don't know what's happened. And I need to find her again. But often people don't know
00:17:53
Speaker
how to get back to who they are or unveil who they really are. I think that's the most interesting thing I find with coaching is that it unveils your true you. So it might not necessarily be getting back to who you are, but actually unveiling who you really are on a kind of soul and energetic level. And that's where you feel
00:18:17
Speaker
better energy than ever. It's your core signature and your own vibration. We've all got unique vibrations within ourselves. So do you think sound healing can help you tune in with your own vibration and help you develop that listening ear to your
Tuning into Vibrations and Intuition
00:18:36
Speaker
intuition? Because I think some people can find it quite hard to hear their own intuition because it is a bit of a practice, isn't it?
00:18:44
Speaker
do you find that sound healing can actually help with that process? I think yes, I think definitely. I think it just, a lot of people, and this is through feedback, what I'm getting from people who've never done sound tuning before, it kind of is
00:18:58
Speaker
got a lot of mind chatter which obviously we all have you know and the thoughts that come in you know there can be little voices you know like that that you know maybe is not that you know positive it can be a bit negative sometimes and that mind chatter like is hard to
00:19:16
Speaker
you know to silence or like to you know but but i'm finding through the sound healing that people at the beginning they're like oh yeah the mind chatter is there and then all of a sudden it just goes you know because it's it's almost like your body
00:19:34
Speaker
has no choice but to go to, you know, it's that thing where, you know, it's because it instinctively pushes you into that rest and digest and healing system, isn't it? So it just moves you into that parasympathetic system.
00:19:48
Speaker
unconsciously and you know you you're not in control of that are you so I think that's the thing is that even if you want to stay stressed it won't be long before your body just naturally moves into that into that mood. Yeah it's kind of but I don't think it's a quick fix that's the one thing I would say because I think a lot
00:20:06
Speaker
I had this question before, you know, that someone said, oh, you know, what do you, you know, would it just need one session or, and I do think it's a journey and I do think it is, you know, you don't need to do it every day or anything, but I do think to allow you, and especially in this current climate where there's, you know, there's a lot going on and, you know, to stay completely present
00:20:31
Speaker
to things will come in, you know, they will come in maybe that you're not prepared for. And I do think that, you know, not only from my own perspective, from people that I've worked with, you know, they've said the same thing, they're able to deal with things a lot better, you know, they're not going into this panic mode straight away. And it's almost like it enables you to
00:20:54
Speaker
sit with the Solution Finding Center and it compartmentalizes your thoughts. There's so much more to sound healing than just relaxing. I honestly feel on an intuitive level that it is like a catalyst and it would be the more that you delve into this, I think the more that you'll get out of it. Because it is an explorative journey of your
00:21:23
Speaker
depths of you. And there's so much, there's so much exquisiteness to us all. And like just so many layers, you know, and it's allowing and it's giving yourself permission to rest. Because that's the other thing that I'm finding is especially with mums, you know, some mums and you know, we're not on the list or you know, like, it's so busy with like school runs and you know, you've got the chores and you know, obviously, we've got some holidays coming up as well. And
00:21:53
Speaker
But I think that once you tap into this centre of yours, and actually I've had people say to me, it's actually going to be okay. It's actually going to be okay. And you're not catastrophizing things. You start to kind of, you know, bring yourself down to a level where actually, yeah, I need to make a plan and I need to take action. And then you end up doing it on a much kind of better level, I think.
00:22:23
Speaker
I guess just gives you that proactive and sense of empowerment and perspective, isn't it? I mean, sound healing is going into, I mean, I did read, this is about a month or two ago, you know, they are, this, you know, sound healing is going into corporate, you know, they're going into corporate now as well. And they're, they're setting up meetings, you know, as well. And it's, well, I guess corporate land is all about performance, isn't it? And maintaining the performance and, and, you know, if you want to get good performance from your workforce,
00:22:53
Speaker
you need to ensure their well-being is maintained or nourished and that's how you'll get it isn't it? So what about the
00:23:02
Speaker
the physical benefits, so the physical and the mental health benefits of sound healing. So there are, I mean, I don't do this at all, but there are some sound healers that work with pain and more the physical side of discomfort with sound healing.
