Latest news with #vibrations
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Just when I thought the woo-woo wellness industry couldn't get any weirder, I went to a gong bath
Ever heard of a 'gong bath'? No, me neither – and if you'd asked me what it was before I'd been to one, I probably would've guessed it at least had something to do with water. But it doesn't – not unless you count the fact that the human body is mostly made of water, the very nice instructor taking our session told us – and that means the vibrations from the gongs can do 'magical things'. Still, being cynical isn't big or clever, Victoria, or at least that's what my parents used to tell me when I was 15 and they'd called me downstairs for a family meeting about my 'attitude' ('what attitude?! Oh, and by the way I hate you and I wish I'd never been born!'). Whoops – seem to have slipped into a past life regression, there; which is conveniently also available alongside the gong bath. That's right: gong baths, so I was told, have the power to make you see colours (with your eyes closed) and even transport you to past lives. They can bring on heightened emotion – tears, laughter, even anger – or teleport you into reflective moments of extreme sadness, which (I'll be honest) didn't feel like a very fun activity to be doing for my birthday. Nevertheless, determined not to dismiss the woo-woo out of hand, I said an emphatic 'yes, please' when my friend Dayna – who's known me for 34 years and remembers the time at school when I told everyone I was a real witch, because I'd watched The Craft too many times and used to draft my little brother and his friends in for home-based levitation sessions (and it scared them silly, which was secretly the point) – told me she'd booked us a gong bath for my birthday. Specifically: one to promote deep connection and relaxation. It just sort of... made sense, really, now that we are 44 and taking collagen supplements and making sure we are getting our steps in and have eschewed booze in favour of being pescatarian; now that boot camp sessions in the local park have replaced crawling home at 5am after a night out in Dalston. On a recent friendship trip to Portugal for a week we woke up at 6am to do yoga. I know. Your forties are wild. So, a gong bath was pretty much the inevitable next step on this journey of self-discovery and not being able to stay up past 10pm, because of peri-menopause. We've read Miranda July's All Fours. We are primed for this. What I wasn't primed for, however, is the lying down for an hour and a half, and how my aforementioned mature years have left me completely unsuited for a hard wood floor. We were told to don eye masks and blankets (in a heatwave? Madam, please), but after shifting around for 10 antisocial minutes I realised I simply wasn't going to be comfortable – and I just had to put up with it. The hip pain did take away from my ability to 'om', though, which is nothing rude (though it sounds it): we were to take a deep breath in and then 'om' out, loudly, without feeling idiotic. Harder than it sounds, believe me. Still, after 'omming' for a while and studiously trying not to make eye contact with Dayna, who was on the floor next to me, in case it brought out the 'heightened emotion' and laughter we'd been warned about (and that past life regression just keeps popping up, doesn't it? Because it's true: suddenly we were 13 again and in Geography with Mr Watkins and passing notes and sniggering about farts), I settled down, determined to take it seriously. I stared and stared at the ceiling with the disco ball specks of light in irridescent green beaming around; I was a big girl and didn't even snort when she wafted sage over our heads with a dead bird (or a dead bird's wing – I was meant to have my eyes closed and couldn't do a thorough inspection). I tried really hard to meditate and find zen and empty my mind and focus on my breathing... to let whatever random thoughts popped into my mind (work the next day, my latest date, what's going to happen next in Married At First Sight Australia) to just drift away again... and I almost managed it. In fact, I had just felt myself starting to slip, the edges of my consciousness peeling away like a delicious foot scrub... ...and then someone started snoring. I mean. We'd already had a mini-lecture about this one: 'I am going to assume you all snore,' the instructor had said – and she'd also asked for our collective consent that if we snored, the person next to us would have our permission to gently poke or prod us to wake us up and stop us from doing it. And we'd all said yes. But for the next 45 minutes, rather than deep connection and relaxation; pondering dreamily on the meaning of life, or the 'intention' I'd set at the start of the session (and I can't say what it was, because that would be telling), sheer British politeness (or awkwardness) meant that nobody stepped up to poke the snoring person; not a single volunteer – and it ruined it for the rest of us. I know, I know, it wasn't her fault. But after the session, when we were going around the room giving a single word to sum up how we'd found the experience; and one person said 'transcendental', I couldn't help but look at her completely agog at how she'd possibly found the silence to be able to transcend (and if she did transcend, then to where, to what) – and it made me realise something: that maybe it's not about the gong bath, at all. Maybe it's the friends we made along the way. And maybe, just maybe, it's really about going to a woo-woo wellness gong bath with a bloody brilliant best friend you can giggle and bitch about it with, afterwards. A friend you don't dare look at while it's happening, for fear of breaking down into hysterics and being told off and to sit at the back of the class and then given a detention. It was quite the epiphany. I'd go to a gong bath again – but only if Dayna goes with me.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Anyone fancy a subwoofer massage? The show that shakes you senseless
'You know, 528Hz is supposed to be the love frequency,' says artist Evan Ifekoya, striking a metal wah-wah pipe tuned to exactly that pitch, a fraction above the C, one octave higher than middle C. 'It's supposed to be able to transform the body on a cellular level. And, OK, how can you really prove that?' they smile. 'But I can say, at least for myself, it has opened up a new level of awareness and self-compassion over the years.' We know music is powerful: we turn to songs to feel comforted, to boost our energy, to appreciate beauty and so much more. But what about the frequencies; the actual soundwaves vibrating the air, our eardrums and our bodies – how do they affect us? From promoting deep relaxation to the use of noise as a weapon, there is a wide range of claims, and evidence, for the impact of sound. It moves us emotionally and literally, a theme that's explored in a new exhibition at the Barbican in London called Feel the Sound. 'The idea that the world is made up of vibrations and frequencies is something we don't necessarily think about a lot of the time,' says Luke Kemp, head of creative programming at Barbican Immersive. 'The big idea is how sound is more than an audio experience. We can think of our whole body as a listening device,' he says. Take Jan St Werner's Vibraceptional Plate installation, which visitors can stand on and then explore the resonance of their own body, and a film by deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie discussing the rhythms inside us and how she experiences sound. There's a holographic choral experience, a playground of multisensory musical instruments, and for the finale, an installation in the Barbican's car park featuring souped-up cars with big sound systems; part sculpture, part dancefloor. Ifekoya's piece, called Resonant Frequencies, is an immersive soundscape using frequencies believed to be healing. Visitors will be able to sit or lie on a vibrating stage to hear and feel the sound, as well as see its effect on a pool of water at the centre of the room. As we chat, Ifekoya tells me about other supposedly powerful frequencies, such as 174Hz (roughly the F below middle C). 'This one reportedly works with the internal system, the organs, to regenerate and repair.' They show me a frequency board (a special type of circuit board) emitting an inaudible 7.83Hz, one of the frequencies produced by electromagnetic waves in the Earth's lower ionosphere. 'This is the frequency my home is grounded at,' says Ifekoya. Has it had a positive effect? 'My plants are thriving,' they laugh. Anyone who has found themselves next to the bass bins in a club will know the physical power of sound is real. 'You feel the low frequencies hitting and vibrating your body,' says electronic musician (with a PhD in computational biology) Max Cooper, who has plenty of experience seeing the visible effect of his music on crowds of clubbers when he plays around the world. In the piece Cooper has made for Feel the Sound, called Reflections of Being, visitors can get some of that subwoofer experience, 'the full body massage' as he puts it, without fear of hurting their ears, via tactile benches in the installation space which make no sound but shake instead. 'I'm a big fan of tactile sound,' Cooper says, pointing to a tactile transducer – or bass shaker – fixed to the back of his studio chair, which allows him to feel low-frequency vibrations. 'I do a lot of low frequency harmonies and when you play on a big sound system in a big venue, you feel that transfer directly into your body.' Cooper started the project by asking the public how they were feeling – the question was: 'What do you want to express that you feel you can't in every day life' – and then created music in response. The replies he got were 'beautiful, scary, intense, funny,' he says, and had a powerful effect on him. He felt a responsibility to do justice to the people who'd trusted him with their honesty. 