Nichole Kirby is a sound therapist and meditation instructor based in Michigan, USA, who founded Let’s Get Zen to provide holistic wellness services to her community. Nichole combines the power of sound healing with mindfulness practices to promote relaxation, stress relief, and emotional balance. MysticMag has the pleasure.
Can you tell us about your journey into becoming a sound vibration healer?
My journey into sound and vibration started at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, I was going through depression amongst other things. Music is something I have always connected with, to soothe my soul. I remember finding new age music around 15 years old, and I was hooked on melodies that could draw you away into another world. One night I was searching for something different, I wanted music to heal my soul. I stumbled on a track that said something like “Heal your Chakras Singing Bowls” I was skeptical but I was drawn to it, so what did I have to lose? Upon first listening to this track, I could feel the sounds resonate with certain parts of my body, and almost feel a weight lift off my chest. I felt relieved. My journey started right that moment, I started searching for information on singing bowls and crystal singing bowls, and that led me to videos on sound baths and healing with sound. Eventually my deep dive into sound therapy brought me to the Vibrational Sound Association.
What drew you to this particular practice and how did you get started?
The profound effect that one soundtrack had on my mental health is what drew me to sound therapy, but what drew me into being a Vibrational Sound Therapist was seeing how much benefit this could have on a person’s health. I had known for a long time I wanted to help people in some capacity, I have a Bachelors in Psychology, this just happened to fall in my lap and be the perfect fit.
What are some of the benefits that clients can expect from a sound vibration healing session?
The tones from the bowls provide auditory stimulation, and the vibration from the bowls on the body provides cellular stimulation. Results can vary from person to person, but some of the benefits I have personally seen are: Easing of Muscle Tension, slowing of the respiration, reduction of stress and anxiety, pain relief from chronic pain, deeper sleep, lowers the heart rate and blood pressure. The sense of calm and then profound joy that I feel when I do this work I feel really crosses over to my clients as well.
How does it work and what can they expect to experience during and after the session? Therapeutic grade Himalayan bowls are placed on the body in a pattern and struck in a rhythm that entrains the brain, allowing it to slip into a meditative state, most times people fall asleep on the table. When we take the body out of fight or flight, it can finally enter into a state of healing.
Your website mentions that you incorporate crystal singing bowls into your sessions. Can you explain what these are and how they contribute to the healing process? I also utilize Crystal singing bowls in my practice, they are made of 99.9 % crushed quartz. I use the bowls around the body as an additional tool. Typically I align the bowls with the chakra they connect with to clear stagnant energy and realign the chakras. When I am doing a session my goal is to immerse the body in healing sound waves.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in exploring sound healing as a means of self-care or personal growth? I would highly recommend the Vibrational Sound Association as a point of learning if you want to practice professionally. If you want to learn for self- care and personal growth there are a ton of amazing books out there, I highly recommend anything by Mitchell Gaynor, Christine Stevens, and one of my favorites is Sound Medicine by Laeh Maggie Garfield. Watch videos, participate in local sound baths, find a Vibrational Sound Healer in your area, and try it.
What are your future goals and aspirations for your work as a sound vibration healer?
As a sound healer my future goals are to start producing a line of classes that are kid friendly and help kids to find that moment of peace.
Do you have any plans to expand or evolve your practice in new directions?
Currently I am training for my yoga certification, as I want to delve deeper in the psychology of yoga and meditation and how I can use that to help our youth and families connect on a deeper level. As summer is coming up I also tend to offer more outdoor sound baths but this year I want to incorporate walking meditations.
If you would like to find out more about Nichole Kirby, visit https://getzenmi.com/ or follow on https://www.facebook.com/getzenmi/