00:23:23
Speaker
I don't do that, but there are... Is that like using different tones, is it? Or different instruments and different tones can be healing for different things? Yes. And also it would be individually based. So it would kind of be, you know, they would use, and it might be that they do different modalities with that. So it could be more, but obviously I don't do that side of things, but it can be more that kind of, that angle on it. But in terms of
00:23:51
Speaker
mental health and what I find with the sound healing is that some people can't articulate what's going on. They can't put into words, let's just say
00:24:05
Speaker
sometimes with children, for example, you know, they can get very overwhelmed very quickly, and then the emotion spikes, and then they have a meltdown. Well, if you think about an adulthood, you know, there can be like a catastrophe or something, a series of things don't go right, and then all of a sudden you're in this stress mode. With sound healing, I do feel that
00:24:29
Speaker
in terms of the brainwaves when you're when you've got that hour where you're taken away from the day-to-day chaos let's just say sometimes it gives that time out for yourself
00:24:46
Speaker
And it not only tunes into your body, but it kind of just resets things. And I think especially with the brainwaves because of the vibrations and the frequencies, it has so many benefits with
00:25:09
Speaker
not only, you know, kind of problem solving, but also creativity. You know, one of my friends, he does pottery and art, which is so amazing for you anyway, I think, kind of any type of creativity. But he was saying he uses sound healing now to help him through the modality of creating things. And I do it too. If I want to create content or I want to, you know, when you're creating something maybe that's
00:25:38
Speaker
a bit innovative or, you know, then I use sound healing to get into that, into that head space. And
00:25:50
Speaker
it's incredible actually kind of you know what happens and I think it just gets you into that flow state I think. Well I think that's the benefit with the theta brain waves isn't it you know if you go down into that meditative state of the brain is you know that's where you will find your intuition and your creativity just
00:26:09
Speaker
naturally flows and yeah so it sort of makes sense then that if you're in that kind of state that that is where you have the body's given the opportunity to heal itself because you know at the end of the day we've got an immune system that is innately in us to repair and rejuvenate things but sometimes it's just a matter of giving it space to do its job and these days
00:26:35
Speaker
with our lifestyles, we've got so many factors that are knocking on that immune system and not supporting it. We just don't live naturally in environments that make us and keep us healthy, unfortunately. But I guess having this hour out means that you give that space to the body to go, right, I'll hand over this space and time to you. Now, if you could
00:27:00
Speaker
you know, take this opportunity and do what you can to repair what you can. It's just about having that opportunity, isn't it? And giving yourself the best chance. Yeah, I think, you know, it's not not many of us do, you know, it's, you know, you there's always something more important to do, I guess, but I think that
00:27:21
Speaker
is trying to reframe that because, I mean, I'm still getting text messages even today from somebody that came on Sunday for the first time. And she said that she feels so calm and it's chaos in her, in, obviously she earned her job and she's juggled so much, but she said- So nothing else has changed. This is the only different action that she's taken. Because I was going to ask you guys,
00:27:46
Speaker
does the benefit only happen within that hour session, or are there prolonged benefits afterwards? 100%, yeah. I mean, there's definitely prolonged benefits. Obviously, the more you have it, the more your body will tune into it. But I think that it's not just for the hour. If it's working on cellular level, the energy that's released will, it's changed. It does change you, I think. You know, after that first session, because you are
00:28:17
Speaker
you experience something new and the sounds are different.
Group Sound Healing Experience
00:28:24
Speaker
That's what I get a lot of people saying. One of my gongs was made in a cave in Italy and it's called the Cosmic Gong and it's really deep. And it's not like other gongs. I have got the other gong, which I play simultaneously, but it's otherworldly.
