Sound as Ritual: What Happens When You Start Making the Sound

Anna Simpson · Anna Simpson Sound

For years, people have come to my sound baths to listen. They settle in, close their eyes, and receive the sound.

But I've carried a question for a long time: what happens when sound stops being something done for you and becomes something you can do yourself?

In October, I found out. I taught Sound as Ritual for the first time, a three-hour master class at Serenity Spa in Roseville.

Self-care turned into another thing to do

Most of us already have a long list of practices we're supposed to keep. The meditation app. The journal. The morning routine we started in January and lost by March. Self-care turned into another thing to do.

Sound as Ritual began with a different idea. What if the practice were simple enough to return to on an ordinary Tuesday? Not a performance. Not a project. A practice that becomes a habit.

How the afternoon unfolded

We began with a ritual: smooth stones in the center of the circle, three shared breaths, and a moment to arrive together.

Then we listened. At the center of the class was a full sound bath, and this time I asked everyone to listen in a new way, noticing which sounds drew them in. The deep hum of one particular bowl. The shimmer of the chimes. The swell of the gong.

Then came the part I'd been looking forward to most. With me right alongside for support, everyone had the chance to play the instruments themselves.

What I saw

What I saw was freedom. People exploring the instruments with real curiosity, trying one bowl and then another, finding the sounds that resonated for them.

The crystal singing bowls stole the show. For most people, it was the first time they had ever played a real one, and the excitement in the room was genuine.

What I learned

I also discovered something I didn't expect. People want to own these bowls. And to most of them, the bowls are a mystery. How do you choose one? How do you know which one is yours? How do you play it, and how do you care for it?

Those questions planted an idea.

An idea taking shape

I'm dreaming up a retreat where I guide you through the whole process: discovering which bowl resonates with you, selecting and buying it with confidence, learning to play it, and learning to care for it so it stays with you for years.

It's still taking shape. If that sounds like something you'd want, [let me know]. I'd love to hear from you.

Sound is a skill

This is what I believe most deeply about this work. Sound isn't a gift reserved for a few people. It isn't a calling. It's a skill. You can learn it, practice it, and come back to it whenever you need it.

Watching a room full of people discover that for themselves was one of the highlights of my year.

What's next

Teaching Sound as Ritual reminded me how much I love gathering people to make something together. I'm shaping more classes and gatherings for the year ahead.

The next one is Make a Little Magic, a New Year mini retreat of sound, art, and intention on Sunday, January 3, 2027, at Time To Be Fit in Sacramento. [Read more and reserve your seat.]

If you'd like to hear when Sound as Ritual returns, or when the bowl retreat takes shape, Stay in touch

About Anna

Anna Simpson is a Sacramento sound bath facilitator with more than 30 years in the healing arts and 8 years focused on sound. She is a Level 3 graduate of the Auster Sound Method (ASM). Anna leads her signature Self-Care Sunday gatherings at Time To Be Fit, monthly sound baths at Serenity Spa, and retreats. She plays crystal singing bowls, gong, ocean drum, and chimes, and brings everything needed for each session.