If you are looking for a sound bath in London with a Greek voice behind it, the Greek List listing of Athena Sofianou is a good place to start. Athena is a London based professional singer, qualified sound healer and shamanic practitioner, and she is a Greek List member. As the evenings get darker and the year slows down, many people in London look for quieter ways to spend a Sunday, and sound work is one of them.
A quick note first. This article is general information about what Athena offers, taken from her Greek List listing and her events page. It is not medical advice, and sound sessions are not a replacement for care from your GP or another health professional.
A sound bath is a session where you usually lie or sit comfortably while instruments or voices create sound around you. There is no performance to watch and nothing to get right. The idea is simply to listen, breathe and be still for a while. Sessions are often paired with guided meditation or breathing.
If you are new to this kind of thing, the NHS has a clear page on mindfulness that explains paying attention to the present moment, which is a helpful background for anyone curious about meditation based sessions. It is a useful read before you book anything.
According to her listing, Athena is a London based professional singer, a qualified sound healer certified by The College of Sound Healing in London, and a shamanic practitioner. She specialises in what she calls Sound Healing with Voice. The techniques she lists include toning, mantra chanting, overtone singing and vocal improvisation. Her listing describes these as therapeutic techniques used to facilitate healing and deep relaxation.
What makes her work stand out for many readers on Greek List is the voice. As a singer first, Athena builds her sessions around the human voice rather than only around instruments, which is a different feel from a typical studio sound bath. She is also a Greek List member, so you can read her full profile, see her contact details and follow her on social media from one place.
Athena runs a day called the Sunday Sonic Journey, listed on the Greek List events page as a Sound Bath, Guided Meditation and Chanting Circle. The event description says it is a day of sound, meditation, breath and voice centred around gratitude, empathy and connection, taking place at Athena’s sacred space in London with limited spaces to keep the experience personal.
The programme on the event page runs like this: a restorative sound bath and guided meditation from 11:00 to 12:00, a pause for lunch and conversation from 12:00 to 13:00, and a breathwork and gratitude chanting circle from 13:00 to 14:00. The page says no previous experience is needed and that all sessions are beginner friendly. Full day tickets and individual workshops are available separately, and booking is through Eventbrite.
Check before you go: dates, tickets and the exact venue are on the event page and Eventbrite, so confirm them there. The Greek List listing shows a Sunday Sonic Journey on Sunday 22 November at 11:00.
Only you can decide that, and it is worth being honest with yourself. If you enjoy quiet time, music, meditation or breathing exercises, a session like this may suit you. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are unsure whether a session is suitable, speak to your GP or the practitioner before booking. A good practitioner will always be happy to answer questions first, and you can message Athena through her Greek List profile.
Many Greeks in London also like that a session can be a gentle way to meet people who share the same interests, in a calm setting rather than a loud one. Whatever you choose, going in with an open mind and no expectations is usually the easiest way to enjoy it.
A sound session pairs well with a slow day. Some readers like to walk in a park beforehand, others prefer to keep the afternoon free and have a long Greek style lunch afterwards. In autumn and winter, a warm drink and an early night suit most people after a quiet morning. Plan it as a proper pause in the week, not another thing to squeeze in.
Greek stop: Athena Sofianou, Singer and Soundhealer, 9 Doyle Gardens, Brent, London NW10 3DB. A Greek List member. Read her profile, see her events and get in touch through her listing.
Looking for more to do this month? Greek List has the most complete list of Greek events in the UK, from concerts and talks to Greek nights and workshops. Organising your own event? You can list it for free.
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