00:28:41
Speaker
but everybody says, oh my gosh, that gong, like it does something to my body. And it's just like, it's amazing like the feedback getting, you know, where I've had one lady saying that she, you know, she's in, she was driving back in silence just with herself. And I thought, you know, we're always thinking of distracting ourselves or like with various things and actually just to sit with yourself
00:29:12
Speaker
with no distractions at all. It's very powerful, I think, you know, it's really powerful. But I do think it's like, it's a habit, right? I think it's a habit. Like any other wellness practice really is just prioritizing it and putting it on the list of things that in your toolbox, in your
00:29:35
Speaker
in your toolbox that you need to, you know, to nourish yourself, isn't it? Like, have you seen like massive transformations with people that have come for sound healing? I mean, yeah, I mean, it's, it's with the group sessions, because obviously I use it. So I've got my, my coaching, I do coaching as well. So I do vision coaching, and I, I do 30 minutes sound healing, and then I do coaching. Now,
00:30:01
Speaker
It was last year, there was a client that I did seven weeks with no sound healing at all. So we just did, we did coaching, coaching for an hour. And to get down to that deep stage where we were exploring about what the core kind of, you know, what was going on in a core.
00:30:25
Speaker
I literally got there within half an hour with sound too long. It almost like opens and I've had that since that point. I've had that with a lot of clients where you go straight to like a core belief or what is actually, so if they're stuck or there's something going on,
00:30:46
Speaker
they have a half an hour sound healing and then literally we can get to the root cause very quickly. Not always the case, I'm not going to say, but it's quicker than if it wasn't sound healing. And I do feel with the transformation side of things is seeing people shine being themselves and creating things that
00:31:13
Speaker
in their words they may not have got to if it wasn't you know sound healing but whether that is because it's opened up that opportunity it's like a channel into your core which sometimes you know meditation might take a bit longer to get there or if you haven't practiced it for a long time or the different other modalities may take a bit longer I find that the sound healing is this like almost like a
00:31:39
Speaker
I don't want to say portal, but it is like this like channel, you know, your core self and I and I and you can get to the subconscious, you know, and that theatre state, I would say quicker than than some other modalities. Yeah, because everything else I guess needs practice to get yourself there, whereas this is a helps you get there. So it's, you know, it'll help you. It's almost like having a ride to there, isn't it? Which is like,
00:32:09
Speaker
So how often should people do sound healing? Is it like, well, the more the merrier, the more you can have it, the better. You mentioned like, it's not really meant for like one off sessions, like anything in wellness, you know, you can't expect to just drink one green smoothie and then you're done for life. But
00:32:29
Speaker
How often would you reconcile when you're coaching people? How often do you try and encourage people to incorporate into their healing journey? Obviously, I do coaching once a week, so that's kind of working. I think it depends on the individual about their lives. I think if someone is really needing or not so much needing, but wants to have that transformational change and is really committed to that,
00:32:58
Speaker
then obviously having it on a weekly basis is incredible. You know, but I mean, I think that, you know, if you can only go once a month, that's fine. Some people say to me, you know, because I'm finding, because I do online and I do in-person group sessions.
00:33:16
Speaker
you know, you still have the same benefits, you know, through even, okay, so you don't have to be like next to the gong then you can, you can, I mean, it is obviously better to be right, you know, because vibrations, but I guess it's more visceral if you're right next to it. Exactly. You know, a bit like being in a speaker in a gig, isn't it? Like, if you're right next to it, you're gonna feel yeah, I mean, it is like going to a concert, isn't it? When you're going to concert physically to when, you know, you're still going to get the, you know, the
00:33:44
Speaker
the core feelings of the benefits of sound healing. But when you actually go into an in-person, obviously the vibrations, physical vibrations hitting your body then is obviously more physical.
00:34:00
Speaker
I think the other benefit in person, in group person, is the benefits of the group and being with other people who are also in that same state. It's called that Maharishi effect, isn't it? Where if everyone is in that meditative state, then you benefit and it radiates more benefits out to the environment around you. I find that bit really fascinating on some of the studies looking into the
00:34:27
Speaker
Maharishi effect, not that we have to go into that. I mean, the collectiveness of energy when you're a group is, is so powerful. And it is, even when you're, if you're meditating, they do a global meditation sometimes as well, is really, is so powerful in itself where you're tapping in, you know, kind of to the energies. But when I'm doing the group sessions, it is kind of the collectiveness is
00:34:57
Speaker
is incredible and it is unique to that session because that's the other thing is that I don't play the same bowls at the same time.
