Sound Baths

Shared Listening Experiences for Gatherings, Presence, and Transition

In-person offerings in the Greater St. Louis, Missouri Area 

Sound baths are guided listening experiences designed to create space for people to slow down together, settle into the moment, and share presence within a gathering.

These sessions are offered for individuals planning celebrations, personal gatherings, or moments when adding a shared listening experience feels meaningful.

Guests are welcome to rest, listen quietly, sit, or lie down.

Erika Hood facilitating a sound bath with crystal singing bowls, creating a steady acoustic atmosphere for shared presence and quiet attention.

  • A sound bath is a facilitated listening environment.

    Using instruments such as crystal singing bowls, chimes, and low-frequency resonance tones, I create a steady acoustic atmosphere that supports quiet attention and shared presence.

    Sessions are shaped in real time in response to the listening environment. Professional equipment and intentional pacing are used to help ensure the gathering feels grounded, comfortable, and thoughtfully held.

    Participation is always optional.

    Sessions typically last 60–90 minutes, depending on the gathering and context.

  • Hosts often choose a sound bath when they want to create a shared pause within their gathering.

    Sound baths are frequently used to:

    • Add a memorable, reflective moment to celebrations such as birthdays, baby showers, or bridal showers

    • Offer a grounding experience during periods of personal or life transition

    • Provide a shared listening environment where guests can rest together in comfort

    • Shape a gathering around presence rather than activity

    Many hosts find this becomes one of the most distinct and remembered parts of their event.

A residential living room arranged with floor cushions and string lights around a crystal singing bowl, creating a private sound-based environment for a home gathering.

SOUND BATHS CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO PRIVATE GATHERINGS

Social Celebrations

Birthdays, showers, and milestone gatherings

A sound bath can offer a shared listening moment within a larger celebration, creating a quiet center inside the day's activities.

Micro-Retreats & Friends Groups

Home-based gatherings or small group experiences

Guests can remain in comfortable clothing, rest where they are, and return to their personal space after the session if they wish.

Milestones & Life Transitions

Anniversaries, moving events, or personal turning points

These session focus on honoring the transition itself, creating space for reflection and presence within the gathering.

A lit candle and baby's breath flowers by a window, representing a quiet sound-based environment for remembrance and memorial services.

Remembrance and Reflective Gatherings

For more structured facilitation during funerals or memorial services, please visit the Ceremonial Sound Page, where sessions are designed specifically for those environments.

→ Explore Ceremonial Sound

A modern open office environment representing a structured, non-clinical sound session for employee reflection and organizational transition.

Workplace and Community Groups

Sound experiences are also offered for organizational settings such as employee appreciation or wellness gatherings.

These sessions are structured differently from private home or social gatherings.

→ Explore Workplace & Community Sound Sessions

Pricing & practical details

60-Minute Facilitated Session

  • 1–6 guests: $200

  • 7–15 guests: $250

  • 16–20 guests: $300

  • 21+ guests: Custom quote

  • Optional 90-minute session: Add $75

Total On-site time: approximately 100–120 minutes, including setup and breakdown — add about 30 minutes if you choose to extend your sound bath with the optional 90-minute session.

  • Travel fees are based on one-way driving distance from ZIP 63376 (St. Peters, MO).

    • Up to 10 miles: Included

    • 11–25 miles: $50 flat fee

    • 26–40 miles: $85 flat fee

    • Beyond 40 miles: $85 base + $1.50 per additional mile.

    Final fee confirmed after location is provided.

  • I bring the full professional sound setup and guide the session so you can remain present with your guests.

    I'll arrive 30 minutes before your session start time to set up — that time doesn't come out of your session. After we finish I pack up and clear out, usually within 20 to 30 minutes. If your venue has a strict time window, mention it in your inquiry so we can plan around it.

    The Space
    Most indoor spaces work beautifully. A furnished living room, a carpeted basement, a backyard, a garage — if your guests can settle in comfortably, the space will work. Outdoor sessions are possible in quiet, private settings and worth discussing if that's what you have in mind. If you're unsure whether your space is a good fit, mention it in your inquiry and we'll figure it out together.

