Lakeside Sound Retreat: When Everything Just Flows
Yesterday was one of those days I know I will remember for a long time.
Jenny Bergold and I hosted a Lakeside Wellness Sound Retreat at my home in Lake Holiday, and more than 25 people joined us. We had adults, several teens, and even a baby just over four months old.
Hosting something like this at my house could have felt overwhelming, but everything went off without any issues. It all just flowed.
The weather was beautiful. A gentle breeze moved through the yard and across the lake, and the cicadas were already singing before we even started. Turkey vultures circled overhead, which can symbolize renewal, transformation, and good luck. It felt like nature was greeting us and setting the stage.
Jenny shared a poem she had written, adding such a meaningful, personal touch to the experience.
Once we began, people were free to settle wherever they felt comfortable. Some stretched out in the grass, while others sat in the chair swings, gently swaying as they soaked up the sounds. People could get up, move around, or find a different spot whenever they felt called to.
There was no pressure to sit perfectly still or experience it any particular way. Just space to listen, breathe, move, and receive.
Jenny played a beautiful variety of instruments, including a gong, crystal and metal bowls, Koshi chimes, seed bells, and crystal bells. I joined her with my ethereal bowl, my Taurus, Jupiter, and Saturn bowls from The Ohm Store, and my 428 Hz bowl from Life Changing Energy.
I decided not to bring out a full set of bowls for this experience, and that felt right. It gave each sound more room to unfold and blend with the natural sounds around us.
The breeze. The water. The cicadas. The shifting tones of the bowls and chimes.
Everything worked together.
The Reiki was flowing, too, and there were several moments when I felt moved by the emotions filtering through the space. It is hard to put that feeling into words, but you can sense when people are releasing, processing, or simply allowing themselves to soften.
And through all of it, there was this feeling of being grounded by nature: the wind against our skin, the sounds of the water, and the steadiness of the earth beneath us.
One attendee mentioned afterward that hearing sound from two different locations almost reminded her of an EMDR experience. It was not EMDR, of course, but I knew exactly what she meant. With Jenny and me playing from different places, the sounds gave the mind something gentle to follow while the body had space to settle.
It was both activating and calming at the same time.
What stood out most was how easily sound seemed to move beyond the things that usually divide us. Different ages. Different experiences. Different reasons for being there.
A baby, teens, and adults all sharing the same space.
Some resting in the grass. Some moving around. Some gently swaying in the chair swings.
No one needed the right words. No one needed to explain what they were feeling. The sound, the Reiki, and the environment around us created room for each person to have their own experience.
Yesterday reminded me how much I love bringing people together in ways that feel natural, meaningful, and a little unexpected.
I cannot wait to continue these lakeside experiences as we move into fall:
Saturday, September 19, at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, October 21, at 5 p.m. — Lakeside Campfire Sound Retreat
If you are interested in joining us next month, [register here].
— Nicole