00:35:06
Speaker
and the same minute, you know, it's all intuitively led. So it will be, I will be picking up on people's energies. And me then transferring that into how I play will depend on what people need, you know, so it is, but no, I'm very fascinated with the collective consciousness as well. It is amazing. And so powerful. Yeah.
00:35:30
Speaker
So what about, you know, is this something that people can explore themselves in their own homes or, I mean, I guess it's better to come to one of your classes and experience it,
Sound Healing at Home
00:35:42
Speaker
isn't it? But like, what are your thoughts on people giving themselves sound healing at home?
00:35:48
Speaker
So I think that you could definitely listen to it, you know, you couldn't do it today, you know, like kind of, you can actually go and listen to a sound bath. There's loads of them on YouTube. It's different, you know, so you could listen to it that way. And I think it's really important to, it's not something, oh, I'm going to listen to in the garden while the children are playing, you know, that kind of thing. It's more of a meditative, you know. You need that uninterrupted space to do that.
00:36:15
Speaker
to get the benefits. Yeah exactly and I listen to it before bed you know because the thing that not many you know not many people know is that just before you go to sleep this is the most potent time for our brains so and whenever whatever we're thinking about in a positive way it will be magnified you know because you're about to go into that sleep you know kind of mode anyway and I do find that
00:36:39
Speaker
some people with insomnia or maybe can't kind of go into, I'm not saying kind of like everybody with insomnia, but it does help you being led down into that kind of restful state. So when you do sleep it is, so I do find that's probably the best time because children sleep and that kind of thing.
00:37:02
Speaker
But in terms of doing... It's definitely what I recommend, you know, in my medical practice is, you know, when people really suffer with insomnia and things is try having sound therapy or a sound bath before you go to bed. It's just people have to be a bit careful with YouTube ads that they don't get interrupted with the YouTube ads out weeks and a half ago. But it certainly helps, doesn't it?
00:37:28
Speaker
that's where I've used it most I'd say is to help with better sleep and definitely like the next morning I'll feel I've had a much better quality sleep from having a sound bath or just listening to it in the room.
Body Awareness and Sexual Wellness
00:37:45
Speaker
So obviously a lot of people interested in the work I do with wellness for women is about the effect on libido and like sexual wellness. So obviously sound healing improves
00:38:02
Speaker
There's plenty of evidence to show improves your physical healing, your mental health, your general well-being. So you can kind of use logic then to say, well, if your mental health is good, your physical health is good, you've got good well-being, then that will naturally lead to improved sexual health.
00:38:19
Speaker
Have you noticed anyone? I mean, I guess it's an unusual thing if someone's coming in a group to go, I'm here to improve bisexual energy. But maybe it's a question you can ask next time. Hands up if anyone is here. I think that if you're more connected to yourself,
00:38:39
Speaker
generally, and you know yourself and you're in tune with yourself. I think that you, I, you know, I mean, obviously, I haven't had any of those, that question yet. But I, I do think that you would naturally be, you know, more like confident, you know, and more in tune with your libido and, you know, expressing yourself that way. And
00:39:00
Speaker
I do think that, I mean, as I said, there's lots of modalities to do that in, but, you know, obviously one of them is sound healing, but I think, yeah, definitely, I mean, I'm... Because what I find when I've done sound healing before is that it really...
00:39:17
Speaker
It really makes you more aware of your body. You can feel different parts of your body. It brings it into your consciousness of, oh, I can feel these vibrations in my knee or in my foot or in my leg or in my back or in my chest. And it moves through you, doesn't it? And I think that's where it can really help with libido and enhancing pleasure is
00:39:38
Speaker
if you engage in that practice of I can feel this sensation moving here then you can bring that into your into your sex life then you know so that's it that's where the crossover is but yeah you can ask that question in a group hands up who's here to enhance their pleasure give me feedback yes yeah go ahead go and explore and
00:40:05
Speaker
We've covered so much, haven't we? Because there's so many benefits. This is why I'm such a fan of sound bathing and why I think there should be more and more and more of it. You're going to have to get a bigger and bigger room, I think, to fit more and more people in. I think that's exactly what's going to happen, I think.