'Because, you know, it's fine to talk about tactile benches, but ultimately it's the emotion that we can communicate that's important.' That intersection of science with sensation and emotions is exactly where multidisciplinary designer Robyn Landau works, translating academic insight from neuroscience into creative projects, often aimed at improving wellbeing. For the installation Your Inner Symphony, her company Kinda Studios has collaborated with designer Alex Jenkins from Nexus Studios to make the invisible inner workings of our bodies tangible. Visitors will go to a 'sensing station' and put their hand on a sensor to measure heart rate, heart rate variability and galvanic skin response (ie how much you're sweating). Then, once they've moved through the exhibition, they'll be able to test themselves again to see what's changed and their readings will be translated into images and sound. It's based on the idea that 'emotions live as physiological sensations inside of our bodies', says Landau. 'And these physiological changes are what shape our feelings.' It's very well documented, she says, that sound frequencies interact with our brainwaves, but researchers are now learning how frequencies interact with the way the body maps emotional responses. One study showed that we sense different emotions in specific parts of our bodies, and there is lots of research on entrainment – the way humans naturally sync up with rhythms in music, such as when our heart rates match a musical beat, or when we automatically tap our feet to one. The science on specific frequencies such as 528Hz is less established, Landau says. 'There is some evidence,' she says tentatively. 'Not all of it is clinically proven. But just because it's not proven doesn't always mean it's not true. Sometimes we don't have the tools to be able to measure it properly.' Most current research in that field is focused on largely inaudible, low frequency sound. 'This is where we feel stimulated from inside,' says Landau. 'There's lots of research to show that these low frequency vibrations can effectively make people more tolerant to pain.' She likens it to a cat's purr when it's relaxed. (Cats also sometimes purr when they're stressed to self-soothe – humans might try humming for the same effect.) There is a lot more to learn, but it's clear that our brains and bodies are constantly responding to the soundworld around us, whether we're aware of it or not. Sound 'drives a cascade of bodily sensations that shape the visceral feeling of being emotionally moved', says Landau. 'I hope that people can come away from the exhibition with a sense of awe about their own body,' she adds, 'and how magical a place it really is.' Feel the Sound is at the Barbican, London, from 22 May to 31 August
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Furious locals blame 'earthquakes' from diggers on newbuild estate of leaving cracks in their homes
Furious locals say they have been living in an ' earthquake ' after drilling works on a newbuild estate have left their homes with cracks on their walls. Residents of Northfield Terrace said developers and Cheltenham Borough Council 'didn't care' when they approached them about the cracks, noise and the dust from the works. They claim that since the building works started for the 147-home Wavensmere Homes scheme, vibrations have caused 'a lot of cracks' to appear in their homes. Others have explained how the works left them 'distressed' and 'desperate' to be out of their homes during construction hours. Emma Chetwynd Stapylton, 55, was one of the residents who first raised concerns about the works as she started noticing cracks in her walls at the end of February. She and her partner Rory, 61, work from home during building hours and therefore have no time to escape the reported banging and shaking. Emma, who works as a marketing consultant, said: 'The ground works have been incredibly noisy and very dusty and more recently they have started doing the pilling preparations for the 147 houses they are going to build. 'My house is actually on the end so I think there is an element of a shockwave that is coming down the house. I have got significant cracks in every room but one. 'My neighbours have had cracks and things falling down the walls - the vibration work has been literally unbearable. 'Every day we find new cracks. I wonder around the house thinking 'what is going to be next?' Emma said both the developers and Cheltenham Borough Council are telling residents to claim on their insurance for the damage to their properties. She added that the council told her that what they are doing is 'all legal' and 'all under the monitoring levels'. Emma added: 'The developers said ''sue us claim on your insurance' but my excess would go up and my premiums would go through the roof.' 