    What Guests Need
    Set up the space however fits your gathering. Some groups spread out on the floor with mats and blankets. Some sit in chairs or pile onto whatever's comfortable. There's no required format.

    If guests will be lying down or want something beneath them, they'll need to bring or have access to a mat, blanket, or cushion. Many hosts include a simple "BYO Mat & Blanket" note in their invitations. If you'd like to arrange mats or blankets in advance, mention it in your inquiry and we can talk through options.

  • Sound baths are gentle and non-invasive, but there are a few things worth knowing. People with sound sensitivity, epilepsy, a pacemaker, metal implants, or who are in their first trimester of pregnancy may want to sit further from the instruments or check with their doctor before attending. The same goes for anyone who has recently had a concussion, surgery, or significant physical trauma — when in doubt, a quick check with your doctor is always the right call. If you're feeling unwell or contagious, please skip the session and come another time.

    If your event includes alcohol or cannabis, please plan the sound bath before guests begin consuming. Sound experiences can be disorienting and dysregulating for participants who are intoxicated or high — this is true even in small amounts. Structuring the sound bath first keeps the experience safe and grounded for everyone in the room. If you have questions about how to sequence your event, mention it in your inquiry.

    Sound baths are offered as a complementary listening experience and are not a substitute for medical or mental health care.

  • Booking details are confirmed after inquiry based on location, group size, timing, and availability.

    A 50% deposit reserves your session, with the remaining balance due 48 hours before. Full payment at booking is also an option.

    → Jump to the Inquiry Form

→ Download The Private Gathering Sound Bath Experience Overview (PDF)

COMMUNITY SOUND BATHS

A serene open studio with large windows and floor mats, prepared for a community sound bath and shared presence in the St. Louis area.

Public sound baths are offered periodically in the Greater St. Louis region.

At this time, there are no public sessions currently scheduled. When community sessions become available, they will be announced on this page. 

Individuals interested in future sessions are welcome to join the waitlist.

Begin Planning your experience

You do not need prior experience with sound-based practices to inquire. Most hosts are planning a sound bath for the first time.

I personally review each request to help ensure the experience aligns with what you are hoping to create for your gathering.

If you are planning a gathering and feel a sound bath might add something meaningful, you are welcome to reach out.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • A. Come as you are. Stay hydrated and nourished if you wish—there’s nothing required.

  • A: A brief orientation at the beginning, followed by guided sound. You’re welcome to rest, listen, or step out at any time.

  • A: Optional items: yoga mat, blanket, pillow, eye mask, or bolster.

  • A. Typically 60–90 minutes.

  • A. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. It's not uncommon for your body temperature to drop as you settle in, so having a blanket or a warm layer nearby is worth thinking about regardless of how warm the space feels when you arrive.

  • A: As often as feels supportive—some attend occasionally, others regularly.

  • A. No. Sound baths are a complementary listening practice and not a substitute for medical or mental health care.

  • A. Community Sound Baths are typically $25–$50 when scheduled.

    Private gathering pricing is listed above and reflects the session rate plus any applicable travel fees based on your location.

    For Ceremonial Sound pricing, visit the Ceremonial Sound page.

    For Workplace & Community session pricing, visit the Workplace & Community Sound Sessions page.

For Hosts

  • A. Yes, in the right setting. Outdoor sessions work well when the space is quiet, private, and sheltered — a secluded backyard or a covered outdoor area with low ambient noise tends to work beautifully. Open or semi-public spaces like park pavilions are harder to predict.

    If you're considering an outdoor session, mention it in your inquiry and we'll talk through whether your specific setting is likely to work and whether a backup plan makes sense.

  • A. Everyday household sound is normal and manageable. What affects the experience most is sustained noise that competes directly with the instruments — a party in the next room, heavy traffic through open windows, or a fan system that can't be turned down. If your space has something like that, mention it when you reach out and we'll talk through it honestly before you commit to anything.

  • A. Animals are welcome when the setting makes sense for them. In smaller, more intimate sessions, pets sometimes attend and settle right in — they tend to respond to the sound the same way people do, without overthinking it. For larger gatherings, or if your pet isn't comfortable around new people or unfamiliar sounds, a separate room is the safer call for everyone. If you're not sure, mention it in your inquiry and we'll figure out what makes sense for your situation.