00:40:21
Speaker
Yeah, but obviously you practice this and you do a lot for your own wellness, it's obviously really important to you, but what one tip would you share with people that's the most important thing?
Daily Wellness Habits
00:40:36
Speaker
So if you could only do one thing to do with your wellness, what would that be to you? What in terms of my habits?
00:40:46
Speaker
I mean, honestly, I think it's a collectiveness of habits. I think it's the, there's a fantastic quote that says, you know, small habits done consistently equates to big wins. And I do think that
00:41:04
Speaker
is three things that maybe you do in the morning, which is like, this is what I do every morning and it's consistently, I do it. I do a daily download straight away. So as soon as I wake up in the morning, I write up a four page piece of paper, scribble, like literally, it doesn't need to be manageable. And what that does is that it gets rid of any information that doesn't serve me on the piece of paper, but also it could be,
00:41:33
Speaker
It's verbalizing maybe what is actually going on as well, which is interesting. So that's what I do. I also do a daily planner. So I choose three priorities that day of what I want to achieve.
00:41:50
Speaker
And the sound healing, I always do, like I've got a very small like Tibetan bowl or I do my chimes and I just give myself, sometimes it can be one minute, it can be three minutes and I set an intention for the day. So, or I choose three words for the day of what I want to feel. And then I channel that whilst I'm in complete stillness with the sound healing. And I think with those three modalities,
00:42:16
Speaker
It really does help me set up my day and stay completely present through the day.
00:42:27
Speaker
It just is so powerful and it keeps me on track. Cause I'm also, you know, I'm not only doing sound healing, but I've got a career in TV and film. I'm a parent. I get an awful lot of people. I'm writing a children's book. I'm running my business. A lot of people say, how on earth are you doing all that? And it is my, it is really my habits and bringing them together what works for you. And I think,
00:42:53
Speaker
journaling isn't for everybody, you know, meditation might not be, you know, for everybody, but it's trying to go on that journey themselves of finding, okay, well, let's find out what is going to work for you. So when you have that space, you can set up your day that, you know, that is right for you, I think. That's what I would say.
00:43:13
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's so important, just finding what tools are going to be ones that you can do consistently. And that's the way to look at it, isn't it? Have a few things that you can do every day, have a few things that are in the week, and then
00:43:29
Speaker
month and then you know every few months and look at it that way instead of getting overwhelmed because there's so many options isn't it like that's I think when people start looking into improving their health through different wellness modalities it's really easy to get overwhelmed by thinking how am I going to fit all of this stuff into a 24-hour period and get my sleep and get the
00:43:52
Speaker
the required amount of sleep and the right nutrition and all the exercises and fit in all the stuff that is non-negotiable like going to work and picking up the kids or feeding the
Personal Rejuvenation with Sound Healing
00:44:04
Speaker
kids. So I do appreciate that it can, particularly if people are struggling with health or other stressful life events, that wellness can feel overwhelming. But I guess that's where coming to a once a week session and carving out that hour
00:44:19
Speaker
and letting the body do its thing is a perfect tool, isn't it? Yeah, 100%. I think it just gives you your body, you know, and it's not a mental thing, you know, like we're led with our minds a lot, you know, in this world.
00:44:34
Speaker
And it's, we forget about our bodies, what our bodies need. And also the energies, you know, we've got an energy field around us that, you know, we can sometimes, you know, the easiest way to explain it is, you know, you might walk into a room and you're feeling, oh, I feel a bit, something's happened. You know, as I've walked to the room and you've picked up someone's energy, I do it all the time. And it's like, I think that there's stuff going on that we,
00:45:02
Speaker
are not aware of or not consciously aware of. And I think that's what I want to highlight, you know, that is, although mentally, it's like, Oh, I haven't got time for that, or it's like, well, actually,
00:45:14
Speaker
try it and see how much time it could give you. That's the thing, that's what I noticed with meditation is it actually ended up giving me more time because I became more productive and I was less distracted and I didn't think that I was really sceptical about that. I had such short time that I was really sceptical about whether or not it was worth investing my time in a 10-minute meditation.