'They have categorically told me they will monitor noise and vibration but any damage to the house is my responsibility. 'I can't bare injustice and I think it is unfair that we will end up having to pay for the damage to our houses.' Emma and her partner fear the next lot of pilling work may potentially cause damage to the Grade II listed buildings on St Margaret's Terrace. She continued: 'My underlying feeling is that the council didn't access this area properly to see if all buildings or houses could cope with modern day techniques.' Mike Harris, 41, brand manager explained how the cracks appeared in his home from 'day one' when works started. He said the cracks have 'gone worse'. 'The cracks are frustrating,' he said. 'They are in the main bedroom, the second bedroom where the girls sleep, on the landing and downstairs in the hallway. 'They progressive got longer and bigger. The cracks weren't there to start with.' Mike lives with his wife and three children aged 11, seven and two. He said they have been worried with the noises and vibration 'caused by the development'. He said: 'It should be a safe place to live in and they have been worried with noises and vibration. 'It is not like a home comfort when you go home. My wife and my youngest are at home a lot more. Sadly we have got to get use to it now. 'Everything is vibrating and the objects are moving in the surface of the kitchen. It is like a mini earthquake just vibrating.' Mike claims he has got in touch with the council and the builders but haven't had a response back. He said the whole situation is 'pretty sad'. He said: 'I sent an email with no response and it has just been ignored by the council and the builders. MP Max Wilkinson he replied saying that they would be interested to see what happens next.' Rory Parsons explained how the dust 'caused by the construction works' is leaving all the cars on the street 'filthy'. He said: 'We can clean our car at 9 o'clock in the morning and by lunchtime it is filthy. 'As you go down the street everybody's cars are completely filthy.' Terry Stevens, 80, retired, agreed with Mr Parsons adding that the dust is the 'biggest issue' in his house. He said: 'The dust is horrendous - it is like being in the Sahara desert in a sandstorm. 'We have had an ornamental clock come off the wall. We took a big mirror out because we were worried it was going to fall off.' Ms Abraham, activities coordinator, said it is impossible to stay in the house. She said: 'My main concerns are the stability of the house and the back wall and the chimneys. 'It is impossible to stay in bed after 8 o'clock because everything shakes - the whole house rattles. 'It is impossible to stay in the house all day with that going on.' Bernadette Reed, public and environmental health manager for Cheltenham Borough Council, said: 'The work required at the development will be noisy to some degree and for a time, disruption is to be expected. 'However we have reviewed the results from monitoring equipment installed on site and confirmed that appropriate steps are being taken that will ensure these effects are minimised as far as possible. 'We will continue to monitor this site throughout the project and will take appropriate action as necessary to try and ensure that the developers keep any disruption as minimal as possible.' Craig Gee, construction director of Wavensmere Homes, said: 'We sympathise with the concerns raised by residents local to our Arkle Court development site in Cheltenham, regarding the ongoing enabling works carried out by our appointed specialist groundwork contractor. 'All construction activities are being conducted in accordance with the approved Construction Management Plan (Condition 9) and Noise Mitigation Scheme (Condition 5), both approved by Cheltenham Borough Council before site clearance began. 'These measures are designed to minimise disruption, whilst ensuring the project to deliver 147 much-needed new homes progresses safely and efficiently. 'In response to residents' feedback, additional measures beyond those required by the approved conditions have been implemented on-site to further reduce noise disturbances during the final stages of site clearance. This includes the use of different machinery to negate the use of louder 'breaker' type machinery. 'The development is being delivered sequentially from the eastern boundary with North Place, running anti-clockwise to improve the site frontage. The initial phase of any development typically involves the most intrusive work. Given that the removal of hardstanding elements is nearing completion, noise and vibration levels from the site will decrease significantly.'
