Northfield woman introduces relaxing Chinese sound bath experience

In this particular case, I was having a very relaxing bath in sound. Forty-five minutes of repetitive music played on a monochord.

Martha Cheng is a quietly-spoken young woman and former junior school art therapist. I met her at a Birmingham Chinese community festival. And the monochord that drew me into conversation is an ancient stringed instrument, where most of the strings play the same note.

She explained how it was originally used by Pythagorus to demonstrate musical theory and how the frequency of the notes could resonate with water molecules in our body. The sound-therapy helps us loosen up and relax. Sometimes, she warned, it can make people cry as they release emotions.

Back in Hong Kong, Martha had stumbled upon the monochord much like I had. It was an ‘alternative’ school where she was running art therapy sessions for troubled kids and one of the parents introduced the instrument to teachers.

“It was my first experience of sound healing,” she says. “It was a stressful time, I was tired and thought why not give it a go.

“As the music played, I found I just sank back on to the ground and didn’t want to move. It was a complete release of emotions.”

She told me how she had never heard music like that before and was totally intrigued by the experience.

“I felt like I would slip into unconscious space - or at least a different consciousness. I could focus on other things and let go of my worries,” she said

It was around this time in Hong Kong that her cousin disappeared. He has never been found.

Martha told me the story. But there’s no need to repeat it here. Suffice to say I understand why she started to have lots of nightmares.

As a way of coping, she started having individual sound healing sessions. It helped. And she found she could learn to play the monochord as well.

“It’s not so difficult to play. The thing to learn is how to really connect with the instrument,” she explains. “When I play for myself, I may sing along as well. Both playing and listening can be a healing experience, though when I am on my own I am definitely more connected, more expressive.”

Nevertheless, in 2023 Martha decided she needed to leave Hong Kong and brought her monochord to Birmingham. Her parents had moved here a few years earlier because of the political situation.

She is now starting to run sound therapy sessions from her parents’ house.

There were 3 of us in this session. I was joined by a middle-aged Chinese couple, where the wife wanted to relax better and her husband had been having trouble sleeping.

After our introductory chat and a few stretches, we settled down on yoga mats and Martha began to play.

We lay with our head closest to the music and let the sound wash over us. It was a gentle, repetitive sound - like waves on a beach. Every so often, the monotony was broken by a few higher notes. I wouldn’t call it a tune. More like ripples in a lake, pebbles on the shore or birds flying overhead.

Whether it was the frequency of vibrations or just my body switching down, I don’t know - but my arms and legs did start to feel very relaxed. A slight sensation of pins and needles in fingers and toes.

I did find it hard to switch off totally, though I think that was probably because my brain was trying to interpret the situation, as well as think of what I was going to write. Clearly that was not an issue for my fellow participants, as the husband’s gentle snoring started to accompany the music.

Lying still for 45 minutes had initially seemed like a big ask. But time didn’t drag. Or rush. It floated by until we were gently woken by the tinkling sound of wind chimes.

I say ‘woken’ because I’m sure I must have drifted off for a short while. The Fitbit on my wrist certainly said I was asleep. And my heart rate dropped to one of its lowest scores.

So what of sound therapy? Does it work?

Certainly any initial scepticism I had was washed away. I left in a much more relaxed frame of mind and, coincidence or otherwise, I slept more soundly for the next couple of nights. I’d definitely recommend you try bathing in sound at least once in your life.

If you're interested in a sound healing session or any of Martha's other activities, this is her website sowbyyoursoul.wixsite.com/2024