00:45:41
Speaker
um but yeah that's a whole other topic isn't it yeah but where can people find you then where can people i think like listening do you speak they're going to be thinking i need to sign up right now where are these sessions this is what i need so where can people find you follow you or come to one of your sessions or one of your coaching sessions so um i'm online on um instagram so you can find me michelle victoria mcgrath
00:46:07
Speaker
So I've got my platform on there that I do, you know, I post on stories and create wheels and things like that.
00:46:14
Speaker
there. There's a link then just below my bio where you can book for my sound healing sessions. So I'm doing sound immersion Sundays. So it's six till seven on a Sundays out here in Penarth and it's in Bird Crescent Community Centre. All the information's on that link. Also as well as I do vision coaching as well with sound healing. So I help women
00:46:39
Speaker
develop their vision mainly in business at the moment but in life you know looking at the next decade and really looking at a vision for your future where you know you create that big vision and then work backwards then from there and with the sound healing it's I mean it's literally so powerful what what some of my clients are like you know what's happening to them so you know and it and it
00:47:03
Speaker
Our imagination is so, and vision is so overlooked, I think, you know, with driving forces, you know, it helps with, if you have a vision, it helps with motivation, action taken in the aligned, you know, it's almost like a north star, you know, like your direction point to go.
00:47:24
Speaker
you know and then obviously then the strategy you know kind of with that as well but it's um so i do that online and it's all on my instagram page um so it's kind of um so yeah so come come along to one of the sessions i'd love to see you all there i'll be there yeah yeah it's honestly it is i feel so grateful to hold space for um on the sundays it's really it's a real special time and it's um
00:47:52
Speaker
you know you just need to bring a yoga mat and just for comfort blanket wear nice socks you know just so that your feet are a bit warm and you're almost like encapsulating yourself in like really snuggly gorgeousness and then just receive the vibrations it's kind of. I mean come on who wouldn't sign up for that? Swag the week and then kind of. Exactly yeah I think just the indulgence of that is just oh yeah
00:48:17
Speaker
Why would you say ever not? This is what I mean by, you're going to need a bigger room. I know, I think so. I mean, I've got like 50 people already kind of, you know, lining up. So it's, yes, but I'm keeping it quite intimate because I want to, it's only going to be a class of 10 people at a time. So and the reason for that is, is that I want to make sure at the moment, to focus on each individual as well and make sure that
00:48:43
Speaker
you know that energy is um yeah because the room is is is is not it's a nice size but it's it's not big and i don't want it to be cramped you know so yeah i just want it to be gorgeous for everyone so brilliant
00:48:58
Speaker
Right, well, I'll obviously add those links into the show notes as well, but yeah, definitely follow Michelle and you do share a lot of information on your Instagram about sound and yeah, your story is always nice because there's always nice music.
Joining Sound Healing Sessions
00:49:13
Speaker
That's the thing is I always, but I'm also, I'm about to, you know, put like five minute sound baths in there, you know, to help, you know, so I'm recording them now and then kind of
00:49:25
Speaker
Oh brilliant because that's the kind of stuff I like doing like in my lunch break or you know if I need to like step away from the desk I think I'll try and find one that I can just put on for a few minutes. Yeah I just find it so regenerating. It's resetting, it kind of is really, yes it is amazing even for five minutes even for one minute it's amazing you know. Exactly and everything anything's better than the thing isn't it. So yeah thank you so much Michelle for sharing all that information it's so useful and
00:49:53
Speaker
Yeah, so exciting that in Cardiff we've now got sound healing, regular sound healing actually. And there's so much more to say on this. I mean, it's literally, I've hit the... Yeah, I feel like we're going to have to do another episode and then just explore all the different parts of it. Today was just a general overview for the people who are new to it, I guess. But yeah, thank you, Michelle. Thank you so much. And we'll definitely talk again. Thank you so much for having me.