About
Michael Liau
“I found myself on a yoga mat, by way of meditation during a period of transition in my life. 10+ years of working long stressful hours in technology, a minor heart attack before I hit 30, the unexpected death of a close friend, and a messy divorce shook me to the point where I could no longer ignore the wise, silent voice within that beckoned for my attention. On my mat and cushion, one breath, one pose, and one moment at a time, I began to let go of the stories to which I had been bound. In the newly discovered space, I found the joy, ease, and gratitude that had always been just below the surface.”
When not teaching yoga or playing sound baths, you can find Mike mountain biking, writing code, cooking, enjoying a whiskey neat, snowboarding, and spending time with Cusco, his pitbull puppy.
About Sound Yoga Vibes
Sound Baths
In its simplest form, a sound bath is an experience where people listen to sounds produced by various instruments. Often participants remain motionless for extended periods of time, lying comfortably on yoga mats, where they are encouraged to listen deeply and allow the audible sounds and physical vibrations to “bathe” them. There are no standard instruments, no standard certifications, or even a consistent definition of what constitutes a sound bath. While many of the common instruments have been used for a millennia for religious ceremonies and to facilitate meditation, the current incarnation of the sound bath is only decades old.
The popularity of sound baths has increased massively in the past decade, with relaxation and an improved sense of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being cited as benefits. There are more and more “sound healers” showing up, not just in yoga studios, but in hospitals and wellness centers. The research backing many of the claims is admittedly light, partially due to the lack of consensus on what constitutes a sound bath.
What is clear from the research and anecdotal evidence, however, is that humans are deeply affected and connected to sound and vibrations. From the time we are in our mother’s womb we are immersed in vibrations and so much of how we perceive and navigate the world around us comes through our sense of hearing and ability to make noise.
Sound baths provide us with the opportunity to tune into this fundamental aspect of our human experience and process all the other experiences we encounter on our journey.
The experiential aspect of sound baths is essential and required to understand them beyond their simplest form. No two sound baths can be the same because humans process sound through a complex sequence of filters that involve layers of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. Day to day, week to week, year to year these layers shift and morph so that our internal experience of sound changes. Consider a song that you love. Recall how you felt when you first heard it and observe the memories that arise. How do you feel about that song now and what thoughts or stories are invoked? To experience a sound bath is to allow sound to be a guide through all the layers of being, to witness one's unique experience in the present moment fully.
Yoga
Currently collecting my thoughts on yoga… check back soon.