Christian Jensen, Dip.MCMA, affectionately known as The Sound Therapy Alchemist, has mastered the art of harnessing sound for healing and transformation. Based in the picturesque spa town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Christian’s journey into the world of sound therapy began in his youth amidst the natural beauty of North Wales, where he was nurtured by the rhythms of the sea and the mountains of Snowdonia. Growing up with a deep love for music, Christian wasn’t drawn to formal, structured instruments but rather to those that allowed for a free flow of sound—his first love being the ancient didgeridoo. Over the years, his passion expanded to include a wide range of instruments, from Native American flutes to singing bowls and hand pans. He now channels the power of sound, combined with Reiki, meditation, and mindfulness, to create transformative experiences for both individuals and groups. Through these sound journeys, Christian guides people into a state of deep relaxation, helping them connect with their inner selves and achieve holistic well-being. Join Mystic Mag as Christian shares his profound connection to sound, the healing properties of his diverse instruments.
Your journey with sound began at a young age with an affinity for free-flowing instruments like the didgeridoo. How did this early connection with sound shape your approach to sound therapy, and how does it influence the way you create healing experiences today?
I have always loved the sound of instruments and particularly drawn to those where I did not need to read music to play, so something like the didgeridoo was a perfect instrument, which I equally found to be very grounding. Many other instruments are the same to me – the native flute, gong, Hand Pan to name a few. When adding these instruments to the sound therapy sessions I host today, it was important in my approach to sound therapy, that there was no particular rigid way of playing or hosting the sessions, and although there is a rough plan of sorts now, perhaps to the general order that I play the instruments, it is important to maintain the natural flow and as such, the intention and energy that is given to create a magical soundscape that is deeply relaxing and healing for attendees.
By creating sessions in this way, with the fluidity built in, it gives me the freedom to explore, often discovering new sounds and ways of playing all of the instruments in the set and collection I have today. This means that every session you attend can be subtly different; simply because of the length of time I may play a given instrument, as well as where you might be at that given moment, energetically.
Can you share the story behind your decision to start crafting your own didgeridoos, and how the process of making these instruments connects you to the Earth and enhances your sound therapy sessions?
The very first didgeridoo I purchased was made of Padauk wood, from Indonesia. This instrument was a machine made instrument, which I still play today – some 28 years later. Some years on, from when I first started playing the didgeridoo, I came across a small, family friendly music festival centered around this beautiful, ancient instrument. While at this festival I happened to be amongst a small copse of Blackthorn woods, where I found a dried out branch around 4 ft in length, this was to be my very first homemade didgeridoo. Having read up and listened to others who had made many of these instruments, I felt ready to have a go and was so pleased with the end result, that I have since gone on to make several more and have other branches drying, which when the time is right I will create more of these beautiful instruments, perhaps for personal use, but equally to sell on.
I found the process to be very therapeutic for me, and again grounding. I have always been drawn to the natural material of wood, and what better way to feel that deeper connection with the earth and Mother Nature than to work with creating an instrument that you are going to go on and play. The energy that you put in and ultimately the love that you put into this creation, knowing that it is born of earth and nature is what enables me to feel that deeper connection, ultimately enhancing the sound therapy sessions I bring.
What type of services do you offer?
The services I offer are:
1:1 & 2:1 Sound Therapy/ Reiki Healing appointments
Group Soundbaths
Cacao Ceremonies
Guided Meditation
Didgeridoo Workshops
One off sessions, regular events, half day or full day packages are available for:
Corporate and School Wellbeing
Sessions in Healthcare settings
Private Group events
Monthly soundbaths
Retreats
How do the dynamics and outcomes differ between individual and group sessions, and what unique benefits does each format offer?
Both group and individual sessions offer the client or attendee the opportunity for time and space to relax and promote healing, where the two differ is the depth of healing that can take place in any given session. While both do offer the opportunity for this to take place, by working individually you can concentrate on the energies present for that particular client, on the day and what may be impacting them from their past traumas, creating blockages within their ‘chi’ – life force energy. With individual session I always begin by using tuning forks, which enables me to locate imbalances in the flow of ‘chi’ energy, from there I can work specifically on those energy imbalances, using both the tuning forks and adding in other specific instruments, which in terms of Himalayan singing bowls, can be placed directly upon the body, so that the physical vibration and resonance of the instrument can be felt and in turn directly assist in releasing the blocked energy in and around that part of the physical body, often rooted in deep emotional trauma – returning the whole body to a state of balance and harmony.
The outcomes of the sessions differ, because, within group sessions, you are working with a general energy of the space, where there may be anything up to 20 or 30 attendees, sometimes more, which can be quite a significant mixture of energies, to work with, as such, although attendees will have their individual experiences that make a difference to them as part of a group session, by working individually, you are able to potentially speed up the process of release and healing of trauma, working with a client on a deeper level – that said, it can still take time and I always recommend a few sessions, should the client wish to do so and ultimately any healing that does take place will only do so when you are truly ready to release on a spiritual level – when the time is right.
As someone deeply connected to both music and mindfulness, how do you integrate these practices in a way that creates a harmonious balance between mental clarity and emotional healing for your clients?
Mental clarity and emotional healing very much go hand in hand, as with the physical aspects of healing too, all are interconnected, but particularly mental and emotional aspects. It is therefore very important to integrate these practices with compassion, allowing the time as part of a session for attendees to settle into the space – with individual sessions time is dedicated to have a chat with the client at the beginning, while with a group session, settling in prior to the start of a session consists of an introduction to the session (especially if there is anyone new to the experience) setting the space for what they may get from any given session.
To integrate these practices, I always introduce the sessions, with awareness of what can happen, so that attendees can be prepared, should a significant shift take place, allowing them to, as much as possible, go with the flow of that shift during the session. Beginning with a guided meditation, and leading gently into the tones of the instruments. The meditation setting the space for the mental clarity balanced with the possibility that during a session a deeper emotional process may take place, enabling a significant opportunity to let go of, and as such heal deeper trauma held within the body. There is always the opportunity at the end of a session, for attendees to have a chat with me, should they wish to.
Can you walk us through a typical ‘Journey Through Sound’ session? What can participants expect to experience, and how do you tailor these sessions to meet the specific needs of your clients?
A typical session will begin with a gentle guided meditation, usually a body scan, where we work from head to toe, through the body, to promote the process of relaxation, telling your mind and body that it is okay to let go, to relax. I will then begin with the introduction of sound, with 3 dings on the Tingsha bells, moving into the subtle tones of the Himalayan Singing Bowls, and moving through the variety of instruments on the day. We start very gentle, building to a crescendo, most often peaking with the gongs, then bringing in instruments that will take you gently further into a deeper state of relaxation and a dream state kind of journey, finishing the session with very gentle bells and 2-3 minutes of complete silence, followed by a short guided meditation to gently return to the space and the opportunity for attendees to share in their experience or ask any questions they may have in relation to the session/ any shifts that may have taken place.
The sessions, while on occasions can seem very similar, are tailored to meet the needs, by having a wider number of instruments available than what is comfortably possible to play in the given time of a session. This means that I can feel the energy of attendees on the day, going very much with the flow of what is needed, the guidance coming from trust in the energy and spirit. For example, even prior to the start of the session and arriving to set up, I may feel particularly drawn to a specific instrument, such as didgeridoo or shamanic drum, this often reflects perfectly in the session created in a very natural way, flowing with the energies around during the session and what is needed individually and collectively.
