The Science of Sound
Hawaiʻi Island is for adventurers. You already know this. You’ve hit up remote beaches, climbed over fresh lava flows, and maybe even hiked an active volcano or two. So when you’re ready for something a little different, or those days when your aura could use a glow-up and it’s time to soak in rich soothing tones, weʻve got you covered. Take a Sound Bath Meditation Journey at the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary. Dip into the world of sound and vibration. Because a traveler like you knows how to take care of your body, mind, and spirit.
Albert Einstein, one of the fathers of modern physics, said “everything is vibration.” And if mysticism is more your thing, ancient texts tell us the same thing, too. Take Hinduism, where Shiva dances the world into existence with the great Tandava, each foot stomp emanating vibrations. Christian traditions begin with “the word.” For Hawaiians, it’s the Kumulipo, the mele ko’ihonua, or creation chant. When Queen Liliʻuokalani translated this mele into English, she described it as a prayer of the development of the universe.
Before Christian missionaries came to Hawaiʻi and produced a written form of the language, the culture was passed down orally. Spoken words reverberate differently than written ones. An ancient Hawaiian proverb says I ka ʻolelo ke ola — in language is the power of life. Language is a vibration that oscillates physical particles in the air. Sound baths allow us to tap into that vibration.
Healing With Harmonic Frequencies
Experiencing a sound bath really is a bit like stepping into a tub, but instead of water, you’re inundated with sound. Now, it's not as if you’re just cranking up the radio — you’re not listening to the latest Top 40 bops during a session. Sound baths don’t use melody or even rhythm in the way we traditionally think about music.
Ultimately, the goal of a sound bath is to release and relax. Concentrating on the ethereal sounds created by gongs, chimes, and crystal bowls is your reprieve from the monkey mind that is often relentless in its mental gymnastics. Deep rest, the kind offered in a sound bath, can help bring your energetic body into balance. Tell the mind to sit this one out.
It’s a meditation with someone else doing all the work. All you need to do is relax on an open air platform in a Hawaiian forest and let that sound wash over you. No towel required. Expect to increase your sense of wellbeing and expand awareness.
A Cloud Forest
The Perfect Setting for Transformation
Rare experiences kind of seem to be the norm here in paradise. A Sound Bath Meditation Journey is no different. First off, it’s taking place in the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary. It’s at that sweet spot on Hualālai that ranges from 2500 – 5000 feet in elevation; a 50-mile-long swath about five miles wide. You won’t get tons of water falling down in big fat drops the way you might expect in a tropical place. This is a cloud forest.
The very nature of a cloud forest is self-sustaining. Trees cool their habitat by shading the ground and drawing water up into the canopy. Moist air rising up the mountain cools and turns to clouds. This foggy precipitation maintains the forests that created it. Cloud forests are rare. The Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary even more so because it’s a seasonally dry cloud forest. Winters are the dry season on the Kona side of Hawaiʻi. And if you’re visiting during the summer, expect it to be even more misty.
Native trees make up a large swath of the landscape here. ʻŌhiʻa lehua is the most common, making up about 80% of Hawaiʻi’s native forests throughout the islands. You’ll recognize it for its delicate, globe-like flowers that are usually deep crimson. Though in every 10,000 or so a genetic variation can create salmon pink, white, or even yellow lehua blossoms. Part of its scientific name is polymorpha. Many forms.
Pay attention to the ʻōhiʻa lehua in different areas of the island and you’ll see some diversity: straight, tall trunks with somewhat loosely flowing leaves on older parts of the island contrast with shrub-like variations elsewhere. Usually, the leaves are tucked in close to the limbs and branches of the tree to prevent absorbing toxic gasses from active volcanic eruptions. Knowing how to stay alive alongside lava is one of its super powers. Creating the perfect environment for humans to have soothing meditative experiences is definitely another.
Experience Sound
Sound Bath Meditation Journeys run multiple times a week at the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary. Book ahead to reserve your spot and arrive 10 minutes before the start time. To get there, take Palani Road from the hotel. Turn up the mountain on Kaloko Drive, which winds upward until Hue Street. Parking is on the street. Walk up to the forest platform. Blankets and cushions will be provided. You're encouraged to bring any items to support your experience like pillows, blankets, eye masks, and a journal for reflection afterward. Wear clothes that will keep you warm and comfortable. Groups are kept small to receive an individualized experience.
