The biggest shift in how I play didn’t come from learning a new instrument, it came from understanding more about the nervous system. I had completed my trainings and was practising with my bowls and sounds and trying different things, seeing what worked.

But once I started learning how the nervous system actually responds to sound, I realised something important: it’s not just about what sounds lovely, it’s also about what feels safe.

I remember reading that the nervous system is constantly scanning the environment not just for obvious dangers, but for subtle cues too. Unexpected sounds, sudden changes, anything unpredictable. The brain doesn’t just hear sound, t interprets it. Often in a second, it decides whether the sound is something to relax into or something to stay slightly guarded around. That insight completely changed how I approached my sound baths.

Because if a sound bath is meant to help someone let go of stress, unwind from the day, and truly relax, the sound itself has to support that. It needs to feel steady, slow, and predictable.

For me, the biggest change was simplicity. Frosted crystal singing bowls form the foundation of my sessions, and for most of the time, they’re all I use and that’s completely intentional.

Frosted crystal bowls produce long, sustained tones that fade slowly in a way the brain can easily follow. There’s no sharpness, no sudden changes. This means the nervous system doesn’t have to stay alert it can settle.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is just how sensitive the nervous system is to change. Even small, sudden shifts in sound can create a low-level alertness not enough for someone to consciously think, 'that startled me,'but enough that the body doesn’t fully let go.

For me, what supports deep rest is consistency, space, silence, and repetition, giving the nervous system time to know nothing unexpected is coming.

I still use a couple of other instruments, Koshi bells, and occasionally a cha cha shaker, but only at the very end of a session. By then, the nervous system is usually in a completely different place, so those lighter sounds aren’t disruptive, they’re transitional, signalling the class is coming to an end.

There isn’t one right style of sound bath as everyone responds differently, but for me, focusing on helping people switch off, rest, and regulate their nervous system, simplicity works best. The slow, steady, predictable tones of the crystal bowls give the nervous system something it can trust and once there is trust, the body can do the rest.

One small addition I’ve made to my classes is lavender-infused eye masks. With the lighter evenings and brighter mornings, it’s not always easy to fully switch off and light can keep the brain just a little more alert, even when the body is ready to rest.

The gentle weight over the eyes, combined with the relaxing scent of lavender, helps the nervous system soften and settle.

And this isn’t just for classes, you can create a similar experience at home. Even just lying down with something soft lightly covering your eyes a scarf, an eye pillow, or any soft fabric can signal to your body that it’s safe to rest.

It’s all about reducing the input your brain has to process and giving your nervous system the clearest possible message: you’re safe and you can realx